Title: Chemostratigraphic Evidence of Deccan Volcanism from the Marine Osmium Isotope Record
Abstract: Continental flood basalt (CFB) volcanism is hypothesized to have played a causative role in global climate change and mass extinctions. Uncertainties associated with radiometric dating preclude a clear chronological assessment of the environmental consequences of CFB volcanism. Our results document a 25% decline in the marine 187Os/188Os record that predates the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) and coincides with late Maastrichtian warming. We argue that this decline provides a chemostratigraphic marker of Deccan volcanism and thus constitutes compelling evidence that the main environmental consequence of Deccan volcanism was a transient global warming event of 3 degrees to 5 degrees C that is fully resolved from the KTB mass extinction.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-11-21
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 174
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