Atmospheric CO₂ drawdown during the Emeishan flood basalt volcanism.

ABSTRACT: The conventional model linking large igneous provinces (LIPs) to atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (pCO₂) predicts elevated CO₂ during volcanic emplacement, leading to biotic crises. However, this generalization requires testing. Here, we reconstruct pCO₂ variations throughout the Emeishan LIP emplacement (~260 Ma) using carbon isotopes from chlorophyll-derived compounds. Our high-resolution record reveals that pCO₂ declined from ~ 700 ppm to ~ 350 ppm during the early and main flood basalt phases, then increased during subsequent silicic eruptions. This pattern coincides with pre-eruptive crustal uplift driven by mantle plume impingement. We propose that CO₂ consumption associated with enhanced erosion and weathering of kilome

SUBMITTER: Shen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12946269 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature