Submitted by Fabricia Fialho Reginato (fabriciar) on 2015-07-03T22:44:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DaianaFontes.pdf: 25455596 bytes, checksum: 4dae1fc6ad9f052e0a07f54f6be98834 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-03T22:44:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DaianaFontes.pdf: 25455596 bytes, checksum: 4dae1fc6ad9f052e0a07f54f6be98834 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A composição e a diversidade dos representantes de Podocarpaceae nas tafofloras da ilha Rei George, norte da Península Antártica, atestam a importância deste grupo de coníferas nesta região no início do Cenozóico, após uma longa história evolutiva e uma origem igualmente ligada às altas latitudes do sul. O registro fóssil demonstra uma adaptabilidade e capacidade para conquistar novas áreas, diferentemente das outras famílias modernas de gimnospermas austrais, provavelmente devido à dispersão zoocórica e a variedade de formas e hábitos que ainda hoje mantém e que garantiram sua sobrevivência em praticamente todas as faixas de temperatura e gradientes altitudinais. Sete formas relacionadas a esta família foram descritas e se caracterizam pelos dois tipos principais de ramos, ainda hoje existentes. O primeiro deles caracterizado por folhas bifacialmente aplainadas, pequenas e mais ou menos adpressas, representados por duas espécies de Lepidothamnus sp., por Halocarpus sp. e Dacrycarpus sp. O outro grupo, com folhas grandes, com disposição bilateralmente aplainada e com uma veia média destacada, está representado por formas dos gêneros Saxegothaea e Podocarpus, para o qual uma nova espécie é pela primeira vez comunicada. Os macrorrestos estão preservados como impressões e carbonizações em dois dos principais locais da ilha que expõem as litologias durante o verão, o Monte Wawel, na baía do Almirantado, e o Morro dos Fósseis, na península Fildes. Representam sucessões vulcânicas e vulcanoclásticas, englobadas em duas unidades litoestratigráficas distintas, mas provavelmente correlacionáveis, as formações Fossil Hill e Vièville Glacier. Os níveis fossilíferos são compostos por grãos de origem vulcânica, retrabalhados ou não, que atestam sua afinidade com ambientes tectonicamente perturbados e com áreas baixas, de solos rejuvenescidos, onde havia condições para a formação de pequenos lagos e deltas durante as fases de erupções. O levantamento e comparação com outras paleofloras austrais e as idades radiométricas disponíveis permitiram propor uma idade Eoceno Médio para os diferentes níveis onde as podocarpáceas estão presentes e a vigência de um clima temperado úmido que, de modo relativamente rápido, dá lugar a evidências de queda nas temperaturas. A análise dos comparativos modernos sugere que compunham uma flora única, mista e diversificada, que reúne elementos com hábitos e adaptações distintas, se desenvolvendo em diferentes gradientes altitudinais, mais uma evidência em apoio à presença de áreas altas (vulcões?) e costeiras. Quando comparada aos modernos biomas, a paleoflora da ilha Rei George também exibe uma mescla de elementos, unindo hoje os que estão distribuídos nos dois extremos do Hemisfério Sul (América e Australásia), em grande parte endêmicos, e que vivem em lugares submetidos a baixas temperaturas. Assim ao mesmo tempo em que apóia condições climáticas semelhantes para o norte da Península Antártica durante o Eoceno, evidencia o importante papel que as terras do Gondwana e sua separação tiveram, sobre a moderna distribuição disjunta dos representantes desta família. / The composition and diversity of the Podocarpaceae representatives in the fossil plant assemblages of King George Island, north of Antarctic Peninsula, indicates their importance in that region during the Early Cenozoic, after a long evolutive history linked, since its origin, to the high southern latitudes. The fossil record attest an adaptability and capacity to conquer new areas that have no comparatives in other austral conifers, probably due to their seed dispersion by distinct groups of animals and the diverse forms and habits that their modern relatives still maintain. It guarantees their survival until today and their adaptation in nearly all latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. Seven distinct forms related to this family were described, characterized