Upper Ediacaran organic-rich shales and mudstones from the Yangtze Craton in South China, dated between approximately 570 to 550 million years ago. The dataset contains geochemical results including iron and phosphorus speciation, bulk rock metal concentrations, total organic content, and pyrite sulfur isotopes.
Use Cases
- Classify depositional redox conditions (anoxic, oxic, ferruginous, euxinic) using FeHR/FeT and Fepy/FeHR ratios.
- Analyze phosphorus bioavailability and cycling by examining P phase associations such as Pdet, PFe, Porg, and Pauth.
- Correlate environmental proxies by integrating pyrite sulfur isotopes (δ34Spy) with total organic content (TOC) and organic carbon isotopes (δ13Corg).
- Model paleoenvironmental changes across the Doushantuo and Dengying formations using bulk rock metal concentration time series.
Strengths
- Data spans a critical 20-million-year interval (570-550 Ma) in Earth's history.
- Includes multiple established geochemical proxies (Fe-speciation, P-speciation, δ34Spy) for paleoenvironmental reconstruction.
- Samples are from a well-defined geological context: the Doushantuo Formation (member IV) and overlying lower Dengying Formation.
Limitations
- Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting statistical power assessments.
- Geographic scope is restricted to the Yangtze Craton, South China, which may limit global paleoenvironmental generalizations.
- Data collection methodology is highly specialized, requiring domain expertise in geochemistry for accurate interpretation.
Provenance
- Source
- British Geological Survey (BGS)
- Collection Method
- Major and trace element concentrations measured by ICP-OES and ICP-MS after acid digestion; Fe and P speciation performed via established sequential extraction methods.
- Time Range
- Approximately 570 to 550 million years ago (Upper Ediacaran).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Yangtze Craton, South China.