Eon-ic Bonds: Geochemical Connections to Volcanism in the Deccan Traps during the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction

Abstract

Complex chemical footprints are left behind by geological processes. By analyzing the chemical structures of rocks near to the magmatic eruption in the Deccan Traps region 66 million years ago, information can be obtained on maximum temperatures reached, volatile gases produced, and the radius of pyrolysis around each intrusion. This paper is a geochemical investigation into the carbon structures of coal-containing rocks nearby dikes by means of advanced analyses, encompassing X-ray diffraction (XRD), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and mass spectrometry (MS). Probing the remarkable sensitivity to thermal environments of aromatic rings within coal reveals correlations between temperature, distance from the dike, and molecular pyrolysis transformations within coal samples. In this way, a "geothermometer" is constructed to calculate the ancient temperature gradients around each dike and to identify radii of coal baking that led to gas production during the mass extinction event. By elucidating the character of affected areas, this research seeks to advance the understanding of magmatic events and their ability to influence the Earth.