by two main kinds of leaf shoots. Those with scale and short leaf, bifacial flattened shoots are represented by two species of Lepidothamnus and by Halocarpus, Microcachrys and Dacrycarpus. The other one, with bilaterally flattened and big size leaves, with a sharp midrib, was associated with Saxegothaea and a species of Podocarpus, wich was for the first time described in the island taphofloras. The macrofossils are preserved by impressions and charcoalified materials, in the two main areas of the island where the lithologies are exposed in summer seasons, the Mount Wawel, at Admiralty Bay, and the Fossil Hill, at Fildes Peninsula. Represents what was included in two probably correlative lithostratigraphic units established in previous geological works, the Vièville Glacier and Fossil Hill formations. The fossil levels are composed mainly by volcanic grains, sometimes with signals of reworking by shallow lakes and deltas and confirm an environment and deposition linked to moments of active volcanism and inter-eruption phases. The comparisons with other fossil floras from the Antarctic Peninsula and Circum-Antarctic areas, and the radiometric ages indicates a probable lower mid-Eocene age, and wet and temperate climatic conditions, which deteriorates along the succession. The nearest modern relatives of the fossil taxa preserved in the taphofloras suggests also an unique, mixed and diversified vegetation, joining elements with distinct habits and that lives today in distinct altitudinal gradients, provides further evidence in support of the presence of high (volcanoes?) and coastal areas. The King George Island paleoflora flora also comprises a mixture of endemic, eastern Gondwana and South American elements, which reflect its position close to a major floristic boundary. At the same time confirms the microthermic conditions of climate in the north of Antarctic Peninsula at the Eocene times and the important role of the Gondwana drift apart, and the derivate climatic changes, in the modern disjunct distribution of the family.

Cette étude a été effectuée sur deux formations dans les Alpes françaises: a) La Molasse rouge oligocène de Barles qui est un dépôt fluviatile (alternance de grès silteux et de marnes, de silts et de marnes dans la plaine d'inondation; grès dans les chenaux), dont la couleur originelle de cette molasse est grise. b) Les Sables éocènes du Royans dont la couleur originelle est blanche. La coloration rouge de ces deux formations est authigène et se produit par des processus postérieurs aux dépôts. Les analyses de la diffractométrie X, de microscopes (polarisant et microscope électronique à balayage) et de géochimie montrent que la nature des minéraux parents du fer est différente entre ces deux terrains mais leurs processus de rubéfaction sont les mêmes. 1) Nature des minéraux parents du fer: Dans la Molasse rouge, le minéral parenté du fer est la glauconie détritique. Dans les Sables éocènes, ce sont, d'une part, des minéraux ferromagnésiens détritiques et d'autre part, des produits d'altération. 2/ Processus: Après leurs dépôts, les sédiments de ces deux formations subissent les mêmes processus de la coloration en rouge: * Altération par hydrolyse des minéraux parents du fer, cette altération est liée à l 'eau percolée et au milieu oxydant de la surface. Car le faciès rouge se trouve toujours au sommet de la formation et la teneur en minéraux parents du fer diminue du faciès originel au faciès rouge. Cette altération se produit dans un milieu acide confirmé par la néoformation de la kaolinite (plaquettes hexagonales et les feuillets en accordéon) . * Deshydratation de goethite: La goethite existe dans le faciès rouge depuis la limite inférieure, alors que l'hématite se développe de plus en plus vers le sommet de ce faciès. Ceci montre que les minéraux parentés du fer libèrent du fer ferrique qui cristallise en goethite et cette dernière se des- hydrate en hématite. * Un lessivage étant simultané avec cette altération provoque un départ vers le bas de certaines espèces chimiques telles que Si02, Na20 et une accumulation au sommet des autres, Al203,Fe203, Ti02. Ce lessivage est marqué par la forme de pénétration du faciès rouge dans le faciès originel. Les autres phénomènes observés sont la transformation des argiles, l'épigenèse calcitique et la dissolution du quartz.

