Phosphorus, nitrogen, and the redox evolution of the Paleozoic oceans

Research Article| July 01, 2005 Phosphorus, nitrogen, and the redox evolution of the Paleozoic oceans Matthew R. Saltzman Matthew R. Saltzman 1Department of Geological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Matthew R. Saltzman 1Department of Geological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 17 Jan 2005 Revision Received: 08 Mar 2005 Accepted: 10 Mar 2005 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2005) 33 (7): 573–576. https://doi.org/10.1130/G21535.1 Article history Received: 17 Jan 2005 Revision Received: 08 Mar 2005 Accepted: 10 Mar 2005 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Matthew R. Saltzman; Phosphorus, nitrogen, and the redox evolution of the Paleozoic oceans. Geology 2005;; 33 (7): 573–576. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G21535.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A new high-resolution Paleozoic δ13Ccarb curve from the Great Basin shows an amount of variation that appears transitional between the highly unsettled Neoproterozoic and the increasingly stable Mesozoic to Cenozoic periods. Large positive excursions were common during cool periods (e.g., Late Ordovician–Silurian and Late Devonian–Early Mississippian), but rare during greenhouse climates. Some periods of stability in δ13Ccarb lasted for >107 yr and are interpreted to reflect negative feedbacks on productivity in a nitrogen-limited (low oceanic N/P) ocean in which anoxia led to increased denitrification. Suppression of N fixation, likely due to low levels of essential trace elements, is a requirement of N limitation. In contrast, cool periods that ventilated the oceans switched the ultimate limiting nutrient to P and allowed for δ13C excursions, which signal episodic organic carbon burial that could be sustained by positive feedbacks between productivity and anoxia. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.