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North-Central Texas, USA: Implications for Western Equatorial Pangean Palaeoclimate During Icehouse–Greenhouse Transition

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North-Central Texas, USA: Implications for Western Equatorial Pangean Palaeoclimate During Icehouse–Greenhouse Transition Sedimentology (2004) 51, 851–884 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2004.00655.x Morphology and distribution of fossil soils in the Permo-Pennsylvanian Wichita and Bowie Groups, north-central Texas, USA: implications for western equatorial Pangean palaeoclimate during icehouse–greenhouse transition NEIL JOHN TABOR* and ISABEL P. MONTAN˜ EZ *Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA (E-mail: [email protected]) Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA ABSTRACT Analysis of stacked Permo-Pennsylvanian palaeosols from north-central Texas documents the influence of palaeolandscape position on pedogenesis in aggradational depositional settings. Palaeosols of the Eastern shelf of the Midland basin exhibit stratigraphic trends in the distribution of soil horizons, structure, rooting density, clay mineralogy and colour that record long-term changes in soil-forming conditions driven by both local processes and regional climate. Palaeosols similar to modern histosols, ultisols, vertisols, inceptisols and entisols, all bearing morphological, mineralogical and chemical characteristics consistent with a tropical, humid climate, represent the Late Pennsylvanian suite of palaeosol orders. Palaeosols similar to modern alfisols, vertisols, inceptisols, aridisols and entisols preserve characteristics indicative of a drier and seasonal tropical climate throughout the Lower Permian strata. The changes in palaeosol morphology are interpreted as being a result of an overall climatic trend from relatively humid and tropical, moist conditions characterized by high rainfall in the Late Pennsylvanian to progressively drier, semi-arid to arid tropical climate characterized by seasonal rainfall in Early Permian time. Based on known Late Palaeozoic palaeogeography and current hypotheses for atmospheric circulation over western equatorial Pangea, the Pennsylvanian palaeosols in this study may be recording a climate that is the result of an orographic control over regional- scale atmospheric circulation. The trend towards a drier climate interpreted from the Permian palaeosols may be recording the breakdown of this pre- existing orographic effect and the onset of a monsoonal atmospheric circulation system over this region. Keywords Late Palaeozoic palaeoclimate, palaeosols, Permo-Carboniferous. INTRODUCTION ition from icehouse to greenhouse states and a probable global-scale reorganization of atmo- Outcrop and numerically based modelling stud- spheric circulation systems (Rowley et al., 1985; ies of the Late Palaeozoic geological record indi- Cecil, 1990; Parrish, 1993; West et al., 1997; Gibbs cate that Earth’s climate system underwent et al., 2002; and references therein). This plethora significant evolutionary change during this per- of studies indicates that the mid-latitude and iod. It is generally believed that climate change equatorial regions of Pangea became progres- occurred in response to the formation of the sively more arid, with more seasonal preci- supercontinent Pangea, an accompanying trans- pitation, throughout the Late Palaeozoic, Ó 2004 International Association of Sedimentologists 851 852 N. J. Tabor & I. P. Montan˜ez strongly supporting the development of northern results of this study help to refine the nature and hemisphere monsoonal circulation during this timing of climate change in western equatorial interval. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized Pangea during the early stages of supercontinent that monsoonal circulation began in the Late formation, major change in global atmospheric Carboniferous and reached its peak in the Middle circulation and the onset of deglaciation. Triassic based primarily upon lithological and palaeontological studies of North American and European terrestrial strata (Parrish, 1993). GEOLOGICAL SETTING Geological proxy records (e.g. coals, evaporites, aeolianites, tillites) and numerical models can The study area in north-central Texas (Fig. 1) was provide an excellent framework for the long-term located in the western coastal zone of equatorial development of climate systems over Pangea. Few Pangea during the Late Palaeozoic (Ziegler et al., detailed records exist, however, that offer insight 11997) and remained between 0 and 5°N of the into higher resolution spatial and temporal varia- equator throughout this time period (Golonka tions in climate regimes that accompanied the et al., 1994; Scotese, 1999; Loope et al., 2004). evolution of Pangean monsoonal circulation. Major tectonic elements such as the Muenster Significantly, recent studies of terrestrial deposits Arch and the Wichita, Arbuckle