⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr stratigraphy from the Early Triassic of Zal, Iran: Linking temperature to weathering rates and the tempo of ecosystem recovery

Recovery from the Late Permian mass extinction was slowed by continued environmental perturbations during the Early Triassic. Rapid fluctuations of the Early Triassic marine carbonate carbon isotope record indicate instability in the global carbon cycle, and recent δ¹⁸O_apatite studies link elevated temperatures to the prolonged biotic recovery. High temperatures potentially caused enhanced continental weathering that was detrimental to marine ecosystems, but linking weathering rates to temperature has proven difficult. One proxy for weathering is the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of marine carbonate; we present here an ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr record from an upper Permian–lower Triassic succession near Zal, Iran, that is coupled to a δ¹³C_carbonate record. An increase in the rate of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr rise from the Dienerian to the Smithian may be linked to elevated continental weathering rates caused by warming during the Smithian.