Takashima CretaceousEnvironmentalChanges
Takashima CretaceousEnvironmentalChanges
Abstract
The Cretaceous is a typical greenhouse period due to high concentration of CO2 in the
atmosphere derived from elevated global igneous activity, and characterized by high surface
temperatures (>14C) in high latitudes, a lack of permanent ice sheets and higher sea level.
During the climax of Cretaceous warming, anoxic condition expanded through the global
oceans, and organic rich sediments were widely deposited within the marine carbonate
sediments. The formations of black shales in the marine environments are called as Oceanic
Anoxic Events (OAEs) that were found at least 10 times during the Cretaceous period. The
OAEs probably induced accumulations of organic carbons resources and extinction of marine
benthic faunas.
The formations of black shales are related with large volcanism that formed large
igneous provinces (LIPs) such as the Ontong Java Plateau and Shatsky Rise. Many studied cores
were recovered in the Atlantic and Tethyan regions during the Cretaceous, whereas the drilling
cores were rare in the Pacific Ocean. In future drilling, we need to recover the Cretaceous
sequence in the Pacific Ocean.
Introduction
The Earth climate has alternated between greenhouse and icehouse modes throughout the
Phanerozoic. Although the earth is at present in the midst of an icehouse climate mode, recent
dramatic increase in atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels has led to significant
global warming. To understanding the oceanclimate system during past greenhouse climate
modes is essential for more accurate prediction of future climate and environmental changes and
ecological impacts in the warming Earth. The Cretaceous is known as a latest typical greenhouse
period caused largely by increased CO2 from elevated global igneous activity, as it is
characterized by globally averaged surface temperatures that were >14C higher than those of
today (Tarduno et al., 1998), a lack of permanent ice sheets (Frakes et al. 1992) and over
100-200 m higher sea level than that of today (Haq et al., 1987; Miller et al., 2005; Mller et al.,
2008).
Biocalcification crises
Recent simulation studies predict that rapid atmospheric release of CO2 will cause
acidification of sea surface water that could affect marine ecosystems significantly. In the
Cretaceous ocean, the global drowning of shallow-water carbonate platforms occurred several
times (Figure 1). Weissert and Erba (2004) pointed out that the coincidence between the
drowning events of shallow-water carbonate platforms and the crisis of heavily calcified
plankton groups recorded in the pelagic facies. They termed these events Biocalcification
crises. The Biocalcification crises occurred 5 times during Cretaceous. The three of them
coincided with OAEs (Weissert, OAE1b, 2), but rest two are not accompanied by the major
environmental event. Although recent hypotheses blame elevated pCO2-induced lowered
surface ocean pH, the mechanism responsible for these event remains poorly constrained.
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Figure 1. Compilation showing JurassicCretaceous changes in sea level, ocean crust production,
paleo-temperature, bulk carbon isotopes, carbonate platform drowning events and OAEs.