Paleoceanographic context of organic matter deposition on the Yangtze Craton, South China during the Ediacaran Period

Solid Earth Dynamics

UCL

UCL

The Neoproterozoic Era (1000-541 Ma) is considered one of the most interesting periods in the geological record. It encompasses fundamental changes in atmospheric and ocean chemistry, and the onset and evolution of animal life. The largest and more severe glaciations in the Earth’s history together with the onset of animal life during the Ediacaran Period (635-541 Ma), in the form of multi-celled organisms, make this period of extraordinary importance. Global tectonic configuration, atmospheric and climatic changes, and profound oceanic chemistry variations will characterize this period and will also provide important clues to reformulate the timing, causes and consequences of these events, which remain poorly understood. This project targets an improved understanding of organic matter deposition and preservation of Ediacaran black shales in the Yangtze platform (South China), linked to global and regional biogeochemical cycling, ocean anoxia and climate perturbations. A broad set of geochemical proxies, including inorganic and organic proxies, will be apply together with innovative organic facies modelling, at a basin scale, not applied before in the studied area. By this approach, organic matter preservation will be used as a tool to understand the organic facies quality distribution linked to ocean chemistry and climate perturbations.

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