Rock Magnetic Cyclostratigraphy of the Edicaran Doushantuo Formation, South China: Determining the Duration of the Shuram Carbon Isotope Excursion

Abstract:

To determine the duration of the Shuram carbon-isotope excursion (SE), we conducted paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and carbon isotopic studies of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation at the Dongdahe-Feidatian section near Chengjiang in South China. Zhu et al. (2007)¹ indicate that the SE is 97.4 ± 9.5 m thick at this locality. The SE may record the oxidation of the ocean just before the Cambrian explosion. We collected unoriented samples for rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy at 10 cm intervals for 68 m of the Dongdahe section and 101 oriented cores at 2-3 m intervals for paleomagnetism. Comparing our carbon isotope measurements, made on chips from the cores, to Zhu et al.’s previous work shows that the Dongdahe section records 70% of the excursion. The paleomagnetic samples were alternating field and thermally demagnetized, but were totally remagnetized in the present day geomagnetic field (D=358˚, I=38˚). Multi-taper method spectral analysis of the mass-normalized susceptibility of the 600 unoriented samples revealed six strong spectral peaks that rose above the 95% confidence limits of the robust red noise. The stratigraphic thickness of these cycles is 410, 89.3, 32.5, 27.6, 22.1 and 20.9 cm. A smaller peak with a wavelength of 110 cm was also observed. Based on the ratios of these wavelengths we interpret them to be astronomically-forced. If the 410 cm peak is set to long eccentricity (405 kyr), then the other peaks yield near-Milankovitch periods of short eccentricity (109 and 88 kyr), obliquity (32 and 27 kyr), and precession (22 and 21 kyr). A strong peak with a wavelength of 1710 cm was also observed, but is not interpreted to be orbitally-forced. The sediment accumulation rate for the Dongdahe section is 1 cm/kyr making the duration of the SE in South China 9.74 ± 0.95 Myr, in excellent agreement with estimates from Australia and California, thus supporting a primary origin for the SE and possibly the cause of the Cambrian explosion.

¹PPP 254 7-61