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Carbon isotope variability and sedimentology of the Upper Permian carbonate rocks and changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary in the Masore section (Western Slovenia)

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Abstract

Carbonate and total organic carbon stable isotope analyses of the Upper Permian and Lower Triassic succession in the Masore section in western Slovenia indicate a high storage of organic matter during the Upper Permian, as well as the well known worldwide “light carbon isotope event” across the P/Tr boundary. The perturbations in the global carbon cycle observed in the investigated section span an approximately 50 cm thick interval (from −11 cm below to +41 cm above the lithostratigraphically determined P/Tr boundary), and coincide more or less with changes in lithology, as well as with an abrupt disappearance of Upper Permian marine fauna. In this section changes in the sedimentary environment are most probably related to Upper Permian—Lower Triassic sea level changes. The carbonate and organic carbon negative peak anomaly could be explained by accelerated changes in the end Permian carbon cycle, due to some co-occurring events, such as pronounced erosion and oxidation of organic carbon, a possible release of methane from stored hydrates, and volcanic activity, as well as by a sudden reduction in primary productivity triggered by not yet completely satisfactorily explained mechanisms.

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Acknowledgements

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Republic of Slovenia, UNESCO—IGCP Project No. 386 and Geoexp d.o.o., Tržič, Slovenia, financially supported this study. To all these institutions we express our sincere thanks. We also want to thank to Dr. O. Weidlich and one anonymous reviewer whose constructive comments contributed significantly to improving the manuscript. Thanks also to lector Anthony Byrne for correcting the English.

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  1. Department of Geology, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Askerceva 12, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Tadej Dolenec & Matej Dolenec

  2. Geological Survey of Slvenia, Dimiceva 14, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Bojan Ogorelec

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Sonja Lojen

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  1. Tadej Dolenec
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Dolenec, T., Ogorelec, B., Dolenec, M. et al. Carbon isotope variability and sedimentology of the Upper Permian carbonate rocks and changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary in the Masore section (Western Slovenia). Facies 50, 287–299 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-004-0016-7

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