Nitrogen isotope evidence for a redox-stratified ocean and eustasy-driven environmental evolution during the Ordovician-Silurian transition

The Ordovician-Silurian (O/S) transition was a critical geological interval, during which significant biological events and dramatic environmental changes occurred. Extensive research has proven that changes in the ocean environment are one of the main causes of events that affect the biosphere. However, the redox structure and related geochemical evolution of the ocean during the O/S transition remain under debate. N isotopes are thought to have significant potential for further elucidating the oceanic redox structure and related geochemical evolution during the O/S transition, and are an effective supplement to the former environmental proxies of bottom sediments. This study presents high-resolution N isotope data from a well-sequenced drill core across the O/S transition from the Lower Yangtze Platform, South China, showing an interesting isotopic variation with high delta N-15 values (+1 parts per thousand to +4 parts per thousand) during the Late Katian to Hirnantian ages of the Ordovician and much lower values (-1 parts per thousand to +1 parts per thousand) during the Rhuddanian Age of the earliest Silurian. This delta N-15 variation is mostly controlled by ocean redox conditions and the corresponding changes in the nitrate reservoir. Combined with previously reported delta N-15 data, a redox-stratified ocean with a relatively deep redox transition zone was reconstructed according to the distribution of delta N-15 profiles across different palaeogeographic locations. The lower delta N-15 values and more reducing conditions in deep water sections demonstrate that glacio-eustatic fall, rather than increased upwelling, was likely the main driver of the global redox change during the Late Ordovician. Furthermore, a global delta N-15 decrease during the Late Katian may be associated with the debated Boda warm event, and the up to six positive delta N-15 excursions observed during the Hirnantian might suggest the cyclicity of the glaciation process.

Automated summary

The Ordovician-Silurian transition was a critical geological interval with significant biological events and environmental changes. Research has shown that changes in ocean environment are a main cause of events affecting the biosphere. Nitrogen isotopes play a significant role in elucidating oceanic redox structure and geochemical evolution during the transition period.