and Ouachita and their associated palaeosols in the south-west Mountains (Fig. 1) had developed by latest USA suggest that monsoonal circulation was well- Pennsylvanian time (Oriel et al., 1967), and tec- established over western equatorial Pangea tonic quiescence has characterized the region by earliest Permian time (Kessler et al., 2001; 2since (Donovan et al., 2001). Late Pennsylvanian Soreghan G.S. et al., 2002; Soreghan M.J. et al., (Virgilian) and Early Permian (Wolfcampian and 2002; Tabor & Montan˜ ez, 2002). These studies, Leonardian) terrestrial strata of north-central coupled with continuing discrepancies in Texas, along with subordinate marine sediments, model-data comparisons for low-latitude Pangea were deposited upon the broad, gently sloping (Patzkowsky et al., 1991; Rees et al., 2001; Gibbs Eastern shelf of the Midland basin as it subsided et al., 2002), highlight the necessity of understand- throughout the Late Palaeozoic (Fig. 1; Brown ing the evolution of specific Pangean climate et al., 1987; Hentz, 1988). A minor component of zones. detrital sediments representing the Upper Penn- The palaeosol-rich, Permo-Pennsylvanian ter- sylvanian and Lower Permian strata of the Eastern restrial strata of north-central Texas hold the Midland basin may have been derived from Early potential to provide insight into climate change Palaeozoic sediments and metamorphic rocks of over low-latitude Pangea, given that climate the distal Ouachita and Arbuckle Mountain variation would have been most pronounced in chains (Hentz, 1988). However, the principal western equatorial Pangea because of the confi- source of detrital sediments during this time guration of the supercontinent and its attendant was probably derived from second-cycle terrigen- effects on atmospheric circulation and precipita- ous-clastic sediments from Middle Pennsylva- tion patterns (Dubiel et al., 1991; Parrish, 1993). nian fan-delta and fluvial facies that were Furthermore, rich faunal and floral collections eroded from the proximal Ouachita foldbelt and interstratified regionally correlatable fluvial and Muenster Highlands (Fig. 1; Brown, 1973). sandstone bodies and fusulinid-bearing lime- Although there is no evidence for a major change stones provide a chronostratigraphic framework in the lithology of source lands during Permo- in which to define spatial and temporal trends in Pennsylvanian deposition, a progressive decrease palaeosol morphology, mineralogy and geochem- upsection in grain size and thickness of fluvial istry and the degree of palaeopedogenic devel- sandstones, coupled with a decrease in strati- opment. This study evaluates the influence of graphic frequency of thick, multistorey sand- local- to regional-scale autogenic and larger scale stones, is interpreted as recording significant allogenic processes on the stratigraphic distribu- denudation of the source areas by the close of tion of palaeosol morphologies and compositions the Early Permian (Hentz, 1988). through detailed field, petrographic, mineralogi- The primarily terrestrial deposits of the Bowie cal and geochemical analyses of 200 Permo- and Wichita Groups on the north-eastern portion Pennsylvanian palaeosols. These palaeosols of the Eastern shelf reach a thickness of up to provide a detailed data set for comparison with 530 m in the east and thin westward towards previously published palaeoclimate trends based marine-dominated strata (Fig. 2). Three terrestrial on geological data and numerical models. The facies are recognized in the Late Pennsylvanian Ó 2004 International Association of Sedimentologists, Sedimentology, 51, 851–884 Permo-Carboniferous palaeoclimate from palaeosols 853 Fig. 1. Regional distribution of source terranes and physiographic provinces in the latest Pennsylvanian to Early Permian, Eastern Shelf of the Midland Basin. Province boundaries are defined for the period of maximum regression in the earliest Permian. Structural and tectonic elements shown are for the pre-Virgilian palaeogeography of north- central Texas; the Muenster and Ouachita highlands remained significant topographic features in the Early Permian. Encircled numbers delineate locations of palaeosol-bearing stratigraphic sections used in this study. Diagram modified after Brown et al. (1987) and Hentz (1988). and Early Permian terrestrial strata of the Alluvial floodplain deposits formed primarily in Eastern Midland basin: (1) sand- and gravel-rich association with meandering streams given their channel-bar facies; (2) point-bar facies; and (3) stratigraphic predominance in the western and floodplain facies (Hentz, 1988). Sand and gravel- southern portions of the study area. Based on rich, channel-bar facies were deposited by brai- regional facies distributions, Hentz (1988) defined ded stream systems fringing the north-eastern three physiographic provinces for the latest highlands, whereas the point-bar facies record Pennsylvanian
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