the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 14 Jan 2025
Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution in Svalbard
Abstract. Sedimentary rocks can provide information about the Earth paleoenvironment and are studied extensively to understand the causes and consequences of global climate changes in deep time. They facilitate long-time perspectives that constrain climate models and provide analogues for how Earth systems may respond to, and recover from, intervals of profound environmental change, including projected anthropogenic change. The Norwegian Svalbard archipelago offers an extensive Phanerozoic stratigraphic record that reflects the geological evolution of the northern flanks of continental assemblages that include Laurentia, Eurasia, and Pangea. Svalbard’s Phanerozoic sedimentary and paleoclimatic archive is controlled largely by Svalbard’s overall northward plate-tectonic motion from equatorial to high latitudes, but also by regional to local formation of topography and basins in response to long-term plate reorganization, as well as the near- and far-field influence of large igneous province activity on the tectono-stratigraphic and paleoclimatic development. Various sedimentary and geochemical proxies, such as bentonite beds and carbon isotope excursions associated with the far-reaching environmental effects of the Siberian Traps, the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, and the North Atlantic Igneous Province are present in Svalbard’s near complete geological record. As such, Svalbard is unique in that these and numerous other global environmental perturbations are recorded within a relatively restricted study area, with most of the key events preserved and recorded in easily accessible drill cores and well-exposed outcrop sections. Here we review deep-time paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate research in Svalbard by summarizing 148 peer-reviewed scientific articles. The review builds on the well-established tectono-stratigraphic and lithostratigraphic framework, as well as state-of-the art environmental reconstructions to provide insights into the Earth system during the Phanerozoic northward drift of Svalbard and the many major biotic crises in the geological past. We focus on globally significant events including i) the expansion of Devonian vegetation, ii) the Carboniferous-Permian response to icehouse conditions during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA), iii) the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME) and the subsequent Triassic recovery, the iv) Carnian Pluvial Episode, v) Jurassic-Early Cretaceous climate perturbations including the Volgian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (VOICE) and the Aptian Ocean Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a), and vi) the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). We present and synthesize existing core and outcrop data that preserve biological and geochemical proxies and climate sensitive sedimentary facies that reflect environmental change in terrestrial and marine settings. Finally, we discuss the Phanerozoic climate recorded in Svalbard and its role in providing high latitude calibration points for several global paleoclimate events to provide a higher latitude perspective to complement the dominance of mid- and low-latitude locations and datasets in the literature.
-
Notice on discussion status
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
-
Preprint
(3721 KB)
-
Supplement
(140 KB)
-
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(3721 KB) - Metadata XML
-
Supplement
(140 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
- Final revised paper
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
- CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Mats O. Molén, 17 Feb 2025
-
RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan, 20 Feb 2025
This is an admirably ambitious review of the literature re Svalbard’s paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history. It will serve as a great resource for anyone interested in the long-term history and data available for Svalbard. It is not intended to presented new data with substantial new ideas, but to review the record of this region that-- like the Indian subcontinent-- has traversed across latitudes through the Phanerozoic.
It’s nicely written, albeit can become a little dense at times— e.g. the Cenozoic is nearly all in one gargantuan paragraph. Breaking this up a bit might make for easier reading.
[It’s possible that the Intro could be shortened a bit, and parts of it put into Geologic Setting or such?]
The figures are nicely done summaries of substantial data, although the font and symbol sizes are quite tiny in places, and thus difficult to decipher.
Other than that, I have only a few comments and suggestions, listed by line number below.
143— “twice to nearly four times AS FAST AS…”
144-149— the point about using Svalbard as an interesting case study, so to speak, for the phenomenon of polar amplification is interesting, but it has really only been situated in an arctic locale since the Cretaceous (from Fig. 3). So perhaps this statement should be qualified a bit.
146— a bit unclear (to me) what is meant by model “gradients”
506— Some might argue that it started in the latest Devonian (Fammenian)— with the late Devonian glaciation— well documented in South America, eastern North America, and other regions (albeit with minimal evidence for ice in the early Mississippian).
593— the rockS
597— check author spelling here (Beauchamp?)
689— space needed
809— consider replacing “modest” with “low-resolution”
826— space needed
1144— Consider qualifying the statement re “remarkable continuous stratigraphic succession”— yes, it is indeed a remarkable record with significant representation through much of the Phanerozoic, but it is not without unconformities, so is not, strictly speaking, continuous.
Figure 13 is a very interesting figure (reminds me of the path of India from polar latitudes to low latitudes— the opposite of Svalbard’s path).
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the comments by the Reviewer 1 Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC1
Dear Professor Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan
Thank you very much for your constructive review. We will incorporate all suggestions, and we have provided responses to your comments, which are highlighted in blue.
