Pulse of intense oxidative weathering during the latest Paleoproterozoic

Abstract The mid-Proterozoic (ca. 1.8–0.8 Ga) is broadly characterized by low atmospheric oxygen and pervasive oceanic anoxia punctuated by pulses of oxygenation. However, the causes underpinning these transient events remain elusive. Here, we report on 1.64 billion-year-old black shales and dolostone from the Chuanlinggou Formation in the North China Craton that represent sediment deposited during the break-up of the supercontinent Columbia. The rocks are characterized by high initial 187Os/188Os values, comparable to modern seawater values, alongside positive isotopic compositions of copper similar to those found in shales deposited during the Great Oxidation Event between 2.5 and 2.2 billion years ago. Additionally, we note high Th/U ratios and Chemical Index of Alteration values. Collectively, our data suggest a positive feedback initiated by continental fragmentation, with increased oxidative weathering on land, greater nutrient supply to the oceans, enhanced primary production of marine cyanobacteria, and ultimately, higher rates of oxygen production, perpetuating the feedback loop.