Microfossil Assemblages and Geochemistry for Interpreting the Incidence of the Jenkyns Event (Early Toarcian) in the South-Easte
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J. Micropalaeontology, 39, 233–258, 2020 https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-39-233-2020 © Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Microfossil assemblages and geochemistry for interpreting the incidence of the Jenkyns Event (early Toarcian) in the south-eastern Iberian Palaeomargin (External Subbetic, SE Spain) Matías Reolid Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain Correspondence: Matías Reolid ([email protected]) Received: 31 July 2020 – Revised: 23 October 2020 – Accepted: 26 October 2020 – Published: 4 December 2020 Abstract. By studying the facies, geochemistry, and microfossil assemblages of the uppermost Pliensbachian and lower Toarcian of the Cueva del Agua section, I was able to appraise the impact of the Jenkyns Event in the eastern part of the South Iberian Palaeomargin (Western Tethys). Depleted oxygen conditions are envisaged for the Polymorphum–Serpentinum Zone boundary (lower Toarcian), represented by dark marls, precisely in a lam- inated interval. The decrease in the α diversity of foraminifera and ostracods, along with greater proportions of opportunists such as Lenticulina, Eoguttulina, and Cytherella just before the negative carbon isotopic excursion (CIE), would indicate a disturbance of the environmental conditions during the initial phase of the biotic crisis. The peak of the biotic crisis is characterized by an absence of trace fossils, increased organic matter content, an increased Mo=Al ratio, and negative CIE and δ18O, as well as fewer specialist forms and more opportunists. This biotic crisis peak is related to oxygen-depleted conditions in the bottom waters and in the sediment pore water, while warming negatively affected microfauna – to the point of leaving a barren benthic horizon in the record. Recovery is evidenced by the occurrence of carbonate layers with hummocky cross-stratification and a decrease in organic matter content, the Mo=Al ratio, and the trace fossil record. In terms of microfauna, the first phase of recovery shows highly abundant foraminifera, ostracods, and microgastropods, mainly opportunist forms. Af- ter the proliferation of opportunist forms, a second phase of recovery is marked by a progressive increase in α diversity. 1 Introduction et al., 2013; Them et al., 2017; Baghli et al., 2020; Piazza et al., 2020; Storm et al., 2020), and enhanced weathering Research on environmental global events that affected past (e.g. Montero-Serrano et al., 2015; Fu et al., 2017; Reolid et marine ecosystems offers us the chance to elaborate models al., 2020b). A perturbation of the carbon cycle indicated by for understanding ongoing worldwide changes. The Toarcian a negative carbon isotopic excursion (CIE) affected marine oceanic anoxic event (T-OAE; Early Jurassic), also known environments (e.g. Jenkyns and Clayton, 1986; Sælen et al., as the Jenkyns Event (Müller et al., 2017; Reolid et al., 1996; Suan et al., 2010; Reolid, 2014a; Baghli et al., 2020) 2020a), is a very useful past analogue. This global event was and land ecosystems (as evidenced in land plant organic mat- an abrupt palaeoenvironmental perturbation entailing ma- ter; e.g. Hesselbo et al., 2007; Ruebsam et al., 2020a). This rine transgression (Hallam, 1987; Pittet et al., 2014; Haq, global change led to a biotic crisis constituting a second- 2018) coeval with a widespread deposition of black shales order mass extinction for benthic organisms (Little and Ben- (Jenkyns, 1988; Bellanca et al., 1999; Röhl et al., 2001; ton, 1995; Aberhan and Fürsich, 2000; Cecca and Macchioni, McArthur, 2019), global warming (e.g. García Joral et al., 2004; Wignall et al., 2005; Gomez and Goy, 2011; Danise 2011; Korte and Hesselbo, 2011; Suan et al., 2011; Danise et al., 2013, 2019; Caruthers et al., 2014; Rita et al., 2016), Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of The Micropalaeontological Society. 234 M. Reolid: Microfossil assemblages and geochemistry for interpreting the Jenkyns Event probably driven by oxygen depletion affecting many plat- blages together with microfacies and geochemical proxies, forms and deep oceanic environments (Röhl et al., 2001; with a description of the microfossil population dynamics Bucefalo Palliani et al., 2002; Wignall et al., 2005; Hermoso before, during, and after the event. The Subbetic is an ideal et al., 2009; Caruthers et al., 2014; Them et al., 2018; Reolid arena for such a study, as the South Iberian Palaeomargin et al., 2012a, 2019a). Oxygen-depleted conditions in marine was not affected by generalized bottom anoxia, and the typ- ecosystems in some areas reached generalized anoxia and eu- ical black shales are not recorded (e.g. Rodríguez-Tovar and xinia (e.g. Gill et al., 2011; Izumi et al., 2018; Ruebsam et Reolid, 2013; Reolid et al., 2015, 2020b). Given these cir- al., 2018; Suan et al., 2018) but did not affect all basins and cumstances, the effect of global warming on the foraminifera palaeomargins alike (e.g. Boomer et al., 2009; Reolid et al., and ostracods, or other factors, may be tested. 