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Evidence for perturbation of the carbon cycle in the Middle Frasnian punctata Zone (Late Devonian)

J. YANS^*, R. M. CORFIELD, G. RACKI and A. PREAT

^* Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
Department of Earth Sciences, Silesian University, Bedzinska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Brussels, CP 160/02, 50 av. F. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

^* Author for correspondence: johan.yans{at}fundp.ac.be

New carbon isotopic data from the Devonian of Ardennes (Belgium) and partly from the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) highlight an abrupt and high-amplitude negative excursion in the punctata conodont Zone. Published information from Moravia and China suggests that this Middle Frasnian negative excursion, jointly with the preceding large-scale positive shift, should be used as a global chemostratigraphic marker. Causation scenarios for this negative ‘punctata Event’ are correlated neither with major biota turnover nor major sea-level changes, but may be related to: (1) the Alamo Impact Event, that led to (2) the massive dissociation of methane hydrates and (3) the rapid onset of global warming.

Key Words: punctata Event • Frasnian • carbon isotopes • Ardennes • Belgium