Sylvain Richoz

The Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) was an interval of prominent hydroclimatic perturbations during the early Late Triassic. The causes of these changes have been widely attributed to intensified greenhouse forcing. However, the temporal dynamics of the hydrological cycle across low-latitude regions during the CPE remain poorly constrained. In this study, we present high-resolution organic geochemical data from the Erguan section of the Nanpanjiang Basin (South China) that record three distinct, globally correlated negative excursions in carbonate carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C). New biomarker data, including synchronous increases in the relative abundance of C₃₀ moretane (relative to its α,β-isomer), dibenzofuran-based proxies, and the relative concentration of C₂₉ steranes (C₂₉/C_27-29 steranes), document three discrete episodes of enhanced terrestrial organic matter input. Notably, the first pulse aligns with a pronounced negative δ¹³C excursion, whereas the subsequent two events occurred significantly later, postdating the δ¹³C shifts. These episodes, coinciding with intervals of increased siliciclastic deposition, were attributed to increased runoff, suggesting dynamic and episodic perturbations of the hydroclimatic regime in eastern Tethys. Collectively, our data reveal a complex interplay between the perturbations in hydrological and carbon cycles during the CPE, providing insight into the dynamics of climate change and its consequences.