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Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation pp 1151–1167Cite as

7.4 An Apparent Oxidation of the Upper Mantle versus Regional Deep Oxidation of Terrestrial Surfaces in the Fennoscandian Shield

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Abstract

Part of the Palaeoproterozoic Karelian igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Fennoscandian Shield were erupted and deposited during the “Great Oxidation Event” (GOE). The drillcores collected for the Fennoscandia Arctic Russia – Drilling Early Earth Project (FAR-DEEP) allow detailed geological and geochemical sampling through this very dynamic time in geologic history. One of the unusual characteristics of the Palaeoproterozoic volcanic rocks in the eastern part of the Fennoscandian Shield is the presence of highly oxidised lava flows (Fig. 7.45), suggestive of a link to the GOE, either cause or effect. The most oxidised volcanic rocks are found in the Jatulian system deposited within the time interval of 2.3–2.06 Ga (see Fig. 7.46). The age and sampling structure of the FAR-DEEP cores permit the testing and assessment of two competing hypotheses for the origin of the highly oxidised volcanic rocks of the Fennoscandian Shield: an apparent increase in the oxidation state of the upper mantle from which the lavas were erupted, or subsequent deep oxidative weathering of the lavas as a result of the GOE, or the combined effect of both. The rocks sampled by the FAR-DEEP cores allow the comparison of primary and secondary mineralogical and diagenetic details, which may not be present in outcrop. In addition to investigating the origin of the highly oxidised rocks, other questions can be addressed because of the exquisite preservation of the rocks sampled in the FAR-DEEP cores. Specifically, are there discernable physical and/or chemical differences in weathering profiles developed on lava flows before and after the GOE, and can palaeo-water tables in the shield be identified through the use of redox proxies? The FAR-DEEP cores also sample igneous rocks erupted during the proposed magmatic activity shutdown/slowdown between 2.45 and 2.2 Ga (Condie et al. 2009). Overall, the FAR-DEEP cores are conducive to detailed geochemical analysis and potential insight into a poorly understood interval in Earth’s history.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Kyle S. Rybacki

  2. Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvanian State University, 503 Deike Building, University Park, PA, 16870, USA

    Lee R. Kump

  3. Department of Geosciences, University of Oulu, 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Eero J. Hanski

  4. Geological Survey of Norway, 6315, Sluppen, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

  5. Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 41, Bergen, N-5007, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

Authors
  1. Kyle S. Rybacki
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  2. Lee R. Kump
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  4. Victor A. Melezhik
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Correspondence to Kyle S. Rybacki .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Norway, Centre of Excellence in Geobiology, University of Bergen, Leiv Eirikssons vei 39, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

  2. , Department of Earth Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AL, United Kingdom

    Anthony R. Prave

  3. , Department of Geosciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland

    Eero J. Hanski

  4. , Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Universities, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom

    Anthony E. Fallick

  5. Geological Survey of Norway, Sluppen, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Aivo Lepland

  6. , Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, Deike Building, University Park 535, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA

    Lee R. Kump

  7. , Institut für Geologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Univ. Münster, Corrensstrasse 24, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Harald Strauss

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Rybacki, K.S., Kump, L.R., Hanski, E.J., Melezhik, V.A. (2013). 7.4 An Apparent Oxidation of the Upper Mantle versus Regional Deep Oxidation of Terrestrial Surfaces in the Fennoscandian Shield. In: Melezhik, V., et al. Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29670-3_4

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