This is an admirably ambitious review of the literature re Svalbard’s paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history. It will serve as a great resource for anyone interested in the long-term history and data available for Svalbard. It is not intended to presented new data with substantial new ideas, but to review the record of this region that-- like the Indian subcontinent-- has traversed across latitudes through the Phanerozoic.
Thank you for this kind review.
It’s nicely written, albeit can become a little dense at times— e.g. the Cenozoic is nearly all in one gargantuan paragraph. Breaking this up a bit might make for easier reading.
We will introduce a new paragraph break in the line 993.
[It’s possible that the Intro could be shortened a bit, and parts of it put into Geologic Setting or such?]
Ok, the lines 129-138 of the introduction will be moved to the geological settings.
The figures are nicely done summaries of substantial data, although the font and symbol sizes are quite tiny in places, and thus difficult to decipher.
We will revise our figures and increase font and symbol sizes.
Other than that, I have only a few comments and suggestions, listed by line number below.
143— “twice to nearly four times AS FAST AS…”
Ok, will be fixed.
144-149— the point about using Svalbard as an interesting case study, so to speak, for the phenomenon of polar amplification is interesting, but it has really only been situated in an arctic locale since the Cretaceous (from Fig. 3). So perhaps this statement should be qualified a bit.
We will rephrase it.
146— a bit unclear (to me) what is meant by model “gradients”
We will rephrase it.
506— Some might argue that it started in the latest Devonian (Fammenian)— with the late Devonian glaciation— well documented in South America, eastern North America, and other regions (albeit with minimal evidence for ice in the early Mississippian).
We will include it.
593— the rockS
Ok, will be fixed.
597— check author spelling here (Beauchamp?)
Ok, will be fixed.
689— space needed
Ok, will be fixed.
809— consider replacing “modest” with “low-resolution”
Ok, will be fixed.
826— space needed
Ok, will be fixed.
1144— Consider qualifying the statement re “remarkable continuous stratigraphic succession”— yes, it is indeed a remarkable record with significant representation through much of the Phanerozoic, but it is not without unconformities, so is not, strictly speaking, continuous.
Ok, will be fixed.
Figure 13 is a very interesting figure (reminds me of the path of India from polar latitudes to low latitudes— the opposite of Svalbard’s path).
Thank you.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC3
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
-
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Helmut Weissert, 27 Feb 2025
Smyrak-Sikora and colleagues present a review paper on the “paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution of Svalbard through the Phanerozoic". The manuscript is well written and clearly structured as a narrative of past climate along the Phanerozoic time axis. It will be a very useful summary on Svalbard climate history for all researchers working in this region and of course, for all the ones not directly involved in Svalbard research. Therefore I am happy to recommend this manuscript for publication after some small revisions and improvements.
In the following I add some comments, corrections and suggestions to this paper:
A review paper typically includes a substantial number of citations. Maintaining an overview of the vast number of publications concerning Phanerozoic climate in relation to Svalbard is definitely challenging. Including early literature on a topic is advisable as it provides a time dimension to our research and shows how ideas have evolved over time. Consequently, several recommendations for additional references will be added to reflect this context.
Climate evolution - I am little surprised that the authors never mentioned/discussed the establishment of the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic. Commenting on the establishment of a monsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic and discussing any evidence (or mentioning "no-evidence") in the climate records that suggests a non-zonal climate is definitely beneficial. (see Parrish, 1991; Mutti and Weissert, 1995; or Preto et al., 2010, among others). The history of Earth provides excellent examples of “different climate worlds,” which aid in the understanding of the coevolution of life and climate.
Evaluation of controversial data: with your rich expertise you are in a position to critically comment on controversial data, this can be of help for the reader. E.g. line 555-560: Deceasing or increasing O-18 values? Can you possibly comment on these controversial interpretations?
Comments
Introduction
Citations: line 68 add early literature on this topic: e.g. Seibold, E., 1990 Engineering Geology (or others)
line 88 citations: e.g. Wignall 2001
line 90 e.g. Weissert and Erba 2004
line 91 Erba and Larson, 1999
line 95 OAE’s, Schlanger and Jenkyns 1976
line 195 Frasnian
line 243 …consists…
3.1.5. (Key stratigraphic sections) > you may shift climate description in this paragraph to discussion to 4.2.1.
line 450 ….limestone/dolomite rocks
4.1. You show C-isotope data in Fig 7 – I did not find any discussion of these data in paragraph 4.1.
line 482 citations: Add e.g. Berner, R., 1993, 2005
Fig. 8 what are the meanings of the green-blue colors in the simplified lithological profile?
line 555-560 decrease or increase in oxygen isotope values?
line 615 C-isotope anomaly and, also, oxygen isotope anomaly: e.g. Sun et al., 2012
line 617 see also Sanson-Barrera et al., 2016, for an east Greenland data set
line 655 ….reflect…
line 660 circulation pattern in a megamonsoonal world ? see also Y. Hu et al 2022 (“emergence of the modern global monsoon…”)
line 671 citation e.g. Sun et al., 2012
line 680 you may also cite Leung, Zhang, Connell, 2022 for a stimulating discussion
line 735 >> followed by prominent positive C-isotope excursion across Smithian-Spathian boundary (e.g. Galfetti et al., 2007, EPSL, negative spike followed by positive excursion).
