Climate–carbon-cycle interactions and spatial heterogeneity of the late Triassic Carnian pluvial episode

The Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE; 234-232 million years ago) is an iconic but poorly understood hyperthermal event. Here, we present an integrated high-resolution (~2-10 kyr) multi-proxy record from a Carnian lacustrine succession of the Junggar Basin of northwestern China. We find that the rapid CPE onset (~15.8 kyr) could have been the result of volcanism and subsequent surface carbon-cycle feedbacks. The CPE terrestrial carbon cycling, at a scale of ± 1‰ (δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>org</sub>), displays an in-phase relationship with the 405-kyr-long-eccentricity parameter, paralleling the warmhouse climate-carbon-cycle interactions throughout the Oligo-Miocene. The CPE hydrological cycle was typified by increased aridification in continental interiors and multiple precipitation centres at low-latitude eastern regions of Pangea and at the poles. The carbon and hydrological cycle changes of the CPE include features reminiscent of other warm events, suggesting they may share key characteristics and hold important clues to Earth system functioning.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-06-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61262-7
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
17.32

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article

Climate–carbon-cycle interactions and spatial heterogeneity of the late Triassic Carnian pluvial episode

Xiangdong Zhao, Xianye Zhao, Qiang Wang, Jingeng Sha et al.
4 citations
Nature Communications
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
17.32
article

Climate–carbon-cycle interactions and spatial heterogeneity of the late Triassic Carnian pluvial episode

Xiangdong Zhao, Xianye Zhao, Qiang Wang, Jingeng Sha, Haichun Zhang, Philippe Claeys, Hu Yang, Joost Frieling, Xuewu Fu, Daran Zheng, Wanglu Jia, Hugh C. Jenkyns, David De Vleeschouwer, Yanan Fang, Meng Wang, Sha Li, Bó Wáng, Jungang Peng, Naihua Xue
article en
4 citations

Abstract

The Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE; 234-232 million years ago) is an iconic but poorly understood hyperthermal event. Here, we present an integrated high-resolution (~2-10 kyr) multi-proxy record from a Carnian lacustrine succession of the Junggar Basin of northwestern China. We find that the rapid CPE onset (~15.8 kyr) could have been the result of volcanism and subsequent surface carbon-cycle feedbacks. The CPE terrestrial carbon cycling, at a scale of ± 1‰ (δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>org</sub>), displays an in-phase relationship with the 405-kyr-long-eccentricity parameter, paralleling the warmhouse climate-carbon-cycle interactions throughout the Oligo-Miocene. The CPE hydrological cycle was typified by increased aridification in continental interiors and multiple precipitation centres at low-latitude eastern regions of Pangea and at the poles. The carbon and hydrological cycle changes of the CPE include features reminiscent of other warm events, suggesting they may share key characteristics and hold important clues to Earth system functioning.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Münster (DE), Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (CN), University of Oxford (GB), Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (CN), Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology (CN), Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (CN), Institute of Geochemistry (CN), Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Youth Innovation Promotion Association
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
17.32
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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