Η παρούσα διπλωματική διατριβή εκπονήθηκε στα πλαίσια πτυχιακής εργασίας του τμήματος Γεωλογίας της σχολής Θετικών Επιστημών του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Σε αυτό το σημείο θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω όλους όσους συνέλαβαν και με βοήθησαν στην συγγραφή και την ολοκλήρωση της παρούσας εργασίας. Καταρχήν θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω: Τον επιβλέποντα της διπλωματικής εργασίας κ. Ζεληλίδη Αβραάμ, καθηγητή του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών, για την βοήθεια που μου παρείχε τόσο στο θεωρητικό όσο και στο ερευνητικό μέρος της εργασίας μου καθώς και για την άψογη συνεργασία που είχαμε κατά την εκπόνηση της. Επίσης, θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω θερμά τους υποψήφιους διδάκτορες Τσερόλα Παναγιώτη και Θωμαή Αναγνωστούδη για την βοήθεια που μου παρείχαν τόσο κατά την δαδικασία της δειγματοληψίας, όσο και κατά το εργαστηριακό κομμάτι αλλά και την συγγραφή, αλλά και τους μεταπτυχιακούς φοιτητές Μπελιβάνη Δήμητρα, Μποτζιολή Χρύσανθο και Πετράκο Γεώργιο που συνέβαλαν καθοριστικά στην ολοκλήρωση της διπλωματικής. Επιπλέον, πέρα από την οικογένειά μου, για την στήριξή της αυτά τα τέσσερα χρόνια της φοίτησης μου στο τμήμα Γεωλογίας του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών, θα ήθελα να ευχριστήσω και τους φίλους Κολοκύθα Δημήτριο, Κουρουπάκη Ασημίνα, Τριανταφύλλου Μαλαματένια και Γκάτζο Ιωάννη για την ηθική τους στήριξη και την πολύτιμη βοήθεια τους. Τέλος, θα ήταν σκόπιμο να αναφερθεί ότι η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία, αποτελεί την ερευνητική συνέχεια της διπλωματικής του Μποτζιολή Χρύσανθου με τίτλο «Περιβάλλοντα ιζηματογένεσης, παλαιογεωγραφική εξέλιξη και δυνατότητα γένεσης υδρογονανθράκων των Μειοκαινικών αποθέσεων του νησιού της Ζακύνθου» όσον αφορά την ΤΟΜΗ 3, όμως συμπληρωματικά και για συγκριτικούς λόγους, λήφθηκαν δείγματα και από τις υπόλοιπες 3 τομές. / This dissertation was prepared for the Department of Geology-University of Patras. At this point I would like to thank all those who conceived and helped in the writing and completion of this work.Firstly, I would like to thank the supervisor of my thesis Mr. Zelilidis Abraham, Professor of the University of Patras, for the help he gave me both in the theoretical research and for the excellent cooperation during the preparation of this dissertation. I would also like to thank the PhD students Tserolas Panagiotis and Thomai Anagnostoudi for the help they have given me during the procedure of the samples, and in the laboratory part and writing, but also the graduate students Belivani Dimitra and Botziolis Chrysanthos, as well as Petrakos George, who contributed to the completion of the thesis. Moreover, apart from my family for the support of these four years of my studies, I would also like to thank my friends Kolokythas Dimitrios, Triantafyllou Malamatenia and Gkatzos Ioannis, not only for their moral support, but also for their valuable help. Finally, it should be noted that the present work is the continuation of the thesis of Botziolis Chrysanthos, entitled "Sedimentary Environments, paleogeographic evolution and hydrocarbon potential of the Miocene deposits of the island of Zakynthos" for the section number 3, but for additional and comparative purposes, I also examined samples from the other three sections.

No description available.

