Carbon-isotope excursions in the Norian Stage (Upper Triassic) of the Baoshan terrane, western Yunnan, China

The biostratigraphy and carbon stable isotopes of the Norian Stage (Upper Triassic) are well studied in the western Tethys, but little information is available from the eastern Tethys. Therefore, we studied the Hongyan-B (HYB) section in the Baoshan terrane, western Yunnan Province, SW China, which was located in the eastern Tethys during the Late Triassic. The HYB section was investigated for conodonts, radiolarians, total organic carbon, carbonate carbon and oxygen stable isotopes (δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb), and carbon isotopes of organic matter (δ13Corg). The Mockina slovakensis and Mockina bidentata conodont biozones proposed in the HYB section are associated with two radiolarian zones of the Sevatian substage, the Praemesosaturnalis multidentatus and Praemesosaturnalis pseudokahleri zones (TR8A and TR8B Sugiyama zones). This biostratigraphy places the Alaunian-Sevatian substage boundary (middle-upper Norian) at meter 23 of the HYB section. Unfortunately, the δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb values suggest that they might have been influenced by diagenesis. However, the δ13Corg record preserves multiple carbon-isotope excursions across the Alaunian-Sevatian boundary that can be correlated with other coeval global sections. The carbon-isotope excursions registered at this middle-upper Norian boundary are perhaps related to the major outgassing of light carbon during the emplacement of Angayucham flood basalts.