Global Quaternary Carbonate Burial: Proxy- and Model-Based Reconstructions and Persisting Uncertainties

Area of Science:

• Geochemistry
• Paleoceanography
• Climate Science

Background:

• Marine carbonate burial significantly influences ocean chemistry and Earth's carbon cycle.
• The Quaternary Period experienced sea-level changes impacting carbonate accumulation and atmospheric CO2, but these effects are poorly quantified.
• Accurate quantification of carbonate burial is crucial for understanding ocean-climate feedbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the importance of marine carbonate burial in the ocean-climate system.
• To review methods for quantifying carbonate burial across various depositional environments.
• To identify gaps and challenges in reconstructing Quaternary carbonate burial and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on carbonate burial quantification.
• Discussion of advances in paleoceanographic proxies, including stable strontium and calcium isotopes.
• Highlighting innovative modeling approaches for reconstructing burial rates.

Main Results:

• Carbonate burial is a critical but often poorly quantified component of the global carbon cycle.
• Significant advances have been made in reconstructing Quaternary carbonate burial over the past three decades.
• Existing records of carbonate burial present challenges in reconciliation.

Conclusions:

• Continuous records of global carbonate burial are needed for a comprehensive understanding of past climate dynamics.
• Emerging paleoceanographic proxies and modeling offer new opportunities to achieve this.
• Further research is essential to refine our understanding of carbonate burial's role in Earth's systems.