4.3.4 > A possible additional reference: Preto et al., 2010
4.4.2. > Time of collapsing Megamonsoonal climate (Sellwood and Valdes, 2010), time of ice buildup (Frakes and Francis, 1988)
line 826 …the latter results….
line 844 the record from the restricted Arabian carbonate platform is not very reliable if compared with eastern Tethyan pelagic records from the Hawasina Basin (Oman). There, the pattern of the J-C curve resembles the western Tethys pattern (see Celestino, Wohlwend et al, 2017).
line 914. See early citation of Parana volcanism in Weissert et al., 1998
line 1004 …excellent….excellent…. (revise wording)
line 1040 ….effects have been….
line 2046 ….coupled…
line 1095. …models suggest…
line 1166 ...OAE1a.
line 1196 >> add comment on Monsoonal climate
6.1. Monsoonal climate (e.g. Parrish 1993; Mutti and Weissert, 1995, Preto et al., 2010 etc)
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC2 -
AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the comments by reviewer 2, Helmut Weissert Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC2
Dear Prof. Helmut Weissert
We would like to thank you and acknowledge your efforts in reviewing our manuscript. We will incorporate all suggestions. Below, we provide responses to your comments, highlighted in green.
A review paper typically includes a substantial number of citations. Maintaining an overview of the vast number of publications concerning Phanerozoic climate in relation to Svalbard is definitely challenging. Including early literature on a topic is advisable as it provides a time dimension to our research and shows how ideas have evolved over time. Consequently, several recommendations for additional references will be added to reflect this context.
We are glad to include all suggested additional references.
Climate evolution - I am little surprised that the authors never mentioned/discussed the establishment of the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic. Commenting on the establishment of a monsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic and discussing any evidence (or mentioning "no-evidence") in the climate records that suggests a non-zonal climate is definitely beneficial. (see Parrish, 1991; Mutti and Weissert, 1995; or Preto et al., 2010, among others). The history of Earth provides excellent examples of “different climate worlds,” which aid in the understanding of the coevolution of life and climate.
We will include a section highlighting the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic.
Evaluation of controversial data: with your rich expertise you are in a position to critically comment on controversial data, this can be of help for the reader. E.g. line 555-560: Deceasing or increasing O-18 values? Can you possibly comment on these controversial interpretations?
This section will be double-checked and rewritten.
Comments
Introduction
Citations: line 68 add early literature on this topic: e.g. Seibold, E., 1990 Engineering Geology (or others)
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 88 citations: e.g. Wignall 2001
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 90 e.g. Weissert and Erba 2004
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 91 Erba and Larson, 1999
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 95 OAE’s, Schlanger and Jenkyns 1976
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 195 Frasnian
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 243 …consists…
Ok, it will be fixed.
3.1.5. (Key stratigraphic sections) > you may shift climate description in this paragraph to discussion to 4.2.1.
Ok, it will try to adjust it.
line 450 ….limestone/dolomite rocks
Ok, will be fixed.
4.1. You show C-isotope data in Fig 7 – I did not find any discussion of these data in paragraph 4.1.
We will include the discussion on Ordovician.
line 482 citations: Add e.g. Berner, R., 1993, 2005
Ok, will be fixed.
Fig. 8 what are the meanings of the green-blue colors in the simplified lithological profile?
The colours have no meaning in context of this manuscript and will be removed.
line 555-560 decrease or increase in oxygen isotope values?
Ok, will be fixed.
line 615 C-isotope anomaly and, also, oxygen isotope anomaly: e.g. Sun et al., 2012
Ok, will be fixed.
line 617 see also Sanson-Barrera et al., 2016, for an east Greenland data set
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 655 ….reflect…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 660 circulation pattern in a megamonsoonal world ? see also Y. Hu et al 2022 (“emergence of the modern global monsoon…”)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 671 citation e.g. Sun et al., 2012
Ok, we will fix it.
line 680 you may also cite Leung, Zhang, Connell, 2022 for a stimulating discussion
Ok, we will fix it.
line 735 >> followed by prominent positive C-isotope excursion across Smithian-Spathian boundary (e.g. Galfetti et al., 2007, EPSL, negative spike followed by positive excursion).
Ok, we will fix it.
4.3.4 > A possible additional reference: Preto et al., 2010
Ok, we will fix it.
