Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347 – 354

www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo

Carbon isotope record of the P/T boundary and the

Lower Triassic in the Southern Alps: Evidence for
rapid changes in storage of organic carbon
Micha Horacek a,⁎,1 , Rainer Brandner b , Rainer Abart a,2
a
Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
b
Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 5010 Innsbruck, Austria
Accepted 30 November 2006

Abstract

The carbonate carbon isotope record of Lower Triassic shelf sediments was investigated in the Pufels and L´Om Picol (Uomo)
sections of the western central Dolomites to derive a complete record from the Permian/Triassic transition to the uppermost Lower
Triassic from the western Tethys. The carbon isotope record shows the well-studied decrease at the Permian/Triassic boundary
(PTB), followed by an increase to about 1.5‰. At the Dienerian/Smithian boundary the δ13C values increase to a pronounced
+ 6‰ maximum. A steady rapid drop until the upper Smithian below −2‰ follows this δ13C peak. At the Smithian/Spathian
transition, a steep rise to positive values is documented. The positive carbon isotope peak is interpreted to reflect an interval of
enhanced burial of organic carbon, whereas the isotopic minima provide evidence of periods of oxidation of organic matter and/or
release of isotopically light carbon. This may be ascribed to quickly changing environmental conditions, which have already been
postulated by paleontologists due to the delayed biotic recovery from the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Because of the short-
time interval these positive isotope excursions represent, their generation by burial of organic carbon in periods of high productivity
and/or anoxia appears plausible. Concurrent carbon isotopic excursions are reported from Iran, Pakistan and Oman as well as from
Southern China, which indicate an at least Tethys-wide event. If the excursion proves to be of global significance, dark shale
deposited in the pelagic Panthalassa Ocean may have acted as sink for organic carbon, supporting the hypothesis of a periodically
stratified ocean in the Lower Triassic.
© 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: P/T boundary; Triassic; Isotopes; Carbon cycle; Anoxia