This study aims to unravel the ecological and evolutionary dynamics within the calcareous nannofossil communities at the Eocene/Oligocene (E/O) transition and during the Oligocene time when Cenozoic 'icehouse' conditions were established. The main question this study aims to answer is whether the changes in the nannofossil assemblages were controlled by intrinsic evolutionary trends or if the changes were controlled by environmental factors such as changes in temperature and nutrient availability in the surface water. These questions are addressed with detailed analyses of the taxonomy, biostratigraphy and fluctuations in abundance and diversity of calcareous nannofossil assemblages from a continuous latest Eocene through Oligocene sediment section from the ODP Site 1218 (8°53.38´N, 135°22.00´W), paleo-equatorial Pacific Ocean. An improved nannofossil taxonomy and biostratigraphy has been established. At the E/O transition, changes in the nannofossil preservation mimics changes in calcium carbonate content. A detailed investigation of late Eocene and Oligocene sediments yields age estimates for ten nannofossil bioevents. Morphometric studies of the Reticulofenestra umbilicus-R. hillae show that these cannot be subdivided into two different morphospecies. Based on different morphometry and stratigraphic ranges, the Oligocene Sphenolithus lineage appears to be the result of a combined anagenetic and cladogenetic evolution. A new nannolith species is described: Triquetrorhabdulus longus. High-resolution nannofossil data indicate changes in the composition, abundance and diversity of the mid-Oligocene assemblages. Intervals of high diversity index coincide with Oi-glaciation events. However, visual examination of the variations in abundance of nannofossil taxa do not appear to correlate with changes in either oxygen or carbon isotopes. This presumably indicates that a dynamic equilibrium did not exist between these Oligocene nannoplankton assemblages and changes in surface water temperature or productivity conditions. / Doctoral Thesis in Marine Geoscience at Stockholm University, Sweden 2009

Bentonite clays are exposed in Paleogene strata stretching over 650 km parallel to the Texas coastline. This study focuses on a white and blue and a yellow and brown commercial Ca-montmorillonite bentonite near the city of Gonzales, Gonzales county, Texas. The deposits have stratigraphic ages of Late Eocene (~36.7 - 32.7 Ma). The bentonites in these deposits have varying colors, purities and brightness affording them diverse industrial uses. The distribution and geologic character of the high purity white and blue bentonite suggests that the deposit represents an accumulation of volcanic ash in a secondary tidal channel during the ash-fall event. A low rate of terrigenous clastic sedimentation and rapid accumulation of fresh ash were critical to the formation of high purity clay. The lower purity yellow and brown bentonites appear to have a fluvial origin marked by higher rates of detrital sedimentation and episodic accumulation of clay and ash. The bentonite and associated strata were studied using optical microscopy, SEM, XRD and REE analyses to constrain their textural, mineralogic, and chemical character. vii Eocene pyroclastic volcanism is well documented from sources in southwestern North America, specifically in the Sierra Madre Occidental (Mexico), Trans-Pecos (Texas) and Mogollan-Datil (New Mexico) volcanic fields. Projected Eocene wind patterns support this region as a potential source for the Gonzales bentonites. A comparison of the trace and REE fingerprints of the white and blue bentonites and the yellow and brown bentonites with data available for Late Eocene volcanics in the North American Volcanic Database provides a couple of potential matches. The strongest potential match for the Late Eocene bentonite protolith is described as a sample of silicic tuff with an age range of 32.2 – 30.6 Ma, located in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. While the trace and REE match is strong, the tuff is somewhat young compared to the Jackson Group sediments. In addition, the sample location is due almost directly south of the Gonzales deposits, rather than the western location expected for a Gonzales bentonite source. The other potential matches are located in New Mexico, and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. These potential matches only have 6 REE available for comparison, and require further investigation. Many Paleogene volcanic units in southern North America are undocumented with regard to REE data or precise absolute ages. As additional geochemical analyses become available for a more extensive suite of Paleogene volcanic units, stronger matches with Gulf of Mexico Basin bentonites are expected to emerge. / text

No description available.

Composition and texture of the Middle and Late Eocene volcanic, volcaniclastic, and volcanic-sedimentary rocks in the Bijgerd-Kuh e Kharchin area, in the Uromieh-Dokhtar zone northwest of Saveh, Iran, suggest the complexity of the magmatic system that involved multiple eruptions from one or more sources. Hydrated volcanic fragments in hyaloclastic rocks, and the presence of a sequence of shallow and intermediate-depth marine microfossils, suggest that the Middle Eocene units were erupted in a marine basin. The bimodal volcanism of the Late Eocene is distinguished by the presence of four alternating sequences of hyaloclastite lava and ignimbrite. The REE patterns show spatial homogeneity and temporal heterogeneity in the composition of all the Late Eocene sequences, suggesting origination of magma from varying sources that erupted at different times. The trace element distributions of the hyaloclastites and ignimbrites are compatible with those evolved through fractional crystallization of the lower and upper continental crust, respectively.

