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What might major drops in carbon-13 levels in Cambrian limestone indicate?
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Cambrian Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the late Cambrian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
Major drops in carbon-13 (C) levels found in Cambrian limestone may indicate a global rise in temperature occurring simultaneously with a rise in global sea level. Additionally, these isotopic decreases may be linked to the delivery of anoxic, or oxygen-depleted, ocean waters that contain reduced amounts of C, a process that may also be facilitated by rising sea levels.1