4.4.2. > Time of collapsing Megamonsoonal climate (Sellwood and Valdes, 2010), time of ice buildup (Frakes and Francis, 1988)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 826 …the latter results….
Ok, we will fix it.
line 844 the record from the restricted Arabian carbonate platform is not very reliable if compared with eastern Tethyan pelagic records from the Hawasina Basin (Oman). There, the pattern of the J-C curve resembles the western Tethys pattern (see Celestino, Wohlwend et al, 2017).
Ok, we will fix it.
line 914. See early citation of Parana volcanism in Weissert et al., 1998
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1004 …excellent….excellent…. (revise wording)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1040 ….effects have been….
Ok, we will fix it.
line 2046 ….coupled…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1095. …models suggest…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1166 ...OAE1a.
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1196 >> add comment on Monsoonal climate
Ok, we will add this.
6.1. Monsoonal climate (e.g. Parrish 1993; Mutti and Weissert, 1995, Preto et al., 2010 etc)
OK, we will include all references.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC1
-
AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
-
RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Anonymous Referee #3, 09 Mar 2025
In this manuscript, Smyrak-Sikora et al. provides a detailed and comprehensive review of the Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history of Svalbard. The manuscript is well-organized and highly informative, serving as a valuable reference for readers interested in the geology and paleoenvironmental evolution of Svalbard. I believe the manuscript is suitable for publication after minor revisions. Below, I provide specific comments, corrections, and suggestions to further improve the manuscript:
Lines 89-90: Saturation states of biologically important elements “ in the ocean”
Lines 155-160 and figure 4: The authors describe five major climate types (A: Tropical, B: Dry, C: Temperate, D: Continental, and E: Polar) and state that these classifications are based on climatically sensitive deposits, paleontological evidence, and geochemical proxies. To enhance clarity, I recommend including a table summarizing the diagnostic criteria for each climate type. For example: Tropical (A): Presence of coal deposits, coral reefs, and warm-water fossils. This table would help readers better understand the basis for the climate classifications used in the study.
Figure 4: I suggest that if it is possible the authors include direct data records (e.g., a long-term carbon isotope curve for Svalbard) in Figure 4, rather than simply showing data coverage. This would provide readers with a more direct and insightful understanding of the carbon cycle history in Svalbard.
Line 581, the reported δ18O values range from +2‰ to +30‰, which appears unusually large. Could the authors verify these values? Please also specify whether these values are reported relative to VPDB or VSMOW.
Lines 659-670: In these lines, the authors discuss multiple geochemical datasets that indicate significant environmental changes during the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME). Are these data derived from the same drill core shown in Figure 9? If so, I recommend plotting these geochemical data in Figure 9 to visually illustrate the catastrophic environmental fluctuations during the EPME. This would make this data more accessible to readers.
in Figure 9, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB," and some font sizes in the figure are too small to read comfortably. Please adjust the font sizes for better readability.
In Figure 12, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB"
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC3 -
AC2: 'Reply on RC3', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the review by anonymous reviewer 3
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC3
Dear reviewer
We thank you for your constructive response on the manuscript. We agree with your suggestions and will address these in a revised manuscript. Please see our responses in brown:
Lines 89-90: Saturation states of biologically important elements “ in the ocean”
Fine.
Lines 155-160 and figure 4: The authors describe five major climate types (A: Tropical, B: Dry, C: Temperate, D: Continental, and E: Polar) and state that these classifications are based on climatically sensitive deposits, paleontological evidence, and geochemical proxies. To enhance clarity, I recommend including a table summarizing the diagnostic criteria for each climate type. For example: Tropical (A): Presence of coal deposits, coral reefs, and warm-water fossils. This table would help readers better understand the basis for the climate classifications used in the study.
We will provide a clarification in the form of a table outlining the main proxies used to create the plot.
Figure 4: I suggest that if it is possible the authors include direct data records (e.g., a long-term carbon isotope curve for Svalbard) in Figure 4, rather than simply showing data coverage. This would provide readers with a more direct and insightful understanding of the carbon cycle history in Svalbard.
The request for a Phanerozoic-scale plot with carbon isotope data presents challenges related to converting thickness into a timescale. Most of the data are collected along stratigraphic profiles in terms of thickness, and the time represented by the layers is highly uncertain. We have attempted this once before but were not entirely satisfied with the result; therefore, it was removed from the manuscript. In response to this comment, we will provide the requested curve.
Line 581, the reported δ18O values range from +2‰ to +30‰, which appears unusually large. Could the authors verify these values? Please also specify whether these values are reported relative to VPDB or VSMOW.
We will verify and correct the values here.
