The Starkville Quadrangle is a hotspot for geological research. The Late Cretaceous is represented by the Demopolis Formation in the northeast corner of the quadrangle, followed by the Ripley Formation, and the Prairie Bluff Formation. The K-Pg boundary is exposed in the quadrangle, and the remarkable paleontology is of global importance. The Clayton Formation is the first Paleocene unit. Where the Clayton Formation channel sands are in contact with the underlying Prairie Bluff Formation, springs occur. Springs were a rare source of water in the Black Prairie and spurred the settlement of the area over 10,000 years ago. The Paleocene Porters Creek Formation occurs in the southwest corner of the Quadrangle. Quaternary streams left Holocene to Pleistocene alluvium and terraces overlying the subcrop. This project provides a modern geologic map and stratigraphic framework as a background for future research in the Starkville Quadrangle.

Sandstone modal compositions and detrital zircon U-Pb analysis of the Paleocene-Eocene Wilcox Group of the southern Gulf Coast of Texas indicate long-distance sediment transport primarily from volcanic and basement sources to the west, northwest and southwest. The Wilcox Group of south Texas represents the earliest series of major post-Cretaceous pulses of sand deposition along the western margin of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Laramide basement uplifts have long been held to be the provenance of the Wilcox Group, implying that initiation of basement uplifts was the driving factor for this transition from carbonate sedimentation to clastic deposition. To determine the provenance of the Wilcox Group and test this conventional hypothesis, 40 thin sections were point-counted using the Gazzi-Dickinson method to determine sandstone composition and 10 detrital zircon samples were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS to determine U-Pb age spectra for each of the sampled areas. Modal data for sand grain populations suggest mixed sources including basement rocks, magmatic arc rocks and subordinate sedimentary rocks for the Wilcox Group. Zircon age spectra for these sandstones reveal a complex grain assemblage derived from older sediments and crystalline rocks ranging in age from Archean to Cenozoic. Sediment was primarily derived from Laramide uplifted crystalline blocks of the central and southern Rocky Mountains, the Cordilleran arc of western North America, and arc related extrusive and intrusive igneous rock of northern Mexico. Comparisons of Upper and Lower Wilcox zircon age spectra show that more arc related material was deposited in the Lower Wilcox, whereas more basement material was deposited in the Upper Wilcox. / text

The aim of this study is to establish the planktonic foraminiferal biozonation, to construct the sequence stratigraphical framework and to determine the foraminiferal response to sedimentary cyclicity in the sedimentary sequence spanning Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene in the Haymana basin (Central Anatolia, Turkey). In order to achieve this study, the stratigraphic section was measured from sedimentary sequence of the Haymana, Beyobasi and YeSilyurt formations. The sedimentary sequence is mainly characterized by flyschoidal sequence that is composed of alternating of siliciclastic and carbonate units. On the account of the detailed taxonomic study of planktonic foraminifers, the biostratigraphic framework was established for the Maastrichtian-Paleocene interval. The biozonation includes 7 zones / Pseudoguembelina hariaensis, P&amp / #945 / , P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 zones. The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/P) boundary was delinated between the samples HEA-105 and 106. In order to construct the sequence-stratigraphical framework, the A, B, C and D-type meter-scale cycles were identified. Based on the stacking patterns of them, six depositional sequences, six third and two second order cycles were determined. Third order cycles coincide with the Global Sea Level Change Curve. On the account of the conducted petrographic analysis sandstone, mudstone, marl, limestone and muddy-limestone lithofacies were recorded in the studied samples. In order to demostrate the response of foraminifers to cyclicity, quantitative analysis has been carried out by counting the individuals of planktonic, benthonic foraminifers and ostracods. The best response to sedimentary cyclicity was revealed from planktonic foraminifers. The average abundance of planktonic foraminifers increases in the transgressive systems tract and decreases in the highstand systems tract.