1. Introduction

⁎ Corresponding author. The PTB represents the heaviest impact on life

E-mail addresses: micha.horacek@arcs.ac.at (M. Horacek), during Earth's history (Erwin, 1993). More than 90% of
abart@zedat.fu-berlin.de (R. Abart), rainer.brandner@uibk.ac.at all marine skeleton-building species became extinct
(R. Brandner). during this interval (Raup, 1991). What happened after
1
Current address: Austrian Research Centers GmbH - ARC, 2444
Seibersdorf, Austria. the extinction is still unclear and the Lower Triassic
2
Current address: Institute of Geological Sciences, Free University remains so far a “highly anomalous interval of time”
Berlin, Berlin, Germany. (Erwin, 2000). The biotic recovery only started at the
0031-0182/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.11.049
348 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354
end of the Lower Triassic in the Spathian substage or
even later during the Middle Triassic (Kozur, 1998;
Erwin, 2000). In addition to the extinction at the PTB, at
least two minor extinction events are known in the
Lower Triassic, one at the Griesbachian/Dienerian
boundary (Kozur, 1998; Mei et al., 1999) and one at
the Smithian/Spathian boundary (review in Hallam and
Wignall, 1997).
The carbon isotope composition of marine carbonates
mirrors the dynamic equilibrium between the accumu-
lation of marine carbonate and the burial of organic
carbon (Marshall, 1992). Carbonate reflects δ13C values
similar to seawater bicarbonate, whereas organic carbon
is depleted in 13C with respect to the bicarbonate
dissolved in ocean water. Changes in the δ13C record can
mainly be ascribed to changes in the balance between the
carbonate and the organic carbon reservoirs (Marshall,
1992). Many extinction events in Earth's history are
accompanied by carbon isotope changes, which may
help to elucidate the kill mechanisms (Walliser, 1996).
For this purpose the sections in Pufels/Bulla and Uomo
have been studied for their carbon and oxygen isotopic
compositions. We present the carbon isotope curve of
almost the entire Lower Triassic sequences from northern
Italy and its correlation with the bio- and paleomagnetic
stratigraphy, and make inferences regarding the environ-
mental changes during the Lower Triassic.
2. Geological setting
The sampling sites (Fig. 1) are located east of the
Eisack valley (South Tyrol/Alto Adige, Italy). The Pufels/
Bulla section is located approximately 20 km NE of
Bozen/Bolzano. It is exposed along the road from St.
Ulrich/Ortisei to Pufels/Bulla at approximately 1500 m
altitude. Detailed descriptions of the section can be found
in Mostler (1982), Farabegoli and Perri (1998) and
Fig. 1. Map of the Central Dolomites (Italy). Investigated Pufels/Bulla
and L´Om Picol/Uomo sections (underlined) among other boundary
sections are indicated by stars. Modified after Brandner (1988).
Scholger et al. (2000). The L´Om Picol/Uomo section is
located near Passo San Pellegrino, about 50 km east of
Bozen, at an altitude of about 2300 m (Horacek and
Povoden, 1999). Both sections are regarded as shallow
water sections close to a shoreline (Brandner, 1988).
In the Late Permian, the marine Bellerophon Forma-
tion carbonates were deposited in the Dolomite basin
(Italy) followed by the Werfen Formation in the Lower
Triassic, which consists mainly of impure carbonates
(Mostler, 1982). The Tesero Oolite represents the
transition between the Bellerophon Formation and the
Werfen Formation, lithostratigraphically it belongs to the
Werfen Formation. An abrupt change in sedimentation
from a Late Permian fossiliferous wackestone to a
fossiliferous packstone with significantly reduced
amounts of organic matter occurs between the Bellero-
phon Formation and Tesero Oolite. This boundary — the
so called “Current Event” (Brandner, 1988; Farabegoli
and Perri, 1998) — can be found throughout the
Dolomites (Brandner, 1988). The Tesero Oolite inter-
fingers with and is overlain by the Mazzin Member,
consisting of marine silty clays and carbonate mudstones
with episodically intercalated bioclastic packstones,
interpreted as tempestites. The sequence was deposited
in a subtidal environment, which was reached by storm
waves. It is overlain by the supratidal Andraz Horizon, a
mainly evaporitic sequence with thin-bedded dolomites
and silty marls. According to Gianolla et al. (1998), this
horizon is interpreted as a shelf margin wedge (SMW) at
the base of the 3 rd order sequence Sc 2 (Fig. 2). Further
upwards the submarine Seis/Siusi Member is developed,
featuring dm-thick, intraclastic–bioclastic packstones
alternating with thin silty marls. The graded packstones
(tempestites) frequently show fining upwards (FU), and
higher up in the section they show coarsening upwards
(CU) parasequences and are associated with the typical
Werfen lithofacies: flat-pebble conglomerates (so called
“Koken'sches Konglomerat”; e.g., Broglio Loriga et al.,
1990) and the so-called “Gastropodenoolith”, a well
preserved oolite with microgastropodes in the nucleus.
The Gastropod Oolite Member of the Italian authors
(e.g., Gianolla et al., 1998) we included in the Seis/Siusi
Member, as there is locally a strong interfingering of the
two facies types. The succeeding Campil Member, a
dominantly subtidal, terrigenous siliciclastic sedimentary
unit, forms together with the Gastropod Oolite Member at
the top of the Seis Member the sequence Sc 3 (Fig. 2). A
change in sedimentation towards more marine influenced
sediments marks the beginning of the Val Badia Member
(sequence Sc 4, Fig. 2). The overlying Cencenighe
Member with a mixed siliciclastic and carbonatic
lithofacies was deposited in a shallower environment
 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354 349

Fig. 2. Pufels and Uomo carbon isotope profiles, “Current Event” = 0 m and marks the boundary between the Bellerophon Formation and the Tesero
Oolite. Ages after Young and Laurie (1996), magnetostratigraphy after Scholger et al. (2000), Pufels lithostratigraphy after Mostler (1982) and
Farabegoli and Perri (1998), Uomo stratigraphy after Horacek and Povoden (1999) and unpublished data, conodont biostratigraphy after Farabegoli
and Perri (1998), sequence stratigraphy after Gaetani et al. (1998), Gianolla et al. (1998), modified. A = Andraz Horizon, Aeg. = Aegean, B. =
Bithyian, Bell. Form. = Bellerophon Formation, T = Tesero Oolite, i.Z. = isarcica Zone. Note that at the Pufels section the Val Badia Member is not
present, as the Campil Member is truncated by Middle Triassic sediments. For comparison the δ13C profiles from the Gartnerkofel (Holser et al.,
1989) and China (Payne et al., 2004) are shown. Isotope peaks are labelled (A, B, C) to facilitate identification. For explanation see text.

