AI Article Synopsis
- Changes in seawater composition and isotope levels reveal shifts in carbon sources and sinks, which influence past atmospheric CO2 and climate conditions.
- The stable strontium (Sr) isotope record from marine barite shows a complex fluctuation pattern over the last 35 million years, indicating varying seawater Sr concentrations.
- Numerical modeling suggests these fluctuations are about ±25% compared to current seawater levels, linked to changes in biogenic carbonate mineralogy and burial sites.
Article Abstract
Changes in the concentration and isotopic composition of the major constituents in seawater reflect changes in their sources and sinks. Because many of the processes controlling these sources and sinks are tied to the cycling of carbon, such records can provide insights into what drives past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate. Here, we present a stable strontium (Sr) isotope record derived from pelagic marine barite. Our δSr record exhibits a complex pattern, first declining between 35 and 15 million years ago (Ma), then increasing from 15 to 5 Ma, before declining again from ~5 Ma to the present. Numerical modeling reveals that the associated fluctuations in seawater Sr concentrations are about ±25% relative to present-day seawater. We interpret the δSr data as reflecting changes in the mineralogy and burial location of biogenic carbonates.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz9266 | DOI Listing |
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