A red algal bloom in the aftermath of the Marinoan Snowball Earth

Organic matter from the cap dolostones overlying the Marinoan-age glacigenic diamictites of the Araras Group, Amazon craton, has been studied to reconstruct the post-glacial ecosystem. Molecular fossils indicate that the post-Marinoan ecosystem was marked by an apparent decline in marine algal diversity. The proliferation of red algae may be explained by environmental changes, such as a massive nutrient input accompanying continental weathering after the ice thaw and a dimer light penetrating sea water due to the drowning of the platform. In addition, the presence of green sulphur bacteria indicates that sea water was stratified with an anoxic (possibly euxinic, i.e. sulphidic) layer at the water-sediment interface. Sulphur cycling probably occurred at the redox boundary as suggested by the recognition of active sulphate reduction. This observation supports a microbially induced model for the formation of the cap dolostones.