Title: Exploring Cretaceous oceans and abrupt environmental change: Insights from foraminiferal and geochemical records
Speaker: ACES Candidate Dr. Raquel Bryant
Geosciences Future Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M University
Abstract: The Cenomanian/Turonian boundary (~93.9 Ma) is associated with extreme global warmth, increased volcanism, rising global sea level, and the development of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2). The examination of the timing and spatial extent of foraminiferal bio-events associated with OAE2 can illuminate the complex interactions between the ocean, climate, and life during this dynamic interval. Here, foraminiferal and geochemical records from five distinct Western Interior Seaway (WIS) localities are used to compare the timing of foraminiferal bio-events and understand their significance. The records demonstrate evidence for distinct water masses across North-South and East-West transects of the seaway before OAE2. They suggest that the WIS is sensitive to sea-level rise and may play a role in ocean circulation as a brief exporter of intermediate waters.
Comments