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Mesoproterozoic sulphidic ocean, delayed oxygenation and evolution of early life: sulphur isotope clues from Indian Proterozoic basins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2009

A. SARKAR ,
P. P. CHAKRABORTY ,
B. MISHRA ,
M. K. BERA ,
P. SANYAL  and
S. PAUL
A. SARKAR*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India
P. P. CHAKRABORTY
Affiliation:
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Rae Bareli 229 316, India
B. MISHRA
Affiliation:
Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India
M. K. BERA
Affiliation:
Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India
P. SANYAL
Affiliation:
Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India
S. PAUL
Affiliation:
Frontier Basins, ONGC limited, Dehradun 248195, India
*
†Author for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Analyses of sulphur isotope compositions in sedimentary pyrites from the Vindhyan, Chattisgarh and Cuddapah basins show heavy δ34S (> +25 ‰) values during the Mesoproterozoic. The data provide evidence in support of a hypothesized global Proterozoic sulphidic anoxic ocean where very low concentrations of marine sulphate, bacterially reduced in closed systems, produced δ34S values in pyrites similar to or even heavier than marine sulphate. The extreme environmental conditions induced by these anoxic oceans could have been responsible for the delayed oxygenation of the biosphere and retarded evolution of multicellular life.

Keywords

sulphur isotopeMesoproterozoic basinIndiaearly life
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 147 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 206 - 218
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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