Sedimentary facies and carbon isotopes of the Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian in South China: Implications for icehouse to greenhouse transition

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) is the so far longest-last icehouse climate state during the Phanerozoic, and recorded a complete transition from icehouse to greenhouse climate state since the occurrence of vascular plants and complex terrestrial ecosystem. Therefore, integrated studies on the icehouse-greenhouse transition of the LPIA are critical to understanding the driver and mechanism of the deep-time paleoclimate system, particularly in an icehouse climate state. However, frequent subaerial exposures and stratigraphic discontinuities in low-latitude areas due to glacio-eustatic changes from the Pennsylvanian (Late Carboniferous) to Cisuralian (Early Permian) potentially altered the primary 813C signals, which hampered a valid global correlation. Here, three carbonate slope successions (Naqing, Shanglong, and Narao) in the Luodian Basin, South China Block, were selected for detailed sedimentology and high-resolution carbonate 813C study. The variation of 813C is compared with the sedimentary characteristics and can be correlated with global glacial events and atmospheric pCO2 during the apex and deglaciation period of the LPIA. It suggests that 813C of the Luodian Basin can potentially represent the global mean 813C of the seawater dissolved inorganic carbon and provide a reference for the future study on global carbon cycling.

Automated summary

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) is the longest-lasting icehouse climate state during the Phanerozoic, and understanding the icehouse-greenhouse transition of the LPIA is crucial for studying the deep-time paleoclimate system. However, stratigraphic discontinuities in low-latitude areas have hindered global correlation. This study focuses on three carbonate slope successions in the Luodian Basin, South China, and correlates the 813C variation with global glacial events and atmospheric pCO2, providing insights into global carbon cycling.