Pulses of ocean acidification at the Triassic–Jurassic boundary
Mass extinctions have repeatedly perturbed the history of life, but their causes are often elusive. Ocean acidification has been implicated during Triassic-Jurassic environmental perturbations, but this interval lacks direct reconstructions of ocean pH. Here, we present boron isotope data from well-preserved fossil oysters, which provide evidence for acidification of ≥ 0.29 pH units coincident with a 2 ‰ negative carbon isotope excursion (the "main" CIE) following the end-Triassic extinction. These results suggest a prolonged interval of CO<sub>2</sub>-driven environmental perturbation that may have delayed ecosystem recovery. Earth system modelling with cGENIE paired with our pH constraints demonstrates this was driven by predominantly mantle-derived carbon. Ocean acidification therefore appears to be associated with three of the five largest extinction events in Earth history, highlighting the catastrophic ecological impact of major perturbations to the carbon cycle in Earth's past, and possibly Earth's anthropogenically perturbed future.
Authors
- James Rae (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3904-2526)
- Robert C. Steele (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1406-6855)
- Jessica Crumpton-Banks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-864X)
- Andrew McIntyre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9956-2879)
- A. Joshua West (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6909-1471)
- Michael Van Mourik
- Ross Whiteford (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2178-3476)
- Wei‐Li Hong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7247-1827)
- Rosanna Greenop (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3797-877X)
- William R. Gray (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5608-7836)
- Catherine V. Rose (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8149-0977)
- Molly Trudgill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1421-7994)
- Frank A. Corsetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9068-188X)
- Aivo Lepland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0248-1405)
- Noor Neiroukh
- Andrea Burke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3754-1498)
- Eva E. Stüeken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6861-2490)
- Micha Ruhl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8170-0399)
- Markus Adloff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7515-6702)
- Martin Ziegler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3198-6434)
- Sarah E. Greene (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3025-9043)
- D. T. Doherty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5006-370X)
- David Saunders
- Marieke Cuperus
- Magali M F R Siri
Institutions
- University of Southern California (US)
- Statewide California Earthquake Center (US)
- Geological Survey of Norway (NO)
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-07-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61344-6
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.66
Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Natural Environment Research Council