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The origin and significance of pedogenic dolomite from the Upper Permian of the South Urals of Russia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 September 2011

TIMOTHY KEARSEY ,
RICHARD J. TWITCHETT  and
ANDREW J. NEWELL
TIMOTHY KEARSEY*
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
RICHARD J. TWITCHETT
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
ANDREW J. NEWELL
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
*
†Author for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Pedogenic carbonate nodules from six sections spanning the continental Permian–Triassic boundary in the South Urals, Russia, were analysed. Morphological, petrographic, SEM and XRD analyses have demonstrated that many of the latest Permian palaeosols are dolomitic. This dolomite forms the microcrystalline (5–16 μm) groundmass of the nodules. Later diagenetic phases, represented by coarser crystalline textures, were identified as calcite. Isotopic analysis of the microcrystalline dolomite has revealed it to be similar in isotopic composition to authigenic dolomite forming today in saline soils in Alberta, Canada. These data indicate that the dolomite found in these nodules is pedogenic, and formed in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Upper Permian pedogenic dolocretes in the studied sections are most frequent in (a) palaeosols that formed on palaeo-highs and (b) in the latest Permian period (Changhsingian), which may indicate that there was an increase in seasonality and evaporation in the South Urals region at this time. The presence of only calcitic palaeosols in the earliest Triassic may reflect a subsequent dramatic change in the basin conditions, possibly relating to the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, which stopped the conditions that are necessary for dolomite formation.

Keywords

dolomitepalaeosolPermianTriassicRussia
Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 149 , Issue 2 , March 2012 , pp. 291 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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