Correlation of burial organic carbon and paleoproductivity in the Mesoproterozoic Hongshuizhuang Formation, northern North China

Abstract

In general, total organic carbon (TOC) is directly used as a proxy for paleoproductivity, however, it is not only affected by paleoproductivity, but also controlled by redox conditions and terrigenous detrital matter influx. Major and trace elements were analysed with the purpose of investigating the redox potential and paleoproductivity during deposition of the Hongshuizhuang Formation. In the present study, C-S relationship, V/Cr ratio and Mo concentration indicate that the dolomites were deposited in oxic environments, however, most of the black shales were accumulated in euxinic environments. P/Ti values in the Hongshuizhuang samples can be compared with those in the Japanese Ubara Permian-Triassic section which were regarded to be deposited under a moderate to high paleoproductivity. Ba/Al values are slightly lower than that of the laminated sediments from the continental margins of Central California (CCAL) which were thought to be accumulated under a high paleoproductivity. These results indicate that the paleoproductivity was moderate to high during deposition of the Hongshuizhuang Formation. Burial organic carbon shows positive correlations with V/Cr and Mo, but shows only weakly or no correlation with P/Ti and Ba/Al, respectively, suggesting that although the paleoproductivity was moderate to high during deposition of the Hongshuizhuang Formation, its organic-rich sediments were predominantly controlled by redox conditions and had no direct relationship with paleoproductivity. © 2012 The Author(s).