Latitude-dependant climate changes across the Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a

The understanding of the climatic evolution during the Early Cretaceous in general, and across Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE-1a) in particular, has generally been derived from Tethyan localities, implying large uncertainties about their significance at a global scale. In this study, high-resolution clay-mineral assemblage analyses have been performed on the Hauterivian to lower Aptian cored section of the North Jens-1 well, located in the Danish Central Graben, North Sea, in the Boreal Realm. Large amounts of detrital kaolinite are observed throughout the core, indicating the presence of a local, kaolinite-rich source. A long-term decline in kaolinite content is recorded from the upper Hauterivian to the lowermost pre-OAE-1a Aptian, followed by a sharp rise within the OAE-1a interval. This trend is similar to that observed in the Tethyan Realm, where a supra-regional climatic evolution is observed, including: (i) relatively humid conditions in the late Hauterivian; (ii) a shift towards overall drier conditions in the latest Barremian - earliest Aptian; and (iii) renewed humid conditions during the unfolding of OAE-1a. However, the precise timing of climate change across OAE-1a differs between the Tethyan and Boreal Realms. The shift towards humid conditions coincides with the onset of OAE-1a (segment C3) in the Tethyan Realm, followed by a return to drier conditions in the second half of the event. In the Boreal Realm, however, the onset of OAE-1a was characterised by a relatively dry climate, followed by an increase in humidity within its middle part (segments C4-C5) that persisted through the remainder of the early Aptian. Consequently, there was a non-linear change in precipitation patterns across latitudinal belts during the unfolding of OAE-1a. Similar conclusions have been drawn for other OAEs, suggesting a more complex weathering feedback mechanism during hyperthermal events than generally assumed.

Automated summary

This study explores the climatic evolution during the Early Cretaceous in the Boreal Realm of the Danish Central Graben, North Sea. The research findings suggest that there are differences in precipitation patterns between the Tethyan Realm and the Boreal Realm during the OAE-1a period, indicating a more complex weathering feedback mechanism during hyperthermal events than previously assumed.