Carbon isotope composition and its evolution around the base of the Drumian Stage in Linzhou area, northern Henan

Abstract

Carbon isotope stratigraphy is an important means to subdivide and correlate the Cambrian strata. Based on the carbon isotope analysis of the carbonate strata of Lütuogou Section, northern Henan Province, it is found the δ13C value of carbonate samples collected from the base of the Drumian Stage at Lütuogou Section, northern Henan, ranges from 3.1‰ to -1.7‰, and the δ18O value ranges from -3.9‰ to -9.4‰. No covariance exists between δ13C and δ18O, which implies that the carbon isotope composition is nearly stable. Value of δ13C around the base of the Drumian Stage consists of a negative excursion, the amplitude of the negative excursion is 3.0‰, and the minimum value of δ13C is -1.7‰, which occurs at the place 15 m below the first occurrence of trilobite protasaphiscus. The position and amplitude of the negative excursion are similar to those of the drum carbon isotope excursion (DICE) tested in the Wangcun Section, western Hunan, South China, and the Drum Mountains section in Utah, USA, which suggests that the DICE can be used as a global indicator for the correlation of the Drumian Stage. Furthermore, the cyan shale with thin limestone at the position of minimum δ13C overlies the oolitic limestone; therefore, DICE occurs in the transgressive succession in the early Miaolingian.

Keywords

• carbon isotope composition
• dice negative excursion
• drumian stage
• cambrian