Tracing Volcanic Activity in the Deccan and North Atlantic Igneous Provinces Using Tellurium and Mercury Proxies (Late Cretaceous–Early Eocene)

Late Maastrichtian to Early Eocene sediments from Wadi Nukhul, Egypt (67–55.5 Ma) were deposited during the eruptions of the Deccan Traps and the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP). Using tellurium (Te) and mercury (Hg) as proxies for volcanic activity, we investigate the timing of flood basalt volcanism relative to environmental changes and extinction events. Te enrichments are observed during the latest Maastrichtian, earliest Danian, and Late Paleocene to Early Eocene, indicating increased volcanic inputs. In the Late Maastrichtian, a Te peak aligns with the Maastrichtian Warming Event, while a larger Te peak begins 120–80 kyr before the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary (KPB), continuing into the Danian. The highest Te values (70–30 kyr before the KPB) suggest association with eruptions of the Deccan Wai Subgroup, independent of the Chicxulub impact. This suggests that Deccan volcanism caused climate instability, amplifying the environmental effects of the impact. A 6 Myr period of low Te during the Paleocene is followed by a sharp increase beginning at 57.5 Ma, peaking at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (PEB, 56 Ma), coinciding with NAIP’s highest eruptive rates. In contrast, Hg variations during this period are less consistent. Our findings highlight Te as a robust proxy, complementing Hg, for tracking large volcanic events in Earth’s history.