Stratigraphic significance of carbon isotope variations in the shallow-marine Seis/Siusi Permian–Triassic boundary section (Southern Alps, Italy)

Abstract

Carbonate carbon-isotope values from the Permian–Triassic (P–T) boundary section at Seis/Siusi (Southern Alps, Italy) show a trend similar to that in numerous other P–T boundary sections worldwide. Values decrease from 3.2 ‰ (V-PDB) in the upper Bellerophon Limestone Formation (Late Permian) to a minimum of –1.7 ‰ in the lower Mazzin Member. This minimum may represent the P–T boundary. The overall declining carbon-isotope trend is interrupted by a ca. 1 ‰ positive excursion in the higher Tesero Oolite Horizon. This positive peak is located at a higher lithostratigraphic level than a comparable peak in the adjacent Pufels section, which suggests that the Tesero Oolite Horizon in the Seis section is stratigraphically slightly older than in the Pufels section, and this is also suggested by palaeomagnetic correlation. It is therefore concluded that the base of the Tesero Oolite Horizon does not reflect a synchronous “current event” but is slightly diachronous, a result that was previously shown by biostratigraphic correlation. Nevertheless, this suggestion should be verified by further detailed litho-, magneto- and chemostratigraphic analysis of other P–T sections in the Southern Alps. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)