The research area is located to the northern tip of Tuzgolu fault zone in the junction of neotectonic structures, namely, EskiSehir-Cihanbeyli, Sungurlu-Kirikkale and Tuzg&ouml / l&uuml / fault zones (Central Anatolia). The study is carried out in Paleocene sequences of PaSadag group on the structural analysis of bed, gash vein, fault and fault plane slippage data. The method of study based on i) the rose and stereo analysis of the planar structure (beds, gash veins and faults) on ROCKWORKS 2009 software and ii) on fault slip analysis on ANGELIER 1979 software. The bed analyses done on 605 measurements manifest N10&deg / -20&deg / E bedding attitude. The analysis done on 64 gash veins shows a general trend of NNE-SSW (N15&deg / E). The final analysis done on 160 fault planes pointed out a general trend of NNWSSE (N20&deg / W). Analysis based on the fault plane slip data manifest two stages of faulting under almost NE-SW compression during post-Paleocene &ndash / pre-Miocene period and one stage of faulting under WNW-ESE extension most probably during post-Miocene. To conclude, the Paleocene sequences are deformed continuously under WNW-ESE directed compression which is followed by a NE-SW to N-S compression resulted in the development of a reverse to dextral strike slip faulting during post-Paleocene &ndash / pre-Miocene period.

Here we investigate sedimentological responses to past climate change in shallow to deep marine depositional environments. Our primary study spans from the Late Pliocene to the Pleistocene (3.3 to 0.7 Ma), and features results from two International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1525 and U1524. Each of these sites is discussed in separate chapters here (Chapters 1 and 2). This interval experienced the change from the warming of the Late Pliocene, known as the Mid-Piacenzian Warming Period, to the Pleistocene cooling. This shift significantly impacted the expansion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, sea ice/polynya formation, and, notably, the genesis of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), a crucial component of the global thermohaline circulation. In Chapter 1, we propose that turbidite currents, arising from the formation of dense shelf water (DSW) in the Ross Sea (a precursor to AABW), leave a distinct record in the levees of Hillary Canyon. This canyon acts as a conduit, channeling DSW into the deep ocean and contributing to AABW production. By analyzing turbidite beds based on their frequency, thickness, and grain size, we gain insights into the historical occurrence and magnitude of these currents. Furthermore, we explore the influence of factors such as shelf availability and sea ice/polynya formation within the broader climate context of AABW formation. Chapter 2 shifts its focus to the sedimentological variability from shelf-to-slope along Hillary Canyon. This chapter examines the turbidite record associated with AABW formation within the shared timeframe (2.1 to 0.7 million years ago) between IODP Sites U1524 and U1525, and the impact of along slope currents and other processes in the sedimentary deposition and transport. The second study interval (Chapter 3), focuses on the regional sedimentological response proximal to a hydrothermal vent complex associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ca. 56 Ma), a global warming event during which thousands of Gt C was released into the ocean-atmosphere on Kyr timescales. IODP Site U1568, strategically located near the hydrothermal vent complex and part of a broader drilling transect in the Modgunn Arch, North Atlantic, is the main study subject. This site's proximity to the vent complex offers a distinctive environment for refining our understanding of stratigraphy and sedimentology within the PETM. We achieve this through a comprehensive analysis of grain size and composition, coupled with a comparison to XRF data. Our findings show that the timing between the onset of the PETM and the response of the sedimentary system to the warming, reflected in the grain size coarsening after the start of the PETM, is not synchronous. Notably, the transition from a marine to a more terrestrial composition predates this shift in grain size, aligning with the PETM onset instead. / Doctor of Philosophy / Deep-marine core records are invaluable sources of sedimentological information that provide insights into the ocean's response to past climates. These cores, extracted from the deep-ocean floor, contain layers of sediment that accumulate over time because of the different processes that occur in the ocean. Analyzing these sediments, by looking at their physical characteristics like how frequently are they deposited, the thickness of the layers, their grain size, and their composition helps to reconstruct past environmental conditions and understand how the oceans have responded to climatic changes. This dissertation focuses on studying the record of two main processes. The first one is the sedimentary record left behind by the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), one of the coldest (-1°C), deepest (> 2000 meters below sea level), and densest water masses in the ocean. AABW is a key component of the global ocean circulation system, often referred to as the "global conveyor belt" or the thermohaline circulation. This circulation pattern plays a crucial role in redistributing heat, salt, and nutrients around the world's oceans. AABW is formed near Antarctica through a process that begins with the cooling and sinking of surface waters near the continent. As these waters sink, they become denser and eventually form AABW, filling the deep ocean basins around Antarctica. The dense water flows from the surface to the bottom of the ocean forming turbidity currents. These turbidity currents, dense plumes of water and sediments, flow down submarine conduits, such as Hillary Canyon in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, leaving a sedimentary record in the levees or flanks, called turbidites. The turbidite sequences in sediment cores can reveal information about the frequency and magnitude of these currents, providing insights into the sediment transport processes in deep-marine settings, and for this work, the history of the AABW formation over the last 3.3 Ma. This study will help to understand what are the main controls for AABW formation across different climates in the past, and how we project this into the future climate scenarios. In the second part of the study (Chapter 3), we look at the sedimentary record of a warming event that happened around 56 million years ago. This event, known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), involved a significant amount of carbon being released into the air and oceans over thousands of years (150,000 to 200,000). Our focus is IODP Site U1568, located near a submarine hydrothermal vent, and part of a larger drilling transect in the North Atlantic's Modgunn Arch. The vent's unique location provides a crucial perspective for understanding how the system responded to the warming during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). This warming event was triggered by the release of carbon into the atmosphere, with the vent serving as one of the conduits for this release. To understand this, we studied the grain size and content of the sediment, and compared that with XRF data. Changes in grain size serve as indicators of shifts in the energy of the environment – coarser grains signify a more energetic system. Warmer weather, for instance, can increase precipitation, leading to more erosion and sediment influx into the basin. This influx also brings in more materials from the land, as evidenced by the presence of microfossils and plant fragments. Our discoveries indicate that the sedimentary system responded gradually to the PETM, as reflected in the coarsening of grain size after the PETM's onset. Notably, the transition from a marine to a more terrestrial composition occurred before the change in grain size, aligning more closely with the initiation of the PETM itself.