Eleven dinoflagellates, acritarchs, and pollen biozones have been identified in Upper Eocene to Pliocene sediments combined from MuS, Tekman, Tercan-ASkale, Pasinler-Horasan basins and the Bayburt-Kars Plateau in this study. FAD&amp / #8217 / s of Compositae (tubuliflorae type), Slowakipollenites hipoph&auml / eoides, Mediocolpopollis compactus, Monoporopollenites gramineoides and Umbelliferae at the base of Rupelian, FAD of Wetzeliella gochtii in the middle Rupelian, LAD of Ascostomocystis potane in the late Rupelian, LAD of Wetzeliella gochtii in the latest Rupelian, LAD of Deflandrea spp. in the latest Chattian, peak occurrences of Chriptoredium spp. in the early and late Aquitanian, FAD of Hystrichosphaeropsis obscura, followed by FAD of Membranilarnacea ?picena in the late Aquitanian should have particular emphasis for palynostratigraphic divisions in regional correlations and indicate that a continuous deposition took place in Eastern Anatolia from Late Eocene to the end of the Early Miocene. A relatively deeper marine deposition prevailed during the Late Eocene, which was followed by a shallowing-upward deposition during the Oligocene in MuS, Tekman, Tercan-ASkale, and Pasinler-Horasan basins. These basins were also characterized by an Early Miocene regional transgression, and terrestrial (lacustrine and fluvial) deposition during the Late Miocene-Pliocene whereas terrestrial conditions have been predominating since Late Eocene in the Bayburt-Kars Plateau. Paleoclimatological reconstructions of Eastern Anatolian Oligocene-Miocene sediments suggest temperate to subtropical climates in which mean annual temperatures vary between 15,6 to 21,3 &deg / C, mean temperatures of the coldest and the warmest month are 5.0 to 13.3 &deg / C and 24.7 to 28.1 &deg / C, respectively, and mean annual precipitation is 1122.0 to 1522.0 mm.

The Oligocene Brac Formation is the oldest part of the Bluff Group that is exposed on Cayman Brac. Sediments of the Brac Formation were deposited on a small, open bank in shallow marine waters. Today, the formation is composed of limestone, finely crystalline dolostone, and coarsely crystalline sucrosic dolostone. The Pollard Bay member, defined herein, comprises the sucrosic dolomite that is exposed only on the south coast of Cayman Brac. Changes in sea level and subsequent groundwater chemistry mediated a complex diagenetic evolution that is responsible for the lithological heterogeneity that now characterizes the formation. Field, petrographic, and geochemical analyses indicate that dolomitization was probably mediated by normal to slightly modified seawater. Multiphase dolomite crystals represent different stages of textural and geochemical maturity, and attest to time-transgressive dolomitization processes that evolved in various hydrologic regimes through time.

Le but de cette thèse est l'utilisation d'une approche multidisciplinaire qui combine des techniques d'analyse pétrologique, de la géochimie et de la thermochronologie afin de reconstituer l'évolution des Alpes occidentales pendant l'Oligocène et le Miocène et d'en déduire les implications géodynamiques. Ces techniques permettent à la fois d'identifier le bassin de drainage des sédiments et les taux d'exhumation dans ce bassin de drainage. L'enregistrement de cette évolution est préservé dans les bassins d'avant pays de chaque côté des Alpes occidentales en France et en Italie. Les techniques d'analyse pétrologique utilisées ici sont l'observation macroscopique, l'observation en lames minces, l'analyse par spectromètre Raman et l'étude de minéraux lourds. De nombreuses études ont été réalisées afin d'analyser les minéraux lourds des bassins alpins. Celles-ci permettent de déterminer la provenance des minéraux. Lors de ce projet, nous avons réalisé des analyses Raman sur des serpentinites permettant de distinguer les différents types de serpentinites. Or les Alpes internes montrent une gradation du métamorphisme croissant vers l'est, qui implique une variation des types de serpentinites vers l'est (association lizardites et antigorites dans les zones de basse température, antigorites exclusivement dans les zones de haute température). L'analyse de l'arrivée des différents types de serpentinites de part et d'autre de la chaîne permet de définir la position des réseaux de drainage dans les Alpes internes et de positionner la ligne de partage des eaux. La géochimie sur les basaltes détritiques permet d'analyser le type de basaltes et donc d'identifier leurs sources. Des basaltes non métamorphiques ont été identifiés en quantité importante dans les bassins d'avant-pays côté français démontrant la répartition importante de matériels océaniques obduits sur les Alpes internes à l'Oligocène. Les âges de thermochronologie détritique comparés à l'âge de dépôt permettent de déterminer le lag-time et donc le taux d'exhumation maximum de la zone érodée. En effet, la modélisation des isothermes permet de déterminer un taux d'exhumation à partir du lag-time. L'analyse des taux d'exhumation le long de la colonne stratigraphique à Barrême montre un pulse d'exhumation à partir d'une période très brève dans le temps : 30±1 Ma à des taux d'exhumation compris entre 1,5 à 2 km/Ma, qui correspond à la mise en place des Alpes internes. Ces taux d'exhumation correspondent à des taux d'exhumation importants mais inférieurs à ce que l'on peut trouver dans l'Himalaya actuellement. Ils sont toutefois comparables à l'activité d'exhumation dans des montagnes jeunes. De récents travaux de modélisation montrent que le retrait de slab peut être consécutif à une rupture de slab profond. Notre équipe propose que dans les Alpes occidentales, la rupture et le retrait de slab a permis la mise en place du corps d'Ivrea comme un poinçon au dessus du slab. / The aim of this dissertation was to use a multidisciplinary approach, combining petrologic, geochemical and geo-thermochronologic analyses, to reconstruct the topographic and exhumational evolution of the Western Alps during Oligocene and Early Miocene times, in relation to regional geodynamic events. Because the sedimentary record of this evolution is preserved in the foreland basins on the both sides of the Western Alps in France and Italy, this approach allows identifying sediment provenance and exhumation rates in the drainage areas. Petrological analyses used here were macroscopic observations in the field (pebbles counts), thin section analyses, and Raman spectrometry on detrital serpentinite pebbles and serpentine sand grains. The different serpentine species (antigorite, lizardite etc.), can be traced back to specific source lithologies because the metamorphic grade of the rocks exposed in the Western Alps increases eastward, with antigorite (HT serpentine) bearing rocks in the eastern piedmont complex and mixed lizardite-antigorite (LT serpentine) in the western piedmont complex. Analysis of serpentine species in the foreland basin deposits on both sides of the Alps allows determining changes in the paleo-Durance and paleo-Dora Riparia drainage areas and the position of the drainage divide, which have not changed since the Early Miocene. Major and trace element analyses of non-metamorphic basalt pebbles from the Barrême basin hint at the Chenaillet (or equivalent) obducted ophiolite in the internal Western Alps as the most likely source. Fission-track (FT) analysis of detrital apatite and zircon were used to determine maximum and average exhumation rates during the Oligocene. A pulse of fast erosional exhumation at about 30±1 Ma had rates on the order of 1.5-2 km/Myr, while average rates were about 0.2-0.3 km/Myr. FT and U/Pb double dating of single zircons show that the signal of fast exhumation is not an artifact caused by volcanic contamination at around 30 Ma. The rapid creation of high relief and associated exhumation rates are related to isostatic surface uplift after slab break-off beneath the Western Alps at 35-30 Ma, followed by slab retreat which allowed emplacement of the Ivrea body vertical indenter that supports the high topography in the internal Western Alps.

Durante o Eoceno e o Oligoceno (55 a 23 Ma) a Terra esteve sujeita a período de grandes mudanças climáticas. Registros geológicos, reforçados por modelos climáticos, indicam que o clima global durante esse período passou de estágio praticamente livre de calotas polares para situacao climática próxima a que hoje podemos encontrar na Antártica. Grande parte desses registros são indiretos, retirados de sedimentos de fundo marinho ou de material fóssil. Evidência terrestre clara da variação climática (greenhouse-icehouse) para o Eoceno-Oligoceno pode ser encontrada em Wesele Cove, ilha Rei Jorge, Antártica Ocidental. Tais evidências correspondem a uma sucessão de cerca de 60m com pelo menos 13 derrames de lava basáltica, de alguns metros de espessura cada, sobreposta, em contato erosivo, por diamictito e arenito. A sucessão basáltica é correlacionada com a Formação Mazurek Point/Hennequin, datada radiometricamente como do Eoceno, e o diamictito e arenito correspondem ao Membro Krakowiak Glacier da Formação Polonez Cove, datada, paleontológica e radiométricamente como pertencente ao Oligoceno inferior. Cada camada de basalto toleítico exibe uma zona inferior, mais espessa (1 a poucos metros), de rocha fresca, que é seguida transicionalmente por uma zona de alteração, variando de alguns decímetros a 1-1,5 m de espessura. O pacote de basalto está inclinado 25º para leste, provavelmente por tectonismo. A sucessão foi recentemente exposta devido ao rápido recuo da atual geleira Wyspianski. A evidência inicial de campo sugere que a sucessão representa um registro geológico de variação paleoclimática de condições mais amenas para condições glaciais, que pode ser correlacionada com a mudança do ótimo climático do final do Eoceno (greenhouse) para as condições de icehouse do Oligoceno, registradas na curva de paleotemperatura cenozóica estabelecida pela determinação de 18O em carapaças de foraminíferos. Este estudo teve como foco central a análise estratigráfica e geoquímica da ocorrência, a fim de interpretar a sucessão de eventos paleoclimáticos documentados no afloramento e analisá-los, no contexto da história paleoclimática da Antártica. Os dados obtidos mostraram que a transição de zonas não alteradas para alteradas observada em cada derrame de basalto pode de fato ser atribuídas à ação moderada de processos intempéricos no topo de cada derrame. Eles também demonstram uma origem glacial, em parte subglacial com contribuição marinha, dos diamictitos sobrepostos, que apresentam feições, tais como, clastos de litologias e tamanhos variados, facetados e estriados, clastos tipo bullet shaped, clastos partidos por congelamento, estrias intraformacionais e fósseis marinhos encontrados na matriz do diamictito. As condições climáticas amenas responsáveis pelo intemperismo do basalto durou até o surgimento do último horizonte de lava, seguida por movimentação tectônica que inclinou o pacote. Esses eventos indicam condições paleoclimáticas menos rigorosas relativamente longas durante o Eoceno, precedendo o estabelecimento do manto de gelo oligocênico nesta parte da Antártica. / During the Eocene and Oligocene (55 23 Ma) the Earth was undergoing a period of great climatic changes. Geological records, reinforced by climate models indicate that global climate during this period went from a stage in which the Earth was virtually free of polar ice caps to a stage close to what we find today in Antarctica. Most of these records are indirect, taken from the deep-sea cores or fossil material. Clear terrestrial evidence of climate change (greenhouse-icehouse) for the Eocene-Oligocene transition is found in Wesele Cove, King George Island, West Antarctica. This evidence includes a succession of at least thirteen, few meters thick, basaltic lava flows overlain disconformably by diamictite and sandstone. The basaltic section is correlated with the Mazurek Point/Hennequin Formation, radiometric dated as Eocene, and the diamictite and sandstone correspond to the Krakowiak Glacier Member of the Polonez Cove Formation, dated as Early Oligocene, on paleontological and radiometric basis. Each tholeiitic basalt layer exhibits a lower, thicker (1 to few meters) fresh zone, transitionally followed up by a zone of saprolith, varying from decimeters to 1-1.5 m in thickness. The entire basalt package of around 60 m, is tilted 25º to the east. The succession has been recently exposed due to fast retreat of the present Wyspianski Glacier. The initial field evidence suggests that the succession represents the geological record of paleoclimatic variation from mild to glacial conditions, that could correlate with the change from the late Eocene optimum climatic (greenhouse) to icehouse conditions in the Oligocene, as recorded on the Cenozoic paleotemperature curve established by 18O determinations on calcareous foram tests. This study had focus on the stratigraphy and geochemistry analysis of the occurrence, in order to interpret the succession of palaeoclimatic events documented in outcrop and analyze them in the context of paleoclimatic history of Antarctica. Data obtained consistently showed that the supposed transition from unaltered to altered zones observed in each basalt layer may in fact be assigned to the moderated action of weathering processes on top of each flow. They also demonstrate a glacial, in partly subglacial with marine contribution, origin for the overlying diamictites, which has features such clasts of diverse lithologies and sizes, faceted and striated clasts, bullet shaped clasts, clasts broken by freezing and thaw, intraformational striae and marine fossils found in the matrix of the diamictite. The mild paleoclimatic conditions responsible for weathering of the basalt lasted until the emplacement of the highest lava horizon, followed by tectonic movement that tilted the package. These events indicate a relatively long paleoclimatic mild conditions during the Eocene, preceding the establishment and displacement of the Oligocene ice-sheet in this part of Antarctica.

Through the Cenozoic, paleoclimate records show general trends of global cooling and increased aridity, and environments in North America shifted from predominantly forests to more open habitats. Paleobotanical records indicate grasses were present on the continent in the Eocene; however, paleosol and phytolith studies indicate that open habitats did not arise until the late Eocene or even later in the Oligocene. Studies of large mammalian herbivores have documented changes in ecomorphology and community structure through time, revealing that shifts in mammalian morphology occurred millions of years after the environmental changes thought to have triggered them. Smaller mammals, like rodents and lagomorphs, should more closely track climate and habitat changes due to their shorter generation times and smaller ranges, but these animals have received much less study. To examine changes in smaller mammals through time, we have assembled and analyzed an ecomorphological database of all North American rodent and lagomorph species. Analyses of these data found that rodent and lagomorph community structure changed dramatically through the Cenozoic, and shifts in diversity and ecology correspond closely with the timing of habitat changes. Cenozoic rodent and lagomorph species diversity is strongly biased by sampling of localities, but sampling-corrected diversity reveals diversity dynamics that, after an initial density-dependent diversification in the Eocene, track habitat changes and the appearance of new ecological adaptations. As habitats became more open and arid through time, rodent and lagomorph crown heights increased while burrowing, jumping, and cursorial adaptations became more prevalent. Through time, open-habitat specialists were added during periods of diversification, while closed-habitat taxa were disproportionately lost in subsequent diversity declines. While shifts among rodents and lagomorphs parallel changes in ungulate communities, they started millions of years earlier than in larger mammals. This is likely a consequence of the smaller mammal' greater sensitivity to environmental changes and more rapid evolution. These results highlight the importance of examining understudied members of vertebrate faunas for understanding the evolution of terrestrial communities through time.

The Grasshopper basin of southwest Montana is a complex east-dipping graben containing five unconformity-bounded sequences of Tertiary sedimentary rocks. The Eocene-Oligocene basin lies within the northern Rocky Mountain Basin and Range province. Geologic mapping in five and a half 7.5 minute quadrangles indicates that at least three distinct phases of extension characterize the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Grasshopper basin from approximately 46 Ma toMa. The significant phases of extension in Grasshopper basin were phases 1 and 3. During the first phase of extension (46-27 Ma) the nonplanar Muddy-Grasshopper fault was initiated and 90% of the basin fill was deposited. At least 7 km of dip-slip displacement along this fault controlled the deposition of the Medicine Lodge beds (3.5 km thick) and development of a transverse fold train and a longitudinal anticline. The second phase of extension (late Eocene-early Oligocene) resulted in northwest-southeast trending extensional structures and was probably coincident with deformation along the Lemhi Pass fault (20 km to the southwest). The third phase of deformation (early Oligocene-middle Miocene) dismembered the once larger protobasin into smaller subbasins and tilted the northwest-dipping limb of the longitudinal anticline. The structures formed during this phase have north-south and northeast trends. Little sediment was deposited during phases 2 and 3. Overall >85% E-W extension accrued. Extensional folds are common in Grasshopper basin and formed during all three phases of extension. One orthogonal fold set was recorded. Two-dimensional kinematic analysis of the longitudinal Bachelor Mountain anticline shows that this fold is a double-­rollover that probably developed above a longitudinal ramp in the Muddy-Grasshopper fault. The transverse folds are the result of the changing strike of the downward­-flattening Muddy-Grasshopper fault. A transverse syncline developed above a convex up part of the fault whereas a transverse anticline formed above a concave up part of the fault that reflects changes in the strike of the fault. Three-dimensional inclined shear probably created this geometry.

The Quercy area of France is an important site for mammal palaeontology, yet 19th century collections of this area, such as the one in the Department of Palaeobiology, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, remain understudied due to not being well updated taxonomically and correlated stratigraphically. An updated taxonomy was created for the postcranial material of the collections, as well as the dental material originally identified to the amphicyonid genera Amphicyon, Haplocyon and Pseudocyon through study of morphological characteristics and measurements. Most of the postcranial material was assigned to a family, which would allow comparison of different morphotypes to gain insight into questions on locomotion, posture and overall ecology. The dental material was reidentified to include the amphicyonids (bear dogs) Amphicyonidae gen. indet. sp. indet, Pseudocyonopsis, Cynelos and Haplocyon, as well as the mustelid Ischyrictis zibethoides. Stratigraphic ranges for the identified species were obtained from existing studies. This updated taxonomy would allow for future study of this material to improve the overall understanding of Quercy, as well as the taxa present in these localities.

No description available.