Mercury evidence for combustion of organic-rich sediments during the end-Triassic crisis

The sources of isotopically light carbon released during the end-Triassic mass extinction remain in debate. Here, we use mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopes from a pelagic Triassic-Jurassic boundary section (Katsuyama, Japan) to track changes in Hg cycling. Because of its location in the central Panthalassa, far from terrigenous runoff, Hg enrichments at Katsuyama record atmospheric Hg deposition. These enrichments are characterized by negative mass independent fractionation (MIF) of odd Hg isotopes, providing evidence of their derivation from terrestrial organic-rich sediments (Delta Hg-199 < 0 parts per thousand) rather than from deep-Earth volcanic gases (Delta Hg-199 similar to 0 parts per thousand). Our data thus provide evidence that combustion of sedimentary organic matter by igneous intrusions and/or wildfires played a significant role in the environmental perturbations accompanying the event. This process has a modern analog in anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuels from crustal reservoirs.

Automated summary

By analyzing a section in Japan, researchers have found that the isotopically light carbon released during the end-Triassic mass extinction may have come from the combustion of organic-rich sediments, rather than deep-Earth volcanic gases.