Carbon, sulfur, oxygen and strontium isotope records, organic geochemistry and biostratigraphy across the Permian/Triassic boundary in Abadeh, Iran

Pelagic deposits at Abadeh represent a complete biostratigraphic record across the Permian/Triassic boundary (PTB). The presumed water depth during deposition of these sediments was between 60 and 90 m. Similar to other Permian/Triassic boundary sections, the succession at Abadeh is characterised by a negative carbon isotope shift of approximately 4‰. The values start to decrease in the lower C. changxingensis - C. deflecta s.l. Zone, reach −0.12‰ (V-PDB) in the uppermost Permian just below the PTB, remain low to the early I. isarcica Zone (−0.32‰) and increase subsequently in the upper I. isarcica Zone. For the time interval of the PTB negative carbon isotope excursion, between the C. iranica and the I. isarcica Zones, no correlation exists between the δ13Ccarb and the δ18Ocarb. The above observations argue against the conclusion of Heydari et al. (2001) that the carbon isotope event at the P/T transition is an alteration artefact and not a global signal. The decrease in δ13Ccarb is accompanied by a ~5‰ (and potentially up to 10‰) increase in δ34SSSS. Together, these features are thought to reflect a complex global event, notably the development of widespread anoxic oceans with anoxic bottom layers rising onto the shelves. For the carbon isotope drop, other factors, such as the collapse of ocean primary productivity may also have played a role. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of Dzhulfian seawater show only a minor increase from 0.70705 to 0.70710, reaching 0.70720 in the Dorashamian. The increase becomes steeper in the Early Triassic reaching 0.70754 in the N. dieneri Zone. The rise of the strontium isotope values is thought to be related to enhanced continental weathering under humid climatic conditions in the uppermost Permian (C. meishanensis - H. praeparvus Zone) and the lack of a dense land vegetation in the Early Triassic, prior to the Spathian (Upper Olenekian).