and forms the uppermost member of the Werfen 3. Biostratigraphy

Formation at the L´Om Picol/Uomo section. In the
Pufels/Bulla section the upper part of the dominantly
terrigenous Campil Member featuring a local special
facies with gray limestone layers is discordantly overlain
by Middle Triassic sediments.
The Permian–Triassic boundary is now widely
accepted to be defined by conodonts with the first
occurrence of Hindeodus parvus, about 1.3 m above the
Current Event in the Pufels section (Farabegoli and
350 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354
Perri, 1998). The lower Griesbachian/upper Griesba-
chian boundary can tentatively be defined by the first
appearance datum (FAD) of the bivalve Claraia clarai,
succeeding Claraia wangi, which approximately corre-
lates with the beginning of the Isarcica Zone (Broglio
Loriga et al., 1990). The Griesbachian/Dienerian
boundary cannot be defined, as no relevant marker is
present. The approximate position can be estimated by
correlating the magnetostratigraphy (Scholger et al.,
2000) with the data from the Abadeh profile (Gallet
et al., 2000), or tentatively correlated with the FAD of
Claraia aurita succeeding C. clarai about 25 m above
the onset of the Seism member in the Uomo section
(Broglio Loriga et al., 1986, 1990). The Dienerian/
Smithian boundary cannot exactly be defined due to the
lack of appropriate fossils. The onset of the Spathian can
be defined by the FAD of the ammonite Tirolites
cassianus (Broglio Loriga et al., 1990), just above the
evaporitic transition between the Campil and the Val
Badia members.
4. Analytical techniques
The samples from the Pufels/Bulla section are exactly
correlated to samples used for paleomagnetic analysis by
Scholger et al. (2000). Hand specimens from the Pufels/
Bulla and Uomo sections were critically investigated for
stylolites, cracks, veins, weathering and strong recrys-
tallisation. These parts were removed before samples
Fig. 3. Oxygen and carbon isotopes diagram of Pufels and L´Om Picol/Uomo samples. No overall trend is visible, making less likely a major
diagenetic event. 18O isotope enriched samples above approximately − 4‰ V-PDB are dominantly dolomitic.
were cut and powdered. CO2 was released from the
sample powder using standard methods. Reproducibility
was better than 0.1‰ for δ13C and δ18O (1σ). All
isotope values are given in the conventional δ notation
and are expressed in per mil (‰), for oxygen and for
carbon with respect to the V-PDB standard. Dolomitic
samples have not been corrected for the different acid
fractionation factor.
5. Results
5.1. Carbon isotope data
The Pufels carbon isotope profile starts in the
uppermost Bellerophon Formation in the Late Permian
(Fig. 2), 1.5 m below the Current Event. High values for
the Bellerophon Formation between 2.5‰ and N4‰ are
followed by a drop to 1‰ into the Tesero Oolite. This
drop continues in the Mazzin Member to a minimum
value below − 2‰. The values then rise to values be-
tween − 1.0 and − 1.5‰ and fall to a second minimum
around − 2‰. In the upper Mazzin Member values
increase uninterruptedly to around +1‰ at the Mazzin
Member/Andraz Horizon boundary. The Andraz Hori-
zon is almost completely covered, due to its low weath-
ering resistance. In the upper Seis Member, a moderate
and constant rise to +3‰ (Fig. 2: peak A) succeeded by
a decrease to 0‰ at the Seis/Campil Member boundary
occurs. The δ13C values rise again and remain at this
 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354
Fig. 4. Oxygen and carbon isotope curves of the lower Pufels section.
“Current Event” = 0 m. Dolomitic samples can be detected by their
significantly enriched δ18O signal. Shaded bar represents the
evaporitic–dolomitic Andraz Horizon.
higher level in the lower Campil Member. Upsection the
carbon isotopes can only vaguely be traced due to
insufficient exposure of the rocks. Further upwards in
the Campil Member follows a steep positive excursion
to above 5‰ (Fig. 2: peak B), followed by a decrease to
negative values and encountering values around 0‰ at
the top of the sampled interval.
The L´Om Picol/Uomo section (Horacek et al., 2000)
starts a few meters below the Current Event in the
Bellerophon Formation (Fig. 2), which yields high iso-
topic values around +4‰, followed by a sudden decrease
to values between 1 and 1.5‰ around the PTB. This step
probably indicates a hiatus. The drop apparently con-
tinues over some unexposed metres to a minimum below