ABSTRACT The Eocene Roda Formation in northern Spain documents the deposits from a range of coastal depositional environments. These include alluvial plains, distributary channels, mouth bars, upper to lower-shorefaces, and tidal shelf ridges. Eighteen progradational sand tongues that are interpreted as parasequences compose two third-order sequences. Sequence 1 accumulated in an environment with strong tidal currents and high rates of progradation, while Sequence 2 was deposited under relatively weaker currents and higher rates of aggradation, which produced a higher mudstone:sandstone ratio. The stratigraphy highlights the transgressive origin of six tidal shelf ridges, three in each sequence, that overlie regressive deltaic tongues. Sequence 1 shelf ridges are composed almost entirely of cross-bedded sandstones, whereas Sequence 2 ridges are composed of a mixture of cross-bedded and ripple-laminated deposits. Ridges in both sequences contain bioturbation that is typical of the Cruziana Ichnofacies, and that indicates a marine origin. The tidal ridges are stratigraphically located at or near the point of maximum third-order regression, and are not found within early highstand or late transgressive deposits― times of high relative sea level when the deltaic shoreline did not protrude significantly. Tidal currents were accentuated at the coast when the delta complex had prograded several kilometres into the basin, while during times of high relative sea level, the basin was wider and tidal currents were weaker, consequently leading to a lack of tidal deposits. The tidal ridges are, thus, interpreted as being headland-associated deposits. / Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 17:10:10.008

Dur At Talah sedimentary sequence, located at the southern side of the Sirt Basin in central Libya, is composed of 150 m thick of mainly siliciclastic rocks. The importance of this sequence is linked to the importance of the Sirt Basin as one of large hydrocarbon reservoirs in Libya. The sequence is also an excellent site for vertebrate fossils of Late Eocene, the age of the sequence. Previous studies, though very limited compared to the importance of this area, are focused on its paleontological content. Sedimentology received only scant attention before this project. This thesis is an outcrop based study in which the focus is given to the sedimentary and biogenic (trace fossils) structures, aiming at defining and interpreting depositional facies which building up the sequence. The study is mainly based on field data which are analyzed on the light of related published literature and on the comparison with modern sedimentary environments. Results of facies analysis have led to splitting the entire sequence into three genetically related intervals. The oldest, we called the New Idam Unit (around 80m), is composed of very fine sandstones to mudstones. New Idam Unit is unconformably overlain by the Sarir Unit (around 50m), composed of medium grained cross bedded sandstones (the lower 25-30 m) changes up to very coarse and microconglomeratic sandstone (the upper 20-30 m). Thus, the Sarir Unit is split into the lower Sarir Subunit and upper Sarir subunit. The New Idam Unit presents both classical and unusual sedimentary and biogenic indicators that attribute this unit to estuarine depositional environment. It starts with outer estuarine (the lower 35 m) and ends up with inner estuarine (the upper 45 m). Maximum flooding surface is located in between. Above this surface the fluvial indicators increase and tidal indicators decrease, thus providing clue for basinward (North) migration of the shoreline. The lower Sarir subunit which was previously interpreted as fluvial deposits, preserves multi-scale sedimentary structures that undoubtedly belong to tidal processes. This is especially evidenced at the lower part of the lower Sarir Subunit (LLS). Fluvial indications over dominates the tidal ones in the upper part of the lower Sarir (ULS). Due to this configuration the whole lower Sarir subunit is interpreted as shallow marine, deltaic, depositional system, occurred during sea level ¨normal¨ regression. This time, maximum flooding surface is located between the LLS and ULS. The lower Sarir subunit is terminated by subaerial unconformity, with evidences of subaerial exposure preserved at the top of the ULS. These are intruded by the upper Sarir subunit which presents clear evidences of strictly fluvial environment of deposition. The deposits of the upper Sarir subunit record the low stand system tract part of the Dur At Talah sequence. In addition to the outlined results, the sequential pattern of the depositional events is suggested for the entire sequence of Dur At Talah. This study provides a valuable information regarding the depositional and sequential aspects of the Sirt Basin during the late Eocene, it also provide an unique case study for the better understanding of the shallow marine tidal deposits.