Lines 659-670: In these lines, the authors discuss multiple geochemical datasets that indicate significant environmental changes during the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME). Are these data derived from the same drill core shown in Figure 9? If so, I recommend plotting these geochemical data in Figure 9 to visually illustrate the catastrophic environmental fluctuations during the EPME. This would make this data more accessible to readers.
We will expand Fig. 9 with data from Zuchuat et al., 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2020.109732
in Figure 9, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB," and some font sizes in the figure are too small to read comfortably. Please adjust the font sizes for better readability.
Ok, it will be fixed.
In Figure 12, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB"
Ok, it will be fixed.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC2
-
AC2: 'Reply on RC3', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
-
CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Mats O. Molén, 17 Feb 2025
Lots of new data concerning glaciations - and I do not see any reference to any of these?
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mats-Molen/research (10 articles and some "extras")
Comment?
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-CC1 -
RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan, 20 Feb 2025
This is an admirably ambitious review of the literature re Svalbard’s paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history. It will serve as a great resource for anyone interested in the long-term history and data available for Svalbard. It is not intended to presented new data with substantial new ideas, but to review the record of this region that-- like the Indian subcontinent-- has traversed across latitudes through the Phanerozoic.
It’s nicely written, albeit can become a little dense at times— e.g. the Cenozoic is nearly all in one gargantuan paragraph. Breaking this up a bit might make for easier reading.
[It’s possible that the Intro could be shortened a bit, and parts of it put into Geologic Setting or such?]
The figures are nicely done summaries of substantial data, although the font and symbol sizes are quite tiny in places, and thus difficult to decipher.
Other than that, I have only a few comments and suggestions, listed by line number below.
143— “twice to nearly four times AS FAST AS…”
144-149— the point about using Svalbard as an interesting case study, so to speak, for the phenomenon of polar amplification is interesting, but it has really only been situated in an arctic locale since the Cretaceous (from Fig. 3). So perhaps this statement should be qualified a bit.
146— a bit unclear (to me) what is meant by model “gradients”
506— Some might argue that it started in the latest Devonian (Fammenian)— with the late Devonian glaciation— well documented in South America, eastern North America, and other regions (albeit with minimal evidence for ice in the early Mississippian).
593— the rockS
597— check author spelling here (Beauchamp?)
689— space needed
809— consider replacing “modest” with “low-resolution”
826— space needed
1144— Consider qualifying the statement re “remarkable continuous stratigraphic succession”— yes, it is indeed a remarkable record with significant representation through much of the Phanerozoic, but it is not without unconformities, so is not, strictly speaking, continuous.
Figure 13 is a very interesting figure (reminds me of the path of India from polar latitudes to low latitudes— the opposite of Svalbard’s path).
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the comments by the Reviewer 1 Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC1
Dear Professor Gerilyn (Lynn) Soreghan
Thank you very much for your constructive review. We will incorporate all suggestions, and we have provided responses to your comments, which are highlighted in blue.
This is an admirably ambitious review of the literature re Svalbard’s paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history. It will serve as a great resource for anyone interested in the long-term history and data available for Svalbard. It is not intended to presented new data with substantial new ideas, but to review the record of this region that-- like the Indian subcontinent-- has traversed across latitudes through the Phanerozoic.
Thank you for this kind review.
It’s nicely written, albeit can become a little dense at times— e.g. the Cenozoic is nearly all in one gargantuan paragraph. Breaking this up a bit might make for easier reading.
We will introduce a new paragraph break in the line 993.
[It’s possible that the Intro could be shortened a bit, and parts of it put into Geologic Setting or such?]
Ok, the lines 129-138 of the introduction will be moved to the geological settings.
The figures are nicely done summaries of substantial data, although the font and symbol sizes are quite tiny in places, and thus difficult to decipher.
We will revise our figures and increase font and symbol sizes.
Other than that, I have only a few comments and suggestions, listed by line number below.
143— “twice to nearly four times AS FAST AS…”
Ok, will be fixed.
144-149— the point about using Svalbard as an interesting case study, so to speak, for the phenomenon of polar amplification is interesting, but it has really only been situated in an arctic locale since the Cretaceous (from Fig. 3). So perhaps this statement should be qualified a bit.
We will rephrase it.
146— a bit unclear (to me) what is meant by model “gradients”
We will rephrase it.
506— Some might argue that it started in the latest Devonian (Fammenian)— with the late Devonian glaciation— well documented in South America, eastern North America, and other regions (albeit with minimal evidence for ice in the early Mississippian).
We will include it.
593— the rockS
Ok, will be fixed.
597— check author spelling here (Beauchamp?)
Ok, will be fixed.
689— space needed
Ok, will be fixed.
809— consider replacing “modest” with “low-resolution”
Ok, will be fixed.
826— space needed
Ok, will be fixed.
1144— Consider qualifying the statement re “remarkable continuous stratigraphic succession”— yes, it is indeed a remarkable record with significant representation through much of the Phanerozoic, but it is not without unconformities, so is not, strictly speaking, continuous.
