Mississippian Bowland Shale dataset: from Hind Clough, Marl Hill 4 (MHD4) and Cominco S9 (Craven Basin, UK). Iron Speciation, total organic carbon and selected major and trace element geochemical data.

This dataset was acquired as part of a NERC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD Studentship at the University of Leicester and British Geological Survey between 2014-2018 [grant no. NE/L002493/1] (see also Emmings, 2018 unpublished PhD thesis). This research was conducted within the Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA) consortium.

This dataset accompanies a manuscript titled "Late Palaeozoic Phytoplankton Blackout: A 100 Myr Record of Enhanced Primary Productivity". Co-authors and co-workers were:

Joseph F. Emmings (University of Leicester, British Geological Survey); Sarah J. Davies (University of Leicester); Simon W. Poulton (University of Leeds); Michael H. Stephenson (British Geological Survey); Gawen R. T. Jenkin (University of Leicester); Christopher H. Vane (British Geological Survey); Melanie J. Leng (British Geological Survey, University of Nottingham) and Vicky Moss-Hayes (British Geological Survey).

Nick Riley (Carboniferous Ltd) is thanked for sharing biostratigraphic expertise and assistance. Nick Marsh and Tom Knott are thanked for providing assistance during geochemical analyses.

This dataset contains the following data (in Microsoft Excel format). 1) Fe species abundance data measured at the University of Leeds using the sequential extraction method of Poulton and Canfield (2005) and pyrite S extraction method of Canfield et al., (1986); 2) Total Fe, Si, Mn and Al major element concentrations (measured using x-ray fluorescence at the University of Leicester; XRF); 3) Total organic carbon (TOC) and inorganic C (MINC) data measured via Rock-Eval pyrolysis at the British Geological Survey; 4) Cu, Mo and U trace element concentration data (measured via XRF at the University of Leicester) and enrichment factors relative to Post-Archaean Average Shale (PAAS; Taylor and McLennan, 1985).

Analyses were coupled on 99 sample powders from three positions in the Craven Basin and spanning ammonoid biozones P2c-d to E1c1.

See also http://dx.doi.org/10.5285/9ceadcad-a93c-4bab-8ca1-07b0de2c5ed0 for additional sedimentological and geochemical data from Hind Clough, MHD4 and Cominco S9.

These data were also interpreted together with 20 drill-core samples previously acquired from Hind Clough (‘HC01’ prefix). See http://dx.doi.org/10.5285/c39a32b2-1a30-4426-8389-2fae21ec60ad for further information regarding this drill-core dataset.

References:

Emmings, J. 2018. Controls on UK Lower Namurian Shale Gas Prospectivity: Understanding the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Organic Matter in Siliciclastic Mudstones. Unpublished PhD Thesis. University of Leicester.

Poulton, S. W. & Canfield, D. E. 2005. Development of a sequential extraction procedure for iron: implications for iron partitioning in continentally derived particulates. Chemical Geology 214, 209-221, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2004.09.003.

Canfield D., Raiswell R., Westrich J., Reaves CM, Berner RA. 1986. The use of chromium reduction in the analysis of reduced inorganic sulfur in sediments and shales. Chemical Geology, 54(1): 149-155.

Taylor S, McLennan S. 1985. The Continental Crust: Its Composition and Evolution. Blackwell Scientific: London.