A Carboniferous apex for the late Paleozoic icehouse

Abstract Icehouse climate systems occur across an abbreviated portion of Earth history, constituting c. 25% the Phanerozoic record. The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) was most extreme and longest lasting glaciation is characterized by periods acute continental-scale glaciation, separated ice minima or ice-free conditions on order <10 6 years. late glaciogenic record Paraná Kalahari basins southern Gondwana form one largest, best-preserved well-calibrated records this glaciation. In Carboniferous, eastern margins Basin were subglacial conditions, with evidence for continental upland glaciers. latest these transitioned from reservoirs to ‘ice distal‘ evidenced widespread deposition marine deposits juxtaposed bedforms. High-precision U–Pb zircon chemical abrasion thermal ionization mass spectrometry geochronological constraints volcanic ash in deglacial black shales fluvial coal successions, which overlie Basin, indicate regions constrained Carboniferous. loss congruent a Carboniferous peak p CO 2 anoxia permeant retreat glaciers basinal settings, despite early Permian nadir, highlights influence short-term perturbations longer-term suggests threshold had been crossed A definitive driver greenhouse gases LPIA, such as abundant sustained activity increased biological pump driven ocean fertilization, unresolved period. Lastly, proposed apex high-latitude LPIA incongruent observations low-latitude tropics where proposed.