High-Resolution Carbon Isotope Stratigraphy of the Ordovician-Silurian Boundary on Anticosti Island, Quebec: Regional and Global Implications

A high-resolution carbon isotope analysis of the Ordovician-Silurian boundary on Anticosti Island, Quebec, reveals a distinct isotopic pattern that challenges current models of the global carbon cycle during the Late Ordovician. The study, which examined over 400 micritic limestone samples from six sections of the Ellis Bay Formation, identified two significant positive carbon isotope excursions (∼2‰ and ∼4‰) that align with global graptolite-rich Hirnantian successions. This pattern contradicts existing predictions, suggesting a more complex evolution of the carbon cycle than previously understood. The research integrates isotopic data with sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy to provide new insights into this critical period of Earth history.

Wickson, S. (2013). High-Resolution Carbon Isotope Stratigraphy of the Ordovician-Silurian Boundary on Anticosti Island, Quebec: Regional and Global Implications. Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa. https://doi.org/10.20381/RUOR-19510