Lors du Paléocène, le bassin d’avant-pays nord-pyrénéen est une large baie ouverte sur le proto-océan Atlantique. Ce golfe est constitué d’une plateforme carbonatée peu profonde dans la région des Petites-Pyrénées, et de sédiments majoritairement continentaux dans les Corbières (Aude). Nous avons recueilli des donnés sédimentologiques, au travers de 10 coupes, réparties sur un transect ouest-est d’environ 150 km, parallèle à l’actuelle chaîne des Pyrénées. L’analyse faciologique de ces coupes a permis de définir des séquences. L’absence de données stratigraphiques notamment dans les séries continentales des Corbières, rendait les corrélations incertaines. Ainsi pour améliorer le calage stratigraphique une analyse des variations du δ13Corg a été réalisée sur une coupe (Lairière)pour l’ensemble du Paléocène. Cette coupe a été comparée avec des coupes de références marines bien calées et ainsi ce travail a permis d’affiner la stratigraphie du Paléocène en domaine continental et plus largement dans la zone d’étude. Couplées à l’analyse séquentielle, ces données ont aussi permis de reconstituer l’architecture du Paléocène. Notre approche nous a permis de (1) tracer des esquisses paléogéographiques pour chacun des trois étages du Paléocène, de (2) proposer un modèle d’évolution tectono-stratigraphique et de (3) discuter des facteurs de contrôle de la sédimentation paléocène dans le bassin nord-pyrénéen. / During the Paleocene, the North Pyrenean Foreland Basin is an open bay on the Atlantic Ocean. This gulf consists of a shallow carbonate platform in the Petites-Pyrenees area, and mainly continental sediments in the Corbières area (Aude). We collected sedimentological data, through 10 sections, on a west-east transect of 150 km, parallel to the present-day Pyrenees. The facies analysis of these sections allowed us to define sequences but the lack of stratigraphical data, particularly in the continental deposits of the Corbières, made correlations uncertain. To overcome this problem, an analysis of the δ13Corg variations was carried out. It provided a geochemical curve for the whole Paleocene that was then compared with marine reference sections which made possible to refine the stratigraphy of the continental succession and more largely of the study area. Coupled with sequential analysis, these data have also enabled the reconstruction of Paleocene architecture. Our approach allowed us to (1) draw paleogeographic map for each of the Paleocene three stages, to (2) propose a model of tectono-stratigraphical evolution and to (3) discuss the control factors of Paleocene sedimentation in the North Pyrenean Basin

No description available.

