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Extinction Events in Earth History pp 333–345Cite as

Biogeochemical modeling at mass extinction boundaries: Atmospheric carbon dioxide and ocean alkalinity at the K/T boundary

  • Mesozoic/Cenozoic Events
  • Conference paper
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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 30))

Abstract

The causes of mass extinctions and the importance of major bio-events in the history of life are subjects of considerable scientific interest. A large amount of geological, geochemical, and paleontological information now exists for the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary (66 Myr BP). These data are used here to constrain a newly developed time-dependent biogeochemical cycle model that is designed to study transient behavior of the earth system. Model results suggest significant fluctuations in ocean alkalinity, atmospheric CO2, and global temperatures at the K/T boundary, brought about by the extinction of calcareous plankton and reduction in pelagic CaCO3 and organic carbon sedimentation rates. Oxygenisotope analyses and other paleoclimatic data provide some evidence that such climatic fluctuations may have occurred, but stabilizing feedback processes may have acted to reduce the ocean-alkalinity and carbon dioxide fluctuations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth Systems Group, Department of Applied Science, New York University, 10003, New York, NY, USA

    Ken Caldeira, Michael R. Rampino & Tyler Volk

  2. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Institute for Space Studies, 10025, New York, NY, USA

    Michael R. Rampino

  3. Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, 48109, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    James C. Zachos

Authors
  1. Ken Caldeira
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  2. Michael R. Rampino
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  3. Tyler Volk
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  4. James C. Zachos
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Erle G. Kauffman Otto H. Walliser

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag

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Caldeira, K., Rampino, M.R., Volk, T., Zachos, J.C. (1990). Biogeochemical modeling at mass extinction boundaries: Atmospheric carbon dioxide and ocean alkalinity at the K/T boundary. In: Kauffman, E.G., Walliser, O.H. (eds) Extinction Events in Earth History. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 30. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0011156

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0011156

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-52605-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47071-7

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