Calcium and Strontium Isotope signatures of Paleo-Environments and their alteration by diagenesis
The alkaline Earth elements magnesium, calcium and strontium are key elements to understand Earth´s geology, ocean´s salinity and the evolution of life on our planet. Among other minerals they mostly determined in calcium carbonate and its polymorphs being a major archive for information on continental weathering, ocean sediment burial, atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate variation since the beginning of the preservation of the fossil record at the onset of the Phanerozoic eon more than about 500 Million years ago. Paleo reconstructions of primary signals and related time series are hampered by the knowledge of those processes influencing the element and isotope ratios in a calcium carbonate mineral. This comprises kinetic effects during the precipitation of the mineral, vital effects due to the metabolic control of the living animal or plant on its element uptake and diagenetic effects which post-depositional change primary signals violating the closed system behavior and the reconstruction of original signals. In particular kinetic effects provide key knowledge to understand modern and to interpret fossil records. This is the main target of the seminar focusing on the alkaline Earth elements Calcium and Strontium and their discrimination and isotope fractionation during inorganic and organic precipitation of the major calcium carbonate polymorphs calcite and aragonite.
https://www.munich-geocenter.org/events/seminars/frontiers-in-earth-sciences-18/calcium-and-strontium-isotope-signatures-of-paleo
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Calcium and Strontium Isotope signatures of Paleo-Environments and their alteration by diagenesis
Abstract
The alkaline Earth elements magnesium, calcium and strontium are key elements to understand Earth´s geology, ocean´s salinity and the evolution of life on our planet. Among other minerals they mostly determined in calcium carbonate and its polymorphs being a major archive for information on continental weathering, ocean sediment burial, atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate variation since the beginning of the preservation of the fossil record at the onset of the Phanerozoic eon more than about 500 Million years ago. Paleo reconstructions of primary signals and related time series are hampered by the knowledge of those processes influencing the element and isotope ratios in a calcium carbonate mineral. This comprises kinetic effects during the precipitation of the mineral, vital effects due to the metabolic control of the living animal or plant on its element uptake and diagenetic effects which post-depositional change primary signals violating the closed system behavior and the reconstruction of original signals. In particular kinetic effects provide key knowledge to understand modern and to interpret fossil records. This is the main target of the seminar focusing on the alkaline Earth elements Calcium and Strontium and their discrimination and isotope fractionation during inorganic and organic precipitation of the major calcium carbonate polymorphs calcite and aragonite.
