New insights into Paleoproterozoic surficial conditions revealed by 1.85 Ga corestone-rich saprolith

摘要

Spheroidally weathered corestones, which are remnant pieces of bedrock surrounded by progressively weathered saprolite, preserve an ideal, small-scale natural interface for examining incipient to intermediate weathering reactions. Ancient corestones are preserved in some Precambrian paleosols but have remained surprisingly understudied. Here detailed mineral-chemical trends are examined across corestone-saprolith interfaces in ca. 1.85 Ga dolerite-hosted paleosol from the Flin Flon-Creighton area (Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada). The study presents the first comprehensive paleo-redox tracer suite (Fe-Mn-Mo-U-V-Cr-Ce) for the classic Flin Flon paleosol, which formed during a crucial period in the Paleoproterozoic for which marine sedimentary archives infer a return to low oxygen levels after the Great Oxidation Event (GOE).