South-western Australia is a globally significant hotspot of plant species diversity, with high endemism and many rare plant species. Proteaceae is a major component of the south-western flora, though little is known about how its diversity developed. This prompted the present study to investigate changes in the abundance and diversity of Proteaceae, in south-western Australia, by concurrently studying three sediment sequences of different ages over the Cainozoic and a modern pollen rain study. Modern pollen-vegetation relationships in the two Proteaceae species rich nodes of the northern and southern sandplains were quantified. It was found that Proteaceous genera can contribute up to 50% of the total pollen rain. Banksia/Dryandra pollen was the most abundant with Isopogon, Petrophile and Lambertia also commonly noted. The vegetation and environmental setting during three pivotal periods of the Cainozoic: Holocene, Pliocene and Eocene, were investigated. Eocene sediment from Lake Lefroy confirmed the presence of a Nothofagus dominated rainforest in the Middle to Late Eocene. At this time Proteaceae species were at least as diverse as today, if not more so, contributing up to a maximum of 42% of the total pollen rain. Taxa recorded included: Banksieaeidites arcuatus, Propylipollis biporus, Proteacidites confragosus, Proteacidites crassus, Proteacidites nasus and Proteacidites pachypolus. Several taxa remain undescribed and unnamed. This study also identified that Proteaceae pollen representation varies across small lateral distances. Thus as samples varied spatially and temporally, single core samples are not sufficient to identify spatial patterns in Proteaceae or other low pollen producing taxa. Some 7.91 cm of laminated Pliocene sediment from Yallalie, south-western Australia, was also examined. It covers 84 years of record and confirmed other regional reports that south-western Australia was covered by a rich vegetation mosaic consisting of heathy and wet rainforest elements. Although Proteaceae species were a consistent component of the pollen counts, diversity and abundance (maximum of 5%) was low throughout the studied section. Banksia/Dryandra types were most commonly noted. A 2 m core was retrieved from Two Mile Lake, near the Stirling Ranges and provided an early Holocene vegetation history. Geochemical and palynological evidence recorded little change, suggesting the environment of deposition was relatively uniform. Proteaceae species were noted throughout the core, though in low numbers, at a maximum of 3.5 % of the total pollen rain. Banksia/Dryandra was the most abundant while Isopogon, Lambertia, Petrophile and Franklandia were also noted. A regression model was developed through the modern pollen rain study to predict the number of Proteaceae in the vegetation. This was also applied to the fossil pollen records. The estimated number of Proteaceae species in the Eocene suggests a maximum of 20 and a minimum of 10 taxa. For the Pliocene record, an estimated 7 - 9 species was found and for the Holocene pollen, between 7 - 8 were present. Thus the Eocene was similar in Proteaceae diversity to today. The results from the Pliocene and Holocene suggest that Proteaceae diversity was lower than today. Findings of this research indicate that Proteaceae species are an important and consistent component of vegetation in south-western Australia over the Cainozoic. It is likely that both changing pollination mechanisms and changes in associated vegetation are important in the determining the dispersal of Proteaceaous pollen. By understanding how the vegetation has changed and developed in south-western Australia, present vegetation can be managed to include intra-specific variation and ensure the majority of species are conserved for present and future generations to enjoy.

