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Palaeoclimatology (Communication arising)

Triassic–Jurassic atmospheric CO2 spike

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Abstract

I question the claim by Tanner et al.1 that atmospheric CO2 levels remained constant across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary on the grounds of problems with stratigraphic completeness and contamination with atmospheric methane. Because methanogenic CH4 has a light isotope composition and oxidizes readily to CO2, methane–clathrate dissociation and oxidation events cannot be detected by palaeobarometers that use the carbon-isotope composition of palaeosol carbonate.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, 97403-1272, Oregon, USA

    Gregory J. Retallack

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  1. Gregory J. Retallack
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Correspondence to Gregory J. Retallack.

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Retallack, G. Triassic–Jurassic atmospheric CO2 spike. Nature 415, 387–388 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/415387a

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