Environmental Signal Propagation in Sediment Routing Systems across the Permo-Triassic boundary

• Applicant: Dr. Luca Caracciolo
• Subject Area: Geology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 493914937

The project aims at developing a new set of analytical and modelling tools to improve the knowledge of three of the most challenging research questions in sedimentary geology: (i) the identification of environmental signals in deep-time, (ii) the reconstruction of the evolution of ancient sediment routing systems, (iii) the effect of climate changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary on sediment production and sediment transfer to the ocean and its impact on life recovery after the most devastating extinction in the history of our planet. The mainstream literature supports a general model indicating increasing arid condition from the Late Permian to the Early Triassic. However, more recent literature indicate increasing sediment flux related to seasonal humid conditions and higher water discharge leaving uncertainty in the interpretation of climate and sediment production unsolved. To tackle such a big challenge, the project relies on an extensive set of analytical tools, paleoclimatic and paleotectonic models, to be applied on sections in Southern Russia and China where high-precision TIMS dating of volcanic layers provide the base to constrain environmental variations in time. The integration of paleoclimatic and paleotectonic models with quantitative provenance analysis, Ne cosmogenic nuclides, Low-T thermochronology, and radiogenic isotope tracers 143Nd / 144Nd (expressed as εNd) and 87Sr / 86Sr in mudstones, will provide the base to link variations in provenance, denudation rates, and sediment flux to climate change and tectonic activity. he implications from proving and especially quantifying an increase in sediment flux are important. Firstly, because the PTB is one of the most critical time intervals in Earth history, and the interplay of tectonics, climate, and changes in the sediment flux are currently poorly understood. Secondly, enhanced silicate weathering could have effectively contributed to the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 emitted by Siberian Trap volcanism instead climate regulation by silicate weathering may have failed in case of no major change in weathering and extensive volcanic degassing.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Brazil, China, Ireland, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. David Chew; Daoliang Chu, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Arkadiusz Derkowski; Dr. Andy Quallington; Professor Vladimir Silantiev, Ph.D., until 3/2022; Dr. Cleber Soares