The geologic history of marine dissolved organic carbon from iron oxides

The geologic history of marine dissolved organic carbon from iron oxides | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article The geologic history of marine dissolved organic carbon from iron oxides Nir Galili, Stefano Bernasconi, Alon Nissan, Uria Alcolombri, and 13 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3918060/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the largest reduced carbon reservoir in modern oceans¹,². Its dynamics regulate marine communities and atmospheric CO₂ levels³,⁴, whereas ¹³C compositions track ecosystem structure and autotrophic metabolism⁵. However, the geologic history of marine DOC remains entirely unconstrained⁶,⁷, hindering our ability to mechanistically reconstruct coupled ecological and biogeochemical evolution. To address this, we developed the first direct proxy for past DOC signatures using co-precipitated organic carbon in iron ooids, and we applied this to 26 marine iron ooid-containing formations deposited over the past 1650 million years. Predicted DOC concentrations were near modern levels in the Paleoproterozoic then decreased by 90-99% in the Neoproterozoic before sharply rising in the Cambrian. We interpret these dynamics to reflect three distinct states: (i) small, single-celled organisms combined with severely hypoxic deep oceans; (ii) larger, more complex organisms and little change in oxygenation; (iii) continued organism growth and a transition to fully oxygenated oceans⁸,⁹. Furthermore, modern DOC is significantly ¹³C-enriched relative to the Proterozoic, likely due to changing autotrophic fractionation driven by biological innovation; together with isotopically invariant carbon inputs to Earth's surface¹⁰, this implies increasing relative organic carbon burial through time. Our results reveal new connections between the carbon cycle, ocean oxygenation, and the evolution of complex life. Earth and environmental sciences/Biogeochemistry/Carbon cycle Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Evolutionary ecology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryData1.xlsx Goethite synthesis experiment results SupplementaryData2.xlsx Hematite synthesis experiment results SupplementaryData3.xlsx Iron ooid geologic record Fe-OC contents and carbon isotope composition values SupplementaryData4.xlsx Iron ooid XRF-based elemental compositions SupplementaryData5.xlsx Compilation of crude oil carbon isotope composition values. SupplementaryData6.xlsx Compilation of kerogen carbon isotope composition values GalilietalIODOCsupplementary.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3918060","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":299098036,"identity":"08db139f-ece5-4522-839b-f75fd1560a41","order_by":0,"name":"Nir 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Its dynamics regulate marine communities and atmospheric CO₂ levels³,⁴, whereas ¹³C compositions track ecosystem structure and autotrophic metabolism⁵. However, the geologic history of marine DOC remains entirely unconstrained⁶,⁷, hindering our ability to mechanistically reconstruct coupled ecological and biogeochemical evolution.\r\nTo address this, we developed the first direct proxy for past DOC signatures using co-precipitated organic carbon in iron ooids, and we applied this to 26 marine iron ooid-containing formations deposited over the past 1650 million years.\r\nPredicted DOC concentrations were near modern levels in the Paleoproterozoic then decreased by 90-99% in the Neoproterozoic before sharply rising in the Cambrian. 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