Marinoan glaciation

Neoproterozoic Snowball Periods

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Marinoan

(millions of years ago)

Neoproterozoic era

Snowball Earth

A recent estimate of the timing and duration of Proterozoic glacial periods. Note that great uncertainty surrounds the dating of pre-Gaskiers glaciations. The status of the Kaigas is not clear; its dating is very tentative and many researchers do not recognise it as a glaciation.^[1] An earlier and longer possible snowball phase, the Huronian glaciation, is not shown here.

The Marinoan glaciation, sometimes also known as the Varanger glaciation,^[2] was a period of worldwide glaciation.^[3] Its beginning is poorly constrained, but occurred no earlier than 654.5 Ma (million years ago).^[4] It ended approximately 632.3 ± 5.9 Ma^[3] during the Cryogenian period. This glaciation possibly covered the entire planet, in an event called the Snowball Earth. The end of the glaciation was caused by volcanic release of carbon dioxide and dissolution of gas hydrates^[5] and might have been hastened by the release of methane from equatorial permafrost.^[6]^[7]

^ Smith, A.G. (2009). "Neoproterozoic timescales and stratigraphy". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 326 (1): 27–54. Bibcode:2009GSLSP.326...27S. doi:10.1144/SP326.2. S2CID 129706604.
^ Pazos, Pablo J.; Sánchez-Bettucci, Leda; Tofalo, Ofelia R. (January 2003). "The Record of the Varanger Glaciation at the Río De La Plata Craton, Vendian-Cambrian of Uruguay". Gondwana Research. 6 (1): 65–77. Bibcode:2003GondR...6...65P. doi:10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70644-4. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b Rooney, Alan D.; Strauss, Justin V.; Brandon, Alan D.; Macdonald, Francis A. (2015). "A Cryogenian chronology: Two long-lasting synchronous Neoproterozoic glaciations". Geology. 43 (5): 459–462. Bibcode:2015Geo....43..459R. doi:10.1130/G36511.1.
^ Ma, Xiaochen; Wang, Jiasheng; Wang, Zhou; Algeo, Thomas J.; Chen, Can; Cen, Yue; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Huang, Chang; Xu, Liyuan; Huang, Chao; Chen, Dahe (March 2023). "Geochronological constraints on Cryogenian ice ages: Zircon Usingle bondPb ages from a shelf section in South China". Global and Planetary Change. 222. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104071. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
^ Sun, Ruiyang; Shen, Jun; Grasby, Stephen E.; Zhang, Jiawei; Chen, Jianshu; Yang, Chuang; Yin, Runsheng (December 2022). "CO2 buildup drove global warming, the Marinoan deglaciation, and the genesis of the Ediacaran cap carbonates". Precambrian Research. 383: 106891. Bibcode:2022PreR..38306891S. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106891. S2CID 253430013. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
^ Shields, G. A. (2008). "Palaeoclimate: Marinoan meltdown". Nature Geoscience. 1 (6): 351–353. Bibcode:2008NatGe...1..351S. doi:10.1038/ngeo214.
^ Kennedy, M.; Mrofka, D.; von Der Borch, C. (2008). "Snowball Earth termination by destabilization of equatorial permafrost methane clathrate". Nature. 453 (7195): 642–5. Bibcode:2008Natur.453..642K. doi:10.1038/nature06961. PMID 18509441. S2CID 4416812.

[Smith2009-1] Smith, A.G. (2009). "Neoproterozoic timescales and stratigraphy". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 326 (1): 27–54. Bibcode:2009GSLSP.326...27S. doi:10.1144/SP326.2. S2CID 129706604.

[PazosEtAl2003-2] Pazos, Pablo J.; Sánchez-Bettucci, Leda; Tofalo, Ofelia R. (January 2003). "The Record of the Varanger Glaciation at the Río De La Plata Craton, Vendian-Cambrian of Uruguay". Gondwana Research. 6 (1): 65–77. Bibcode:2003GondR...6...65P. doi:10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70644-4. Retrieved 16 October 2022.

[RooneyEtAl2015-3] Rooney, Alan D.; Strauss, Justin V.; Brandon, Alan D.; Macdonald, Francis A. (2015). "A Cryogenian chronology: Two long-lasting synchronous Neoproterozoic glaciations". Geology. 43 (5): 459–462. Bibcode:2015Geo....43..459R. doi:10.1130/G36511.1.

[4] Ma, Xiaochen; Wang, Jiasheng; Wang, Zhou; Algeo, Thomas J.; Chen, Can; Cen, Yue; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Huang, Chang; Xu, Liyuan; Huang, Chao; Chen, Dahe (March 2023). "Geochronological constraints on Cryogenian ice ages: Zircon Usingle bondPb ages from a shelf section in South China". Global and Planetary Change. 222. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104071. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

[5] Sun, Ruiyang; Shen, Jun; Grasby, Stephen E.; Zhang, Jiawei; Chen, Jianshu; Yang, Chuang; Yin, Runsheng (December 2022). "CO2 buildup drove global warming, the Marinoan deglaciation, and the genesis of the Ediacaran cap carbonates". Precambrian Research. 383: 106891. Bibcode:2022PreR..38306891S. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106891. S2CID 253430013. Retrieved 17 December 2022.

[6] Shields, G. A. (2008). "Palaeoclimate: Marinoan meltdown". Nature Geoscience. 1 (6): 351–353. Bibcode:2008NatGe...1..351S. doi:10.1038/ngeo214.

[7] Kennedy, M.; Mrofka, D.; von Der Borch, C. (2008). "Snowball Earth termination by destabilization of equatorial permafrost methane clathrate". Nature. 453 (7195): 642–5. Bibcode:2008Natur.453..642K. doi:10.1038/nature06961. PMID 18509441. S2CID 4416812.

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