−2‰ in the lower Mazzin Member and rises moderately
to ca. 1‰ in the upper Mazzin Member. The Andraz
Horizon is not exposed. The δ13C values of the Seis
Member continue at +1.5‰ until the upper Seis Member,
where the profile succeeds into a constant rise above +2‰
(Fig. 2: peak A) followed by a drop to values below 0‰.
The base of the Campil Member can be placed at this
level. In the Campil Member the curve rises to a maxi-
mum near +6‰ (Fig. 2: peak B) and decreases steadily to
−2‰ in the uppermost Campil Member. The Campil–Val
Badia transition shows a steep rise to above +1‰ (Fig. 2:
peak C), succeeded by heterogeneous values of overall
351
decreasing tendency towards negative δ13C ratios in the
Val Badia and Cencenighe Members.
5.2. Oxygen isotope data
Oxygen isotope ratios in carbonates are very suscep-
tible to alteration during diagenesis (Marshall, 1992). For
the two sections investigated in this study the C and O
isotope values are uncorrelated (Fig. 3), suggesting that
the 13C values remained unchanged during diagenetic
alteration (Buggisch et al., 1994). Carbonates with higher
dolomite content can be detected by their higher oxygen
isotope signals. However, these samples do not show any
deviation in their carbon isotope ratio with respect to
neighboring dolomite-poor samples (Fig. 4).
6. Discussion
The carbon isotope record of most of the bulk car-
bonate samples with high carbonate content most likely
does not change significantly due to diagenesis (Scholle
and Arthur, 1980; Marshall, 1992), because the carbon
reservoir of the rock far outmatches the amount of carbon
dissolved in a diagenetic fluid. Carbon isotope alteration
in carbonates most likely leads to depleted values
(Marshall, 1992). Only bacterial methanogenesis in
organic rich rocks can alter carbon isotope values of
carbonate to higher δ13C values (for a review see Magaritz
et al., 1983). Because the sampled lithologies are poor in
organic carbon and rich in carbonate, we suggest that the
carbon isotope pattern is a primary feature with no
detectable modification during diagenesis.
The Pufels and L´Om Picol sections can be correlated
very well to each other (Fig. 2) and demonstrate
comparable, quickly changing carbon isotope trends in
the Lower Triassic of the Dolomite Basin. The Permian/
Triassic transition is marked by a pronounced depletion
in 13C isotopes, followed by a moderate increase in the
upper Griesbachian, as has been found at numerous
other sections (e.g., Baud et al., 1989; Holser et al.,
1989). In the Dienerian, an excursion up to +3‰
succeeded by a decrease to almost 0‰ can be found in
both sections. Further upwards a prominent carbon
isotope excursion to + 6‰, immediately followed by a
steep drop to negative values, gives a total change of
almost 8‰ in δ13C. A short and steep positive carbon
isotope excursion close to the Dienerian–Smithian
boundary has already been reported from Pakistan by
Baud et al. (1996). Although it is of smaller magnitude
we suggest that this is the same excursion. Investiga-
tions of sections in South China (Payne et al., 2004) and
Iran (Horacek et al., 2007) have revealed δ13C curves
352 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354
with an almost identical pattern as described in the
Pufels and L´Om Picol sections. Another positive δ13C
excursion with similar shape and a magnitude of + 7‰
has been documented in Oman by Hauser et al. (2001);
however, it has been ascribed to the Smithian/Spathian
boundary.
Comparison of the Pufels and L´Om Picol profiles
with the Gartnerkofel δ13C profile (Holser et al., 1989;
Fig. 2) yields a good correlation. The almost identical
pattern in the Chinese sections (Payne et al., 2004) and
the localities in northern Italy indicates that the observed
excursions represent an at least Tethys-wide carbon
isotope signal.
Generally, global variations in carbon isotope ratios
of marine sediments can evolve from two processes
(Magaritz et al., 1992): (1) Changes in the sedimentary
reservoirs of the carbon cycle and (2) Rate of uptake of
13
C-depleted carbon in shallow ocean, and transport and
remineralization in the deep ocean. The first mechanism
involves a net flux of carbon from the total organic
reservoir to the carbonate reservoir, to produce lower
δ13C values and vice-versa. This can be accomplished
by changes in burial or erosion/oxidation rates of or-
ganic matter relative to the accumulation of Ccarb. The
second mechanism is based on vertical isotopic frac-