Ok, will be fixed.
Figure 13 is a very interesting figure (reminds me of the path of India from polar latitudes to low latitudes— the opposite of Svalbard’s path).
Thank you.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC3
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC1', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
-
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Helmut Weissert, 27 Feb 2025
Smyrak-Sikora and colleagues present a review paper on the “paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution of Svalbard through the Phanerozoic". The manuscript is well written and clearly structured as a narrative of past climate along the Phanerozoic time axis. It will be a very useful summary on Svalbard climate history for all researchers working in this region and of course, for all the ones not directly involved in Svalbard research. Therefore I am happy to recommend this manuscript for publication after some small revisions and improvements.
In the following I add some comments, corrections and suggestions to this paper:
A review paper typically includes a substantial number of citations. Maintaining an overview of the vast number of publications concerning Phanerozoic climate in relation to Svalbard is definitely challenging. Including early literature on a topic is advisable as it provides a time dimension to our research and shows how ideas have evolved over time. Consequently, several recommendations for additional references will be added to reflect this context.
Climate evolution - I am little surprised that the authors never mentioned/discussed the establishment of the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic. Commenting on the establishment of a monsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic and discussing any evidence (or mentioning "no-evidence") in the climate records that suggests a non-zonal climate is definitely beneficial. (see Parrish, 1991; Mutti and Weissert, 1995; or Preto et al., 2010, among others). The history of Earth provides excellent examples of “different climate worlds,” which aid in the understanding of the coevolution of life and climate.
Evaluation of controversial data: with your rich expertise you are in a position to critically comment on controversial data, this can be of help for the reader. E.g. line 555-560: Deceasing or increasing O-18 values? Can you possibly comment on these controversial interpretations?
Comments
Introduction
Citations: line 68 add early literature on this topic: e.g. Seibold, E., 1990 Engineering Geology (or others)
line 88 citations: e.g. Wignall 2001
line 90 e.g. Weissert and Erba 2004
line 91 Erba and Larson, 1999
line 95 OAE’s, Schlanger and Jenkyns 1976
line 195 Frasnian
line 243 …consists…
3.1.5. (Key stratigraphic sections) > you may shift climate description in this paragraph to discussion to 4.2.1.
line 450 ….limestone/dolomite rocks
4.1. You show C-isotope data in Fig 7 – I did not find any discussion of these data in paragraph 4.1.
line 482 citations: Add e.g. Berner, R., 1993, 2005
Fig. 8 what are the meanings of the green-blue colors in the simplified lithological profile?
line 555-560 decrease or increase in oxygen isotope values?
line 615 C-isotope anomaly and, also, oxygen isotope anomaly: e.g. Sun et al., 2012
line 617 see also Sanson-Barrera et al., 2016, for an east Greenland data set
line 655 ….reflect…
line 660 circulation pattern in a megamonsoonal world ? see also Y. Hu et al 2022 (“emergence of the modern global monsoon…”)
line 671 citation e.g. Sun et al., 2012
line 680 you may also cite Leung, Zhang, Connell, 2022 for a stimulating discussion
line 735 >> followed by prominent positive C-isotope excursion across Smithian-Spathian boundary (e.g. Galfetti et al., 2007, EPSL, negative spike followed by positive excursion).
4.3.4 > A possible additional reference: Preto et al., 2010
4.4.2. > Time of collapsing Megamonsoonal climate (Sellwood and Valdes, 2010), time of ice buildup (Frakes and Francis, 1988)
line 826 …the latter results….
line 844 the record from the restricted Arabian carbonate platform is not very reliable if compared with eastern Tethyan pelagic records from the Hawasina Basin (Oman). There, the pattern of the J-C curve resembles the western Tethys pattern (see Celestino, Wohlwend et al, 2017).
line 914. See early citation of Parana volcanism in Weissert et al., 1998
line 1004 …excellent….excellent…. (revise wording)
line 1040 ….effects have been….
line 2046 ….coupled…
line 1095. …models suggest…
line 1166 ...OAE1a.
line 1196 >> add comment on Monsoonal climate
6.1. Monsoonal climate (e.g. Parrish 1993; Mutti and Weissert, 1995, Preto et al., 2010 etc)
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC2 -
AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the comments by reviewer 2, Helmut Weissert Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC2
Dear Prof. Helmut Weissert
We would like to thank you and acknowledge your efforts in reviewing our manuscript. We will incorporate all suggestions. Below, we provide responses to your comments, highlighted in green.
A review paper typically includes a substantial number of citations. Maintaining an overview of the vast number of publications concerning Phanerozoic climate in relation to Svalbard is definitely challenging. Including early literature on a topic is advisable as it provides a time dimension to our research and shows how ideas have evolved over time. Consequently, several recommendations for additional references will be added to reflect this context.