Cette thèse propose une méthodologie pour caractériser et intégrer les distributions minéralogiques des dépôts de l’Eocène Inférieur du Bassin de Graus-Tremp-Ainsa dans un cadre séquentiel reconstruit à haute résolution. Le couplage des approches stratigraphiques et géochimiques/minéralogiques permet d’évaluer la part des forçages tectoniques, climatiques, eustatiques et diagénétiques sur l’enregistrement sédimentaire et minéralogique du bassin. La caractérisation de la minéralogie repose sur un calcul automatisé utilisant la géochimie multi-élémentaire et calibré ponctuellement par les outils d’analyse minéralogique conventionnels (pétrographie, DRX, Qemscan, microsonde). Elle a l’avantage de permettre de traiter les évolutions minéralogiques à l’échelle du bassin et sur l’ensemble des lithologies rencontrées. Après avoir évalué les effets de la diagenèse, du tri hydrodynamique et reconstitué la composition minéralogique primaire des sédiments, nous caractérisons les différentes sources.Nous précisons l’évolution de la tectonique (avec un pas de temps de l’ordre du million d’années) et ses effets sur l’architecture sédimentaire et la minéralogie des dépôts. Ceux-ci montrent un contrôle spatial de la diagenèse et des changements spatio-temporels des sources, liés à une compétition entre la tectonique intrabassinale (activité des chevauchements locaux) et régionale (surrection de l’orogène et subsidence flexurale). Nous montrons également que l’impact de la tectonique est modulé par des anomalies climatiques ponctuelles de l’ordre de la centaine de milliers d’années (PETM, ELMO, X-Event), que nous avons reconnues par un changement marqué des environnements de dépôt et des cortèges argileux.Deux grands épisodes régionaux caractérisent l’évolution du Bassin piggyback de Graus-Tremp-Ainsa. Le stade précoce, d’âge Ilerdien-Cuisien Inférieur, est marqué par le passage d’une rampe carbonatée mixte à des systèmes deltaïques alimentés depuis l’orogène pyrénéen par des contributions plutoniques. Cet ensemble passe ensuite à un vaste système fluvio-deltaïque au Cuisien Inférieur / Moyen, montrant l’apport de lithiques carbonatés et silicoclastiques qui coïncide avec l’émergence des nappes sédimentaires. La fin de cet épisode est marquée par la propagation du chevauchement du Montsec et de ses rampes latérales, provoquant un partitionnement du bassin, induisant la surrection du Bassin de Graus-Tremp et une forte subsidence du Bassin d’Ainsa. Ce contraste de subsidence est souligné par un partitionnement de la diagenèse, avec une kaolinisation des formations supérieures du Bassin de Graus-Tremp, liée à la percolation d’eaux météoriques, et, dans le Bassin d’Ainsa, une albitisation des grès couplée à une illitisation des smectites dans les lutites, liée à une diagenèse d’enfouissement plus marquée. / We develop here a methodology to integrate the mineralogical record into a high resolution sequence stratigraphic framework realized in the Early Eocene Graus-Tremp-Ainsa Basin. Coupling stratigraphic with geochemical and mineralogical approaches allows us to unravel the effects of tectonics, climate, eustasy and diagenesis on basin architecture and mineralogy. An automated computed mineralogy is derived from whole-rock geochemical data, and calibrated against direct mineral quantifications (petrography, DRX, Qemscan, microprobe). It provides a basinscale view of mineral distribution, irrespective of the lithology. Diagenetic overprint and hydrodynamic sorting effects are evaluated first, then primary mineral distributions are reconstructed and ascribed to different types of sediment sources.We show that, at the million-year timescale, tectonics shape the architecture and the mineralogy of the deposits. Spatially distributed diagenesis and temporal and spatial changes in sediment sources reflect the competing effects of intrabasinal tectonics (local thrust displacements) versus basinscale flexural subsidence linked to the orogen uplift and loading. Tectonically-driven changes are also sensitive to higher frequency (100 ky) anomalic climatic events (PETM, ELMO, X-EVENT) leaving a mineralogical signal in clay fractions and environment deposits succession.The basinscale evolution displays two contrasting stages. During the Ilerdian to the lower Cuisian, a mixed carbonate ramp evolves to a set of deltaic fans of Northern (Pyrenean orogen) provenance delivering plutonic-dominated materials. Then, during the lower/mid Cuisian, they are overprinted by a large fluvial and deltaic system bringing recycled carbonates and siliciclastics sourced in the emerging eastern to southern sedimentary thrust sheets. Later on, the propagation of the Montsec thrust and its lateral ramp decouples the uplifted Graus-Tremp basin from the strongly subsiding Ainsa basin. These different subsidizing schemes are underlined diagenetic overprints diverge, with an extensive kaolinisation of the uppermost units in the Graus-Tremp Basin driven by meteoric fluid circulations, and a severe albitisation of sandstones in the Ainsa basin, coupled with the illitisation of smectites in the lutites and caused by deep basinal fluids.