Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician–Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan

Howard A. Armstrong; Geoffrey D. Abbott; Brian R. Turner; Issa M. Makhlouf; Aminu Bayawa Muhammad; Nikolai Pedentchouk; Henning Peters

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.05.005

Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician–Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan

Howard A. Armstrong, Geoffrey D. Abbott, Brian R. Turner, Issa M. Makhlouf, Aminu Bayawa Muhammad, Nikolai Pedentchouk, Henning Peters

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

85 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Lower Palaeozoic (Upper Ordovician-Silurian) succession of North Africa contains one of the world's most prolific black shale source rocks, yet the origin of these rocks remains contentious. The black shale of the Batra Formation in Jordan was deposited at high palaeolatitude during rapid Hirnantian to early Silurian deglaciation. Here we report geological and organic geochemical results that provide evidence for an increase in photic zone primary productivity during ice melting. The decay of this organic matter through oxidative respiration resulted in euxinia, which enhanced the potential for organic matter preservation. The occurrence of isorenieratane in all samples indicates euxinia extended from the photic zone to the sediment water interface. The stratified basins and fjords of east Antarctica provide a likely modern analogue.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	368-377
Number of pages	10
Journal	Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Volume	273
Issue number	3-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.05.005
Publication status	Published - 2009

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10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.05.005

Cite this

@article{a3b4a6882045403e834bffc586bca101,

title = "Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician–Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan",

abstract = "The Lower Palaeozoic (Upper Ordovician-Silurian) succession of North Africa contains one of the world's most prolific black shale source rocks, yet the origin of these rocks remains contentious. The black shale of the Batra Formation in Jordan was deposited at high palaeolatitude during rapid Hirnantian to early Silurian deglaciation. Here we report geological and organic geochemical results that provide evidence for an increase in photic zone primary productivity during ice melting. The decay of this organic matter through oxidative respiration resulted in euxinia, which enhanced the potential for organic matter preservation. The occurrence of isorenieratane in all samples indicates euxinia extended from the photic zone to the sediment water interface. The stratified basins and fjords of east Antarctica provide a likely modern analogue.",

author = "Armstrong, {Howard A.} and Abbott, {Geoffrey D.} and Turner, {Brian R.} and Makhlouf, {Issa M.} and Muhammad, {Aminu Bayawa} and Nikolai Pedentchouk and Henning Peters",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.05.005",

language = "English",

volume = "273",

pages = "368--377",

journal = "Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology",

issn = "0031-0182",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "3-4",

}

Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician–Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan. / Armstrong, Howard A.; Abbott, Geoffrey D.; Turner, Brian R.; Makhlouf, Issa M.; Muhammad, Aminu Bayawa; Pedentchouk, Nikolai; Peters, Henning.

In: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Vol. 273, No. 3-4, 2009, p. 368-377.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician–Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan

AU - Armstrong, Howard A.

AU - Abbott, Geoffrey D.

AU - Turner, Brian R.

AU - Makhlouf, Issa M.

AU - Muhammad, Aminu Bayawa

AU - Pedentchouk, Nikolai

AU - Peters, Henning

PY - 2009

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AB - The Lower Palaeozoic (Upper Ordovician-Silurian) succession of North Africa contains one of the world's most prolific black shale source rocks, yet the origin of these rocks remains contentious. The black shale of the Batra Formation in Jordan was deposited at high palaeolatitude during rapid Hirnantian to early Silurian deglaciation. Here we report geological and organic geochemical results that provide evidence for an increase in photic zone primary productivity during ice melting. The decay of this organic matter through oxidative respiration resulted in euxinia, which enhanced the potential for organic matter preservation. The occurrence of isorenieratane in all samples indicates euxinia extended from the photic zone to the sediment water interface. The stratified basins and fjords of east Antarctica provide a likely modern analogue.

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DO - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.05.005

M3 - Article

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JO - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

JF - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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