We are glad to include all suggested additional references.
Climate evolution - I am little surprised that the authors never mentioned/discussed the establishment of the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic. Commenting on the establishment of a monsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic and discussing any evidence (or mentioning "no-evidence") in the climate records that suggests a non-zonal climate is definitely beneficial. (see Parrish, 1991; Mutti and Weissert, 1995; or Preto et al., 2010, among others). The history of Earth provides excellent examples of “different climate worlds,” which aid in the understanding of the coevolution of life and climate.
We will include a section highlighting the Pangea-Megamonsoonal climate during the Permian and Triassic.
Evaluation of controversial data: with your rich expertise you are in a position to critically comment on controversial data, this can be of help for the reader. E.g. line 555-560: Deceasing or increasing O-18 values? Can you possibly comment on these controversial interpretations?
This section will be double-checked and rewritten.
Comments
Introduction
Citations: line 68 add early literature on this topic: e.g. Seibold, E., 1990 Engineering Geology (or others)
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 88 citations: e.g. Wignall 2001
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 90 e.g. Weissert and Erba 2004
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 91 Erba and Larson, 1999
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 95 OAE’s, Schlanger and Jenkyns 1976
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 195 Frasnian
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 243 …consists…
Ok, it will be fixed.
3.1.5. (Key stratigraphic sections) > you may shift climate description in this paragraph to discussion to 4.2.1.
Ok, it will try to adjust it.
line 450 ….limestone/dolomite rocks
Ok, will be fixed.
4.1. You show C-isotope data in Fig 7 – I did not find any discussion of these data in paragraph 4.1.
We will include the discussion on Ordovician.
line 482 citations: Add e.g. Berner, R., 1993, 2005
Ok, will be fixed.
Fig. 8 what are the meanings of the green-blue colors in the simplified lithological profile?
The colours have no meaning in context of this manuscript and will be removed.
line 555-560 decrease or increase in oxygen isotope values?
Ok, will be fixed.
line 615 C-isotope anomaly and, also, oxygen isotope anomaly: e.g. Sun et al., 2012
Ok, will be fixed.
line 617 see also Sanson-Barrera et al., 2016, for an east Greenland data set
Ok, it will be fixed.
line 655 ….reflect…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 660 circulation pattern in a megamonsoonal world ? see also Y. Hu et al 2022 (“emergence of the modern global monsoon…”)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 671 citation e.g. Sun et al., 2012
Ok, we will fix it.
line 680 you may also cite Leung, Zhang, Connell, 2022 for a stimulating discussion
Ok, we will fix it.
line 735 >> followed by prominent positive C-isotope excursion across Smithian-Spathian boundary (e.g. Galfetti et al., 2007, EPSL, negative spike followed by positive excursion).
Ok, we will fix it.
4.3.4 > A possible additional reference: Preto et al., 2010
Ok, we will fix it.
4.4.2. > Time of collapsing Megamonsoonal climate (Sellwood and Valdes, 2010), time of ice buildup (Frakes and Francis, 1988)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 826 …the latter results….
Ok, we will fix it.
line 844 the record from the restricted Arabian carbonate platform is not very reliable if compared with eastern Tethyan pelagic records from the Hawasina Basin (Oman). There, the pattern of the J-C curve resembles the western Tethys pattern (see Celestino, Wohlwend et al, 2017).
Ok, we will fix it.
line 914. See early citation of Parana volcanism in Weissert et al., 1998
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1004 …excellent….excellent…. (revise wording)
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1040 ….effects have been….
Ok, we will fix it.
line 2046 ….coupled…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1095. …models suggest…
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1166 ...OAE1a.
Ok, we will fix it.
line 1196 >> add comment on Monsoonal climate
Ok, we will add this.
6.1. Monsoonal climate (e.g. Parrish 1993; Mutti and Weissert, 1995, Preto et al., 2010 etc)
OK, we will include all references.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC1
-
AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
-
RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3912', Anonymous Referee #3, 09 Mar 2025
In this manuscript, Smyrak-Sikora et al. provides a detailed and comprehensive review of the Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic history of Svalbard. The manuscript is well-organized and highly informative, serving as a valuable reference for readers interested in the geology and paleoenvironmental evolution of Svalbard. I believe the manuscript is suitable for publication after minor revisions. Below, I provide specific comments, corrections, and suggestions to further improve the manuscript:
Lines 89-90: Saturation states of biologically important elements “ in the ocean”
Lines 155-160 and figure 4: The authors describe five major climate types (A: Tropical, B: Dry, C: Temperate, D: Continental, and E: Polar) and state that these classifications are based on climatically sensitive deposits, paleontological evidence, and geochemical proxies. To enhance clarity, I recommend including a table summarizing the diagnostic criteria for each climate type. For example: Tropical (A): Presence of coal deposits, coral reefs, and warm-water fossils. This table would help readers better understand the basis for the climate classifications used in the study.
