Enhanced continental weathering and carbon-cycle perturbations linked to volcanism during the P1 Glaciation of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age

The late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) was the longest-lived glaciation of the Phanerozoic, and the demise of LPIA is the Earth’s only recorded transition from an icehouse to a greenhouse state. The P1 glaciation (Asselian-Sakmarian) was the most extensive phase of the LPIA, characterized by rapid climate change and several significant events, including widespread aridification in the low latitudes of Pangaea, episodic glacial expansion in Gondwana, and considerable fluctuations in CO₂ concentrations. This study investigates the early Asselian warming event and its connection to volcanic activity during the Early Permian, using data from two stratigraphic sections in the North China Craton (NCC). We analyzed organic carbon isotopes (δ¹³C_org), total organic carbon (TOC), total sulfur (TS), aluminum, mercury content, and chemical weathering indices to track climate and carbon isotope changes during P1 Glaciation of the LPIA. Our results suggest that the early Asselian climate warming may have been driven by volcanic activity through the release of greenhouse gases. This study also contributes to understanding the correlation between volcanism and carbon perturbations during the LPIA.