2014a, 2015; McArthur, 2019). Reolid et al. (2020a) propose the use of the term T-OAE only when studying marine de- posits holding evidence of oxygen-depleted conditions; the 2 Geological setting term Jenkyns Event (Müller et al., 2017) is more appropriate for the global changes that occurred during the early Toarcian The studied section, Cueva del Agua, is found in south- (including the anoxic event). ern Spain in a ravine of the same name (37◦54020.100 N, In the context of oceanic anoxic events, the response of 02◦32061.000 W) just 11 km north-west of the village of Hués- microfossil organisms before, during, and after a biotic crisis car (Granada Province). From a geological standpoint the can prove useful for interpreting controlling environmental section pertains to the External Subbetic, more specifically factors such as oxygen availability and nutrient input (Bar- to the Betic External Zones (northern part of the Betic tolini et al., 1992; Hylton and Hart, 2000; Gebhardt et al., Cordillera, Fig. 1a; Vera, 2001). The sedimentary rocks of the 2004; Friedrich et al., 2009; Mailliot et al., 2009; Nikitenko external zones represent the evolution of the South Iberian et al., 2013; Rita et al., 2016; Jozsa et al., 2018; Reolid et Palaeomargin from Triassic to Paleogene times (Reolid et al., al., 2019a, b). Assemblages of benthic foraminifera and os- 2018). They mainly correspond to carbonate and marly sed- tracods (composition, α diversity, and abundance) are good iments deposited in the palaeomargin located in the Western bioindicators of physicochemical parameters at the seafloor, Tethys. The upper Pliensbachian and Toarcian are recorded including oxygen and trophic resource availability (Benson in the Zegrí Formation (Fig. 1b). Three facies can be dis- et al., 1983; Whatley, 1988; Dingle and Lord, 1990; Sjo- cerned in the Cueva del Agua section (Fig. 1c): (a) marl erdsma and Van der Zwaan, 1992; Cronin et al., 1994, 1995, and marly limestone alternation, (b) dark marls, and (c) thin- 2002; Jorissen et al., 1995; Whatley, 1995; Van der Zwaan bedded limestones. et al., 1999; Fontanier et al., 2002; N’Zaba-Makaya et al., The upper Pliensbachian is constituted by an alterna- 2003; Olóriz et al., 2003; Ayress et al., 2004; Reolid et al., tion of grey marls and marly limestone (Fig. 2a). The am- 2008a). The depth in the sediment at which foraminifera live monite assemblage is composed by Canavaria elisa, Ema- is predominantly determined by food quality and secondar- ciaticeras emaciatum, E. imitator, E. lotti, Lioceratoides ily by oxygen availability (Nagy, 1992; Tyszka, 1994; Joris- aradasi, and Protogrammoceras bassanii (Emaciatum Zone, sen et al., 1995; Van der Zwaan et al., 1999; Fontanier et al., upper Pliensbachian) followed by the first record of Dactylio- 2002; Ernst and Van der Zwaan, 2004; Reolid et al., 2008b; ceras (Eodactylioceras) polymorphum of the Polymorphum Olóriz et al., 2012). Corbari (2004) indicates that the move- Zone (lower Toarcian). Ammonoids are more common at the ment of Ostracoda from an infaunal to an epifaunal micro- top of the Pliensbachian. The limestone beds are around 20– habitat occurs when the redox boundary becomes shallower 30 cm thick and are densely bioturbated by Planolites, Tha- in the sediment and the predation of ostracods increases. Epi- lassinoides, and Chondrites. The microfacies are mudstones faunal forms have an advantage in environments that are sub- and locally wackestones. jected to food and/or oxygen limitations except when they are Found above this lithofacies is 16 m of dark marls submitted to high predation pressure, whereas infaunal taxa (Fig. 2b–d) corresponding to the Polymorphum Zone and tend to proliferate when food and oxygen are more plenti- the lower part of the Serpentinum Zone (Levisoni Zone for ful within the sediment (Jorissen et al., 1995; Van der Zwaan Mediterranean biozonation and Falciferum Zone for sub- et al., 1999). Records of microfossil assemblages with high boreal biozonation). In the lower part of the dark marls only opportunist-to-specialist ratios and reduced diversity are in- scarce Chondrites are recorded. The most clayey interval, dicative of ecological stress and unfavourable conditions at 50 cm thick, is located in the Polymorphum–Serpentinum the seafloor (Sjoerdsma and Van der Zwaan, 1992; Hylton Zone boundary (Fig. 2c) some 8 m atop the alternating marls and Hart, 2000; Rita et al., 2016; Alegret et al., 2018; Reolid and marly limestones. Although it shows the characteristic et al., 2019a, b). dark colour and thinly laminated fabric, it lacks trace fossils The objective of this work is to derive an environmental (Fig. 2d). interpretation of the incidence of the Jenkyns Event and shed In the upper part of the dark marls the limestone beds light on the development of the T-OAE in the South Iberian are progressively more common, consisting of thin calcaren- Palaeomargin based on the analysis of microfossil assem- ites and calcisiltites.