Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2229
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2229
25 Jul 2024
 | 25 Jul 2024

Climatic and tectonic controls on shallow marine and freshwater diatomite deposition through the Palaeogene

Cécile Figus, Or M. Bialik, Andrey Yu. Gladenkov, Tatyana V. Oreshkina, Johan Renaudie, Pavel Smirnov, and Jakub Witkowski

Abstract. Diatoms play a major role in the carbon and silicon cycles, and thus diatom-bearing sediments represent an archive of past climatic and environmental settings. In shallow marine and freshwater environments, the accumulation of diatom frustules forms a sedimentary rock called diatomite. However, most global scale studies of diatom-bearing sediments focus on deep-sea sites, whereas shallow marine and freshwater diatomites are studied mainly at a regional level. To address this problem, we present a global scale compilation of diatomite occurrences spanning the Palaeogene (~66 to ~23 Ma). This period was characterized by initial extreme warmth followed by a prolonged cooling, disrupted by short-term climatic events called hyperthermals, and by a number of palaeoceanographic and palaeogeographic changes. The aim of this compilation is to determine the response of diatom production to Palaeogene environmental fluctuations, by examining the influence of climate, tectonic activity and ocean circulation on diatomite deposition. Although climatic factors appear to have had an indirect impact, our study suggests that palaeogeographic and palaeoceanographic changes were key drivers of diatomite deposition during the Palaeogene, particularly from the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (~53 to ~49 Ma) onwards. In fact, our compilation suggests the absence of diatomite deposition in epicontinental seas between ~46 and ~43 Ma, while diatomites do not begin to accumulate in open ocean environments until ~43.5 Ma. Moreover, we observe that regional climate and volcano–tectonic activity have had an impact on the deposition of freshwater diatomites.

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Cécile Figus, Or M. Bialik, Andrey Yu. Gladenkov, Tatyana V. Oreshkina, Johan Renaudie, Pavel Smirnov, and Jakub Witkowski

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2229', Reed Scherer, 23 Aug 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Cécile Figus, 28 Aug 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2229', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Cécile Figus, 21 Sep 2024

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2229', Reed Scherer, 23 Aug 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Cécile Figus, 28 Aug 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2229', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Cécile Figus, 21 Sep 2024
Cécile Figus, Or M. Bialik, Andrey Yu. Gladenkov, Tatyana V. Oreshkina, Johan Renaudie, Pavel Smirnov, and Jakub Witkowski

Data sets

Compilation of Palaeogene shallow marine and freshwater diatomites (version 1) C. Figus et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12623792

Cécile Figus, Or M. Bialik, Andrey Yu. Gladenkov, Tatyana V. Oreshkina, Johan Renaudie, Pavel Smirnov, and Jakub Witkowski

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Short summary
Global scale compilation of Palaeogene diatomite occurrences reveals the impact of palaeogeographic and palaeoceanographic changes on diatom accumulation, particularly in the middle Eocene: diatomite deposition dropped in epicontinental seas between ~46 and ~43 Ma, while diatoms began to accumulate from ~43.5 Ma in open ocean settings. The compilation also shows the indirect correlation between Palaeogene climate fluctuations & diatomite deposition in shallow marine and freshwater environments.