tionation in the ocean, which may occur due to: (I) ocean
stratification and the associated decoupling of the shallow
and deep ocean δ13C trends, or due to: (II) variations in
bioproductivity in the ocean with depth. Decreasing or
increasing productivity reduces or raises, respectively,
the fractionation of 13 C-enriched surface water and
13
C-depleted deep ocean water (Kump, 1991). Changing
burial rates of organic carbon can result from (Baud
et al., 1989): (A) sea level changes, (B) decreased
thermohaline circulation of the ocean and anoxia, and
(C) changes in terrestrial and marine productivity of
organic material.
For the PTB, currently a combination of anoxia,
which already existed in the Late Permian (e.g., Kajiwara
et al., 1994; Isozaki, 1997), eruption of the Siberian trap
basalts (e.g., Renne et al., 1995) and erosion of coal
deposits on the continents and release of methane (e.g.,
Retallack, 1999), in combination with the release of H2S
(Kump et al., 2005) are proposed to explain the decrease
in δ13C.
Through analyses of Th/U ratios in sediments of the
Uomo section, Twitchett and Wignall (1996) had
demonstrated low oxygen levels during the Griesbachian
and oxic conditions since the lower Seis Member, which
they interpreted as indicative of amelioration in the
environment. Holser (1997) had suggested amelioration
already for the upper Mazzin Member due to the rising
δ13C values, which he ascribed to increasing bioproduc-
tivity (process (II) described above). Apparent deteriora-
tion of the environmental conditions in the Campil
Member (Twitchett and Wignall, 1996; Twitchett, 1999)
is explained by salinity changes due to increased runoff
from the hinterland, and therefore ascribed to a probably
regional effect. Shao et al. (2000) demonstrated that a
reduction of salinity coincides with reduced carbon
isotope values, thus the positive excursion in the Campil
Member cannot be explained by this mechanism.
Furthermore, this excursion has also been documented
in Pakistan and Oman, which provides additional evi-
dence against a local variation. We suggest that the large
isotopic excursion is a result of at least Tethys-wide
changes in the carbon cycle, which lead to an extensive
removal of organic carbon due to increased bioproductiv-
ity, probably caused by an increase in phosphate delivery,
as modelled in Kump and Arthur (1999) and combined
with ocean stratification/anoxia (Woods et al., 1999). If
the isotopic pattern proves to be global, the pelagic
Panthalassa Ocean with its frequent black shales
deposited in the Lower Triassic would be the plausible
sink for organic carbon (e.g., Suzuki et al., 1998). Each of
the excursions we found in the Lower Triassic was
produced within one conodont biozone (Baud et al., 1996;
Farabegoli and Perri, 1998), hinting at quick changes
similar to the processes that have resulted in the sharp
carbon isotope rise of the Late Permian (Magaritz et al.,
1983) or the Early Carboniferous (Saltzman, 2002).
Climatic changes or tectonic events can occur almost
instantaneous on a geological timescale, thus the reported
isotopic pattern indicates such events may be the causes
for paleoenvironmental changes.
7. Conclusions
A Tethys-wide +6‰ positive δ13C excursion around
the Dienerian/Smithian boundary suggests that at this
time substantial amounts of biomass have again been
produced after the “faunal collapse” at the PTB. This
indicates that there was a recovering of the biota already
at this time. Given that a recovery has been identified for
the latest Early Triassic or the beginning of the Middle
Triassic, one may also hypothesize that the increase of
bioproductivity was independent of faunal recovery and
mainly resulted from the flourishing of the survivors.
Concurrent ocean stratification led to an uncoupling of
the Tethys surface water from deep water during the
Dienerian/Smithian and Smithian/Spathian boundary
periods causing the positive δ13C peaks, followed by
periods of circulation in the Smithian and Spathian
evidenced by low carbon isotope values.
 M. Horacek et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 252 (2007) 347–354
Acknowledgments
This study was partially financed by an FWF grant to
R.A. Thorough reviews by H.-P. Schönlaub, P. Gianolla,
and an anonymous reviewer and of an earlier version of
the manuscript by E. Grossman, T. Jones, and W. Piller
are gratefully acknowledged.
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