Figure 4: I suggest that if it is possible the authors include direct data records (e.g., a long-term carbon isotope curve for Svalbard) in Figure 4, rather than simply showing data coverage. This would provide readers with a more direct and insightful understanding of the carbon cycle history in Svalbard.
Line 581, the reported δ18O values range from +2‰ to +30‰, which appears unusually large. Could the authors verify these values? Please also specify whether these values are reported relative to VPDB or VSMOW.
Lines 659-670: In these lines, the authors discuss multiple geochemical datasets that indicate significant environmental changes during the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME). Are these data derived from the same drill core shown in Figure 9? If so, I recommend plotting these geochemical data in Figure 9 to visually illustrate the catastrophic environmental fluctuations during the EPME. This would make this data more accessible to readers.
in Figure 9, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB," and some font sizes in the figure are too small to read comfortably. Please adjust the font sizes for better readability.
In Figure 12, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB"
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC3 -
AC2: 'Reply on RC3', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Response to the review by anonymous reviewer 3
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-RC3
Dear reviewer
We thank you for your constructive response on the manuscript. We agree with your suggestions and will address these in a revised manuscript. Please see our responses in brown:
Lines 89-90: Saturation states of biologically important elements “ in the ocean”
Fine.
Lines 155-160 and figure 4: The authors describe five major climate types (A: Tropical, B: Dry, C: Temperate, D: Continental, and E: Polar) and state that these classifications are based on climatically sensitive deposits, paleontological evidence, and geochemical proxies. To enhance clarity, I recommend including a table summarizing the diagnostic criteria for each climate type. For example: Tropical (A): Presence of coal deposits, coral reefs, and warm-water fossils. This table would help readers better understand the basis for the climate classifications used in the study.
We will provide a clarification in the form of a table outlining the main proxies used to create the plot.
Figure 4: I suggest that if it is possible the authors include direct data records (e.g., a long-term carbon isotope curve for Svalbard) in Figure 4, rather than simply showing data coverage. This would provide readers with a more direct and insightful understanding of the carbon cycle history in Svalbard.
The request for a Phanerozoic-scale plot with carbon isotope data presents challenges related to converting thickness into a timescale. Most of the data are collected along stratigraphic profiles in terms of thickness, and the time represented by the layers is highly uncertain. We have attempted this once before but were not entirely satisfied with the result; therefore, it was removed from the manuscript. In response to this comment, we will provide the requested curve.
Line 581, the reported δ18O values range from +2‰ to +30‰, which appears unusually large. Could the authors verify these values? Please also specify whether these values are reported relative to VPDB or VSMOW.
We will verify and correct the values here.
Lines 659-670: In these lines, the authors discuss multiple geochemical datasets that indicate significant environmental changes during the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME). Are these data derived from the same drill core shown in Figure 9? If so, I recommend plotting these geochemical data in Figure 9 to visually illustrate the catastrophic environmental fluctuations during the EPME. This would make this data more accessible to readers.
We will expand Fig. 9 with data from Zuchuat et al., 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2020.109732
in Figure 9, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB," and some font sizes in the figure are too small to read comfortably. Please adjust the font sizes for better readability.
Ok, it will be fixed.
In Figure 12, "VPBD" should be corrected to "VPDB"
Ok, it will be fixed.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3912-AC2
-
AC2: 'Reply on RC3', Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, 06 Apr 2025
Peer review completion
Post-review adjustments
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
Viewed
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,476 | 395 | 32 | 2,903 | 105 | 62 | 83 |
- HTML: 2,476
- PDF: 395
- XML: 32
- Total: 2,903
- Supplement: 105
- BibTeX: 62
- EndNote: 83
Viewed (geographical distribution)
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora
Peter Betlem
Victoria S. Engelschiøn
William J. Foster
Sten-Andreas Grundvåg
Mads E. Jelby
Morgan T. Jones
Grace E. Shephard
Kasia K. Śliwińska
Madeleine L Vickers
Valentin Zuchuat
Lars Eivind Augland
Jan Inge Faleide
Jennifer M. Galloway
William Helland-Hansen
Maria A. Jensen
Erik P. Johannessen
Maayke Koevoets
Denise Kulhanek
Gareth S. Lord
Tereza Mosociova
Snorre Olaussen
Sverre Planke
Gregory D. Price
Lars Stemmerik
Kim Senger
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(3721 KB) - Metadata XML
-
Supplement
(140 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
- Final revised paper
Lots of new data concerning glaciations - and I do not see any reference to any of these?
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mats-Molen/research (10 articles and some "extras")
Comment?