The Late Cretaceous–early Paleogene is the most recent period of Earth history with a dynamic carbon cycle that experienced sustained global greenhouse warmth and can offer a valuable insight into our anthropogenically-warmer future world. Yet, knowledge of ambient climate conditions and evolution of the carbon cycle at this time, along with their relation to forcing mechanisms, are still poorly constrained. In this thesis, I examine marine sediments recovered from the South Atlantic Walvis Ridge (ODP Site 1262) and Indian Ocean Ninetyeast Ridge (IODP Site U1443 and ODP Site 758), to shed new light on the evolution of the climate and carbon cycle from the Late Maastrichtian through to the Early Eocene (~67.10–52.35 Ma). The overarching aims of this thesis are: 1) to identify the long-term trends and principle forcing mechanisms driving the climate and carbon cycle during this time period, through construction of 14.75 million-year-long, orbital-resolution (~1.5–4 kyr), stratigraphically complete, benthic stable carbon (δ13Cbenthic) and oxygen (δ18Obenthic) isotope records; 2) to investigate in more detail the climatic and carbon-cycle perturbations of the Early–Middle Paleocene (e.g., the Dan-C2 event, Latest Danian Event and the Danian/Selandian Transition Event) and place these in their proper (orbital) temporal context; 3) to investigate the Late Maastrichtian warming event and its relationship to the eruption of the Deccan Traps Large Igneous Province, as well as its role (if any) in the subsequent Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction; 4) to provide the first orbital-resolution estimates of temperature and carbonate chemistry variability from the low latitude Indian Ocean spanning the Late Paleocene–Early Eocene, through analysis of trace element and stable isotope data from multiple foraminiferal species. Taken together, the results presented in this thesis provide a critical new insight into the dynamic evolution of the climate and carbon cycle during the greenhouse world of the early Paleogene, and shed light on the potential forcing mechanisms driving the climate and carbon cycle during this time.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) (55 million years ago) stands as the largest in a series of extreme warming (hyperthermal) climatic events, which are analogous to the modern day increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. Orbitally triggered (Lourens et al., 2005, Galeotti et al., 2010), the PETM is marked by a large (-3‰) carbon isotope excursion (CIE). Hypothesized to be methane driven, Zeebe et al., (2009) noted that a methane based release would only account for 3.5°C of warming. An isotopically heavier carbon, such as that of soil and C3 plants, has the potential to account for the warming and CIE (Zachos et al., 2005). During the early Eocene, high latitude surface temperatures created favorable conditions for the sequestration of terrestrial carbon. A large untapped terrestrial carbon reservoir, such as that within permafrost regions, contains the potential, if degraded, to account for the CIE as well as the global temperature increase observed during the PETM. Using an fully integrated climate model (GENESIS) with fully coupled vegetation model (BIOME4), we show that adequate conditions for permafrost growth and terrestrial carbon sequestration did exist during the lead up to the PETM. By calculating the flux of net primary production (NPP) and soil respiration (Rs), we demonstrate that the biodegradation of permafrost-based carbon reservoirs had the potential to drive the PETM. Furthermore, we show that the natural planetary response to unbalanced carbon reservoirs resulted in the terrestrial sequestration of atmospheric carbon via permafrost regeneration, yielding a vulnerable carbon reservoir for the subsequent hyperthermal.

Paleomagnetic data from 25 sites (5 samples per site) in andesite flows of the Gringo Gulch Volcanics in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, were analyzed to determine a lower Paleocene paleomagnetic pole. Alternating-field demagnetization to 500 oe peak field was sufficient to erase secondary viscous components. The mean direction of magnetization (inclination = -58.8°, declination = 167.5 °) was obtained by averaging the site mean directions of the 25 sites, which are all reversed. The resultant lower Paleocene pole position is at lat. 77.0 °N, 1on. 201.0 °E (dp = 1.2 °, dm = 1.7 °).