Abstract
TODAY'S oceans are characterized by cold bottom waters, produced at high latitudes. Here we present morphological and oxygen isotope data for brachiopods from the Caradocian (Upper Ordovician) Trenton Group, in New York, which indicate that both temperature and salinity increased with depth in Ordovician oceans. Production of warm, saline deep waters in low- to mid-latitude evaporative seas, and reduced production of cold deep water, may have been favoured by high sea level, warm global climate and fortuitous positioning of continents1–5. The resulting ocean circulation system was markedly different from that of today. Lower oxygen contents of warm, saline deep waters may have contributed to the deposition of organic-rich sediments, which are abundant in Caradocian strata6,7but rare in modern ocean sediments.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brass, G. W. et al. in Climate in Earth History (ed. Berger, W. H.) 83–89 (National Academy, Washington, DC, 1982).
Brass, G. W., Southam, J. R. & Peterson, W. H. Nature 296, 620–623 (1982).
Hallam, A. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci 12, 205–243 (1984).
Fischer, A. G. in Climate in Earth History (ed. Berger, W.) 97–104 (National Academy, Washington, DC, 1982).
Denham, C. R. & Scotese, C. R. Terra Mobilis (Earth in Motion Technologies, Houston, 1988).
Thickpenny, A. & Leggett, J. K. Marine Petroleum Source Rocks, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publs No. 26, 231–247 (1987).
Hay, B. J. & Cisne, J. L. Studies in Geology No. 29, 113–134 (Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol., 1988).
Rowley, D. B. & Kidd, S. F. J. Geol. 89, 199–218 (1981).
Cisne, J. L., Karig, D. E., Rabe, B. D. & Hay, B. J. Lethaia 15, 229–246 (1982).
Ruedemann, R. Graptolites of North America, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. No. 19 (1947).
INRS-Petrole Correlation, Source Rock Potential, and Diagenetic Evolution of the Lorraine, Utica, and Trenton Groups. St. Lawrence Lowlands Publ. No. dp-374 (Ministère de Richesses Naturelles, Quebec, 1976).
Railsback, L .B. thesis, Univ. Illinois (1989).
Foster, M. W. Antarctic Research Series Vol. 21 (Am. geophys. Un., 1974).
Peck, L. S., Clarke, A. & Holmes, L. J. Lethaia 20, 33–40 (1987).
Railsback, L. B., Anderson, T. F., Ackerly, S. C. & Cisne, J. L. Palaeoceanography 4, 585–591 (1989).
Brookfield, M. Sedim. Geol. 60, 137–153 (1988).
Sverdrup, H. U., Johnson, M. W. & Fleming, R. H. The Oceans: Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology (Prentice-Hall, New York, 1942).
McGill, D. A. Deep Sea Res. 7, 259–269 (1961).
Neumann, A. C. & McGill, D. A. Deep Sea Res. 8, 223–235 (1962).
Seibold, E. Geol. Rdsch. 60, 73–105 (1970).
Hay, W. W. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 100, 1934–1956 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Railsback, L., Ackerly, S., Anderson, T. et al. Palaeontological and isotope evidence for warm saline deep waters in Ordovician oceans. Nature 343, 156–159 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/343156a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/343156a0
This article is cited by
-
Principal aspects of the Ordovician biotic radiation
Science China Earth Sciences (2010)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.