Graduation date: 1952

Foraminiferal faunas across the early to middle Eocene transition (EMET) were studied from three locations in the western Caribbean: Calle G section in Cuba, ODP site 998 B the Cayman Rise, and ODP site 999 B the Colombian basin. There were three primary objectives of this project 1) to observe changes in physical and biological paleoceanographic parameters in the Western Caribbean, more directly in the Cayman Ridge and the Colombian Basin, by the use of planktonic foraminifera data, 2) determine the cause of an oxygen isotope anomaly seen in Cuba by Fluegeman (2007) and that is expected to be present in the Western Caribbean, and 3) determine if the anomaly is a local or a more widespread regional event. The Calle G section in northwestern Cuba consists of early to middle Eocene age foraminiferal chalks. The planktonic foraminiferal fauna at this section is characterized by subbotinids and acarininids but does not contain morozovellids. Oxygen isotopes were obtained across the EMET from the planktonic foraminiferan Acarinina collactea. The resultant curve shows widely fluctuating values during the early portion of the EMET with more stable values occurring in the middle Eocene. The foraminiferal paleoecologic index tau curve at the Calle G section produced is similar to the oxygen isotope curve. ODP site 998 B, Cayman Rise, contains a series of foraminiferal limestones across the EMET. Unlike the Calle G section, this interval contains an abundant planktonic foraminifera fauna including Morozovella. The Morozovella:Acarinina ratio studied at ODP site 998 shows high, fluctuating values in the early part of the EMET with low, stable values during the middle Eocene.ODP site 999 B in the Colombian Basin consists of a series of foraminiferal chalks throughout the EMET. Similar to ODP site 998 this location also has an abundant assemblage of planktonic foraminifera including Morozovella. Evidence supporting turbidities have been observed at this locale as layers of shell hash and large benthic foraminifera. The Morozovella:Acarinina ratio studied at ODP site 999 is similar to that of ODP site 998 showing a high fluctuating values in the early part of the EMET with low, stable values in the middle Eocene. The presence of fluctuating values of oxygen isotopes, tau, and the Morozovella:Acarinina ratio followed by stable values across the EMET may be related to a change in circulation patterns through the Caribbean caused by a developing oceanic gateway. The widely fluctuating oxygen isotope values in the latest Ypresian may also be related to an influx of freshwater in the North Atlantic associated with the coeval Azolla event in the Arctic Ocean. / Department of Geological Sciences

Thesis (M. Sc.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-77). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-72). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Issued also as thesis, Paris. / Issued in portfolio with an album of 43 plates (part col.) Album has title: Foraminifères planctoniques de Grèce occidentale du Paléogène supérieur au Néogène. Errata slip inserted. Bibliography: p. 117-133.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2005. / Principal faculty advisor: Katharina Billups, Dept. of Marine and Earth Studies . Includes bibliographical references.

An almost complete sequence of middle and upper marine strata, informally designated in this study as the "Strata of Cascade Head", has yielded 334 species and varieties of fossil Foraminifera. The Foraminifera were collected from 38 localities in four stratigraphic sections measured along the Salmon River, Neskowin Creek, Cascade Head Road, and near the town of Three Rocks in the central Oregon Coast Range.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1979. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Bibliography: p. 110-119. / by Jonathan Erez. / Ph.D.

MOCNESS plankton tows, sediment traps and sedimentary material are used to determine the linkage between bio-physical forcing and foraminiferal response over a range of time scales from the event scale to the glacial interglacial cycle. The annually averaged planktic foraminiferal fauna of the modem California Current is a diverse community composed of individuals from subarctic, transitional, and subtropical foraminiferal assemblages. This community is more diverse, but less abundant in total standing stock and shell flux than the subarctic community of the Gulf of Alaska. The use of plankton tow and isotopic data allow us to partition the foraminiferal community into shallow dwelling euphotic zone species and deep dwelling sub-thermocline species. On both the event and seasonal time scales, heterotrophic species were most abundant in cold, biomass rich coastal waters. In contrast, species which harbored endosymbionts were more abundant in oligotrophic waters with higher ambient light levels. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the diverse modern fauna was replaced with a low diversity, high flux, heterotrophic community similar to that of the modern Gulf of Alaska. Modern analog temperature estimates suggest the California Current was roughly 3��C cooler during the LGM than today. Coupled with oxygen isotopic results from G. bulloides, the surface thermal structure implies an equatorward flowing glacial California Current at these sites. The Polar Front thus remained north of these locations during the LGM. Comparison of glacial G. bulloides carbon isotopes and shell accumulation rates with organic carbon flux estimates implies the glacial California Current was (1) higher in nutrient content, (2) lower in plankton biomass, and (3) lower in export carbon flux than its modem counterpart. This description suggests that during the LGM the plankton community of the California Current was very similar to the modern plankton community of the Gulf of Alaska. / Graduation date: 1996

Foraminiferal data analysis and lithofacies analysis of a three-well transect through the Middle Eocene Yegua Formation in southeast Texas provide insights into the depositional and paleoenvironmental history of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Vertical and downdip changes in the lithology of the Yegua Formation in the three wells represents the depositional environments of a delta system that prograded onto the continental shelf, updip from the shelf margin. Two progradational episodes and two marine transgressions of the Yegua delta system occurred within this interval of the Yegua Formation in southeast Texas. Factor analysis of benthic foraminiferal census data reveals five major recurring assemblages of benthic foraminifera. These assemblages, or biofacies, occupied environments ranging from marginal marine to normal marine, middle-to-outer shelf environments. The stratigraphic relationships of the five biofacies show paleoenvironmental complexities that are not readily apparent from the lithofacies analysis. Integration of lithologic data and nonforaminiferal paleontologic data with the foraminiferal data produces a detailed paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Yegua shelf in dip direction. Comparison of the foraminiferal data from the Yegua Formation with modern foraminiferal data from the Gulf of Mexico indicates that several properties of modern foraminiferal assemblages are similar to the foraminiferal assemblages of the Yegua Formation. Generic predominance, species diversity, and planktic to benthic ratios of modem foraminiferal assemblages can be used to help determine the paleoenvironmental significance of the Yegua foraminiferal assemblages. These properties of modern foraminiferal assemblages are not exact analogs for Middle Eocene assemblages and should be applied with caution. / text