Boron Isotopic Composition Variation During Early-Bajocian δ13Cmin Positive Excursion

Early Bajocian is a period of sea level rise and platform drowning during the mid-Jurassic greenhouse world. This period is geochemically characterized by a positive excursion of inorganic δ13C signal as recorded in Western Thetys sections. This signal, concomitant with an increased biosiliceous sedimentation, is meant to reflect both a eutrophication event and a carbonate production crisis (Bartolini et al. 1996 ; Bartolini and Cecca 1999). High atmospheric CO2 level is assumed for this period, linked with the birth of the Pacific Plate and a faster sea-floor spreading (Bartolini and Larson 2001). Opening of the Liguro- Piemontese ocean may have led to rearrangement of oceanic current circulation patterns. These global conditions, potentially leading to oceanic eutrophication and carbonate saturation state modification, have been suggested as a trigger for Early-Bajocian events. Atmospheric CO2, carbon cycle and seawater pH are connected through the seawater carbonate system and boron isotopes in carbonates are a paleopH proxy. Geochemical analyses including δ11B were performed on bajocian carbonates from Terminilletto section, Italy, one of the rare carbonate section spanning this period. A new extraction process combined with a new direct injection method for MC-ICP-MS (d-DIHEN) helped to improve analyses reproducibilty (Louvat et al. in prep). The results show clearly a variation of the isotopic signal. This variation can be explained by a rise of seawater pH, occuring just before the carbonate production crisis and connected to the eutrophication. Modelisation will thus be performed to reproduce pH variation and reconstitute carbon cycle perturbation at this time. Bartolini A., Baumgartner P. O., and Hunziker J. (1996) Middle and Late Jurassic carbon stable-isotope stratigraphy and radiolarite sedimentation of the Umbria- Marche Basin (Central Italy). Eclogae geol. Helv. 89(2), 811-844. Bartolini A. and Cecca F. (1999) 20 My hiatus in the Jurassic of Umbria-Marche Apennines (Italy: carbonate crisis due to eutrophication. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences 329, 587-595. Bartolini A. and Larson R. (2001) The pacific microplate and Pangea supercontinent in the Early -Middle Jurassic. Geology 29(8), 735-738. Louvat P., Bouchez, J., and Paris, G. (in prep for Chem. Geol.) Boron isotopes measurements by MC-ICP-MS and direct injection nebulization (d-DIHEN)