The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum in the Arctic Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin -- Palynomorphs, carbon isotopes and benthic foraminiferal turnover

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 2013 The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum in the Arctic Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin — Palynomorphs, carbon isotopes and benthic foraminiferal turnover D.H. McNeil; D.H. McNeil Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 3303 – 33rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M.G. Parsons M.G. Parsons Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Earth Sciences Centre, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology (2013) 61 (2): 157–186. https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.61.2.157 Article history received: 01 Aug 2012 accepted: 14 Feb 2013 first online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation D.H. McNeil, M.G. Parsons; The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum in the Arctic Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin — Palynomorphs, carbon isotopes and benthic foraminiferal turnover. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 2013;; 61 (2): 157–186. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.61.2.157 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract Examination of samples from exploration wells in the Arctic Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin has resulted in the documentation of the global Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) interval in 6 out of 12 wells examined. The PETM, a brief period of extreme global warming at about 55 Ma, occurs within the upper part of the deltaic-influenced Aklak Sequence. The PETM was recognized primarily by the occurrence of the dinoflagellate cyst Apectodinium augustum — globally associated with the PETM. Thermophilic pollen, e.g. Intratriporopollenites (Tilia) and Platycaryapollenites, are also associated with the PETM in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin wells. Carbon isotope analyses from one well, Natiak O-44, indicate a carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion of about 0.72‰ associated with the A. augustum acme. This excursion is low relative to continental settings for the PETM, but closer to some oceanic values. In Natiak O-44, the PETM interval is unusually thick, at about 100 m. This is consistent, however, with rapid deltaic sedimentation of the Aklak Sequence (nearly 5 km thick). A comparison of palynological and foraminiferal data indicates that the index foraminifera Reticulophragmium boreale becomes extinct at approximately the PETM interval. Furthermore, there is a pronounced foraminiferal turnover at or near the PETM. The turnover is apparently of circum-Arctic extent and caused by the extreme global warming and oceanic change of the Paleocene-Eocene transition. Recognition of the PETM in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin provides an important chronostratigraphic datum in complex deltaic sediments that are typically difficult to date precisely. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.