Influence of the late Ordovician-early Silurian paleoenvironment and related geological processes on the organic matter accumulation and carbon isotope excursion

Although previous studies have shown that the paleoenvironment and geological processes contributed to the organic matter accumulation (OMA) and carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) during the late Ordovician–early Silurian, the dominated controlling factor for the OMA and the origins of CIEs still remains unclear due to complex interaction between various paleoenvironmental factors and geological processes. Therefore, based on the elemental geochemistry of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation shales in the upper Yangtze Platform, we analyzed the late Ordovician–early Silurian paleoenvironment and related geological processes, and further explored the origin of the OMA and CIEs.