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Evaluation of the four potential Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundaries in the Nanxiong Basin based on evidences from volcanic activity and paleoclimatic evolution

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Abstract

Determining the location of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary in terrestrial strata is highly significant for studying the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems at the end of the Cretaceous (especially the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs). At present, research on terrestrial K-Pg boundaries worldwide is concentrated in the middle and high latitudes, such as North America and Northeast China. Although many studies have also been carried out in the Nanxiong Basin, located at low latitudes (which has become the standard for dividing and comparing the continental K-Pg stratigraphy in China), many researchers have proposed four possible boundaries from different perspectives. Therefore, the exact location remains to be determined. In this study, the total mercury (Hg) content, environmental magnetism, geochemistry, and other parameters for the samples collected near the four boundaries were determined and compared with existing records. Results indicated that: 1) The total Hg content significantly increased in the upper part of the Zhenshui Formation and Pingling part of the Shanghu Formation with sharp fluctuations. As per latest dating results of Deccan Traps, the significantly high Hg value was attributed to the Deccan Traps eruption. Boundary 1 was located in the middle of the Hg anomaly interval, which was consistent with the relationship between the global K-Pg boundary and time of volcanic eruption. 2) The reconstructed paleoclimate evolution curve revealed that the red sediments in the basin recorded the late Maastrichtian warming event (66.2 Ma). Regarding the relationship between the four boundaries and this warming event, only boundary 1 was found to be closest to the real K-Pg boundary of the Nanxiong Basin.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions. The authors would also like to thank Professor Enlou Zhang and Associate Professor Yuxin Zhu (Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) for their generous support and assistance in mercury concentration measurements. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41602185 and 41772180), the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP 679), and the Innovation Research Team Fund of Fujian Normal University (Grant No. IRTL1705).

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  1. School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Mengting Zhao, Mei He & Yudan Qiu

  2. Key Laboratory of Humid Sub-tropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Mingming Ma & Xiuming Liu

  3. Key Laboratory for Subtropical Mountain Ecology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Mingming Ma & Xiuming Liu

  4. Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Xiuming Liu

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Zhao, M., Ma, M., He, M. et al. Evaluation of the four potential Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundaries in the Nanxiong Basin based on evidences from volcanic activity and paleoclimatic evolution. Sci. China Earth Sci. 64, 631–641 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9736-0

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