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Geosciences
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Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World
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Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Climate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 January 2022) | Viewed by 27278

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gregory A. Ludvigson

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Guest Editor
Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, 1930 Constant Avenue, Lawrence, KS, USA
Interests: stratigraphy; stable isotopes; paleoclimatology
Prof. Dr. R. M. Joeckel

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Guest Editor
Conservation and Survey Division, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0996, USA
Interests: stratigraphy; sedimentology; paleosols; landforms; surficial processes
Dr. Marina B. Suarez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
Interests: cretaceous; stable isotopes; paleoclimatology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Cretaceous Period (~145–66 Ma) is a subject of scientific interest as an analogue state for modern climate change. The Greenhouse World of the Cretaceous is noted for higher pCO2 levels than present, with shorter-term carbon cycle perturbations related to Ocean Anoxic Events. Much of our current scientific understanding of the period is informed by long-term investments in ocean drilling programs with attendant paleo-oceanographic studies. Improved scientific understanding of the terrestrial paleoclimatic impacts of Cretaceous global change is urgently needed for improved forecasting of the human prospect. Cretaceous terrestrial paleoclimatology and paleohydrology are rapidly developing fields of study, with major advances in carbon isotope chemostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic resolution, and a plethora of new and more refined proxy measurements of terrestrial climate parameters. These advancements have been highlighted in recent international conferences, and this Special Issue will feature late-breaking scientific results in this dynamic field of study.

Over the last decade, published scientific investigations on the topic of Cretaceous terrestrial paleoenvironments have undergone a rapid expansion in volume. This Special Issue will draw contributions from an international group of active researchers to discuss current topics in Cretaceous terrestrial stratigraphy, depositional systems, paleopedology, biostratigraphy, paleontology and paleoecology, chronostratigraphy and geochronology, stable isotope chemostratigraphy, and paleoclimatology. The unique insights derived from studies of Cretaceous terrestrial systems are critical components for broad scientific understanding of Cretaceous Earth Systems, and the contributed papers in this Special Issue will seek to share viewpoints developed from these approaches with the wider geoscience research community.

Prof. Dr. Gregory A. Ludvigson
Prof. Dr. R. M. Joeckel
Dr. Marina B. Suarez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Carbon isotope chemostratigraphy
  • Uranium–lead geochronology
  • Marine–terrestrial Correlations
  • Stable-isotope paleohydrology
  • Clumped isotope paleothermometry
  • Ocean Anoxic Events
  • Greenhouse gas geobarometry
  • Paleopedology
  • Paleoclimate modeling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 10158 KiB  
Article
Berriasian–Valanginian Geochronology and Carbon-Isotope Stratigraphy of the Yellow Cat Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Eastern Utah, USA
by Robert M. Joeckel, Celina A. Suarez, Noah M. McLean, Andreas Möller, Gregory A. Ludvigson, Marina B. Suarez, James I. Kirkland, Joseph Andrew, Spencer Kiessling and Garrett A. Hatzell
Geosciences 2023, 13(2), 32; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences13020032 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6583
Abstract
The Early Cretaceous Yellow Cat Member of the terrestrial Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah, USA. has been interpreted as a “time-rich” unit because of its dinosaur fossils, prominent paleosols, and the results of preliminary chemostratigraphic and geochronologic studies. Herein, we refine prior interpretations [...] Read more.
The Early Cretaceous Yellow Cat Member of the terrestrial Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah, USA. has been interpreted as a “time-rich” unit because of its dinosaur fossils, prominent paleosols, and the results of preliminary chemostratigraphic and geochronologic studies. Herein, we refine prior interpretations with: (1) a new composite C-isotope chemostratigraphic profile from the well-known Utahraptor Ridge dinosaur site, which exhibits δ13C features tentatively interpreted as the Valanginian double-peak carbon isotope excursion (the so-called “Weissert Event”) and some unnamed Berriasian features; and (2) a new cryptotephra zircon eruption age of 135.10 ± 0.30/0.31/0.34 Ma (2σ) derived from the CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb analyses of zircons from a paleosol cryptotephra. Our interpretations of δ13C features on our chemostratigraphic profile, in the context of our new radiometric age, are compatible with at least one prior age model for the “Weissert Event” and the most recent revision of the Cretaceous time scale. Our results also support the interpretation that the Yellow Cat Member records a significant part of Early Cretaceous time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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24 pages, 4685 KiB  
Article
U–Pb Geochronology and Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Terrestrial Carbonates, Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah: Implications for Synchronicity of Terrestrial and Marine Carbon Isotope Excursions
by Erik L. Gulbranson, E. Troy Rasbury, Greg A. Ludvigson, Andreas Möller, Gregory A. Henkes, Marina B. Suarez, Paul Northrup, Ryan V. Tappero, Julie A. Maxson, Russell S. Shapiro and Kathleen M. Wooton
Geosciences 2022, 12(9), 346; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences12090346 - 17 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2267
Abstract
The terrestrial Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, is a critical archive of paleoclimate, tectonics, and vertebrate ecology and evolution. Early Cretaceous carbon cycle perturbations associated with ocean anoxia have been interpreted from this succession, as expressed in stable carbon isotopes. However, refining [...] Read more.
The terrestrial Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, is a critical archive of paleoclimate, tectonics, and vertebrate ecology and evolution. Early Cretaceous carbon cycle perturbations associated with ocean anoxia have been interpreted from this succession, as expressed in stable carbon isotopes. However, refining the timing of the observed stable isotope excursions remains a key challenge in understanding how marine anoxia affects the Earth system, and is ultimately recorded in the terrestrial realm. The geochronology and geochemistry of a terrestrial carbonate near the base of this succession, which potentially records the Ap7 global carbon isotope excursion, is studied here. Petrographic and geochemical analyses are used to test plausible mechanisms for U incorporation into the calcite lattice in this sample. Using these methods, the hypothesis that the incorporation of U was at or close to the timing of carbonate precipitation is evaluated. U–Pb geochronology of calcite indicates a plausible Early Cretaceous age. However, comparison of the new U–Pb ages of calcite with detrital zircon maximum depositional ages immediately beneath the studied sample indicates a disparity in the apparent sedimentation rates if both types of geochronologic information are interpreted as reflecting the timing of sediment deposition. The totality of data supports an early, and high-temperature, diagenetic timing of U incorporation, with potential for minor leaching of U in subsequent fluid–rock interaction. The most likely mechanism for U transport and immobilization in these samples is hydrothermal fluid–rock interaction. Therefore, the radiometric ages, and corresponding stable isotope composition of U-bearing carbonate domains in this sample, indicate early subsurface fluid–rock interactions and not a record of atmosphere–soil geochemical reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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14 pages, 1613 KiB  
Article
Cretaceous Dinosaurs across Alaska Show the Role of Paleoclimate in Structuring Ancient Large-Herbivore Populations
by Anthony R. Fiorillo, Paul J. McCarthy, Yoshitsugu Kobayashi and Marina B. Suarez
Geosciences 2022, 12(4), 161; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences12040161 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7260
Abstract
The partially correlative Alaskan dinosaur-bearing Prince Creek Formation (PCF), North Slope, lower Cantwell Formation (LCF), Denali National Park, and Chignik Formation (CF), Aniakchak National Monument, form an N–S transect that, together, provides an unparalleled opportunity to examine an ancient high-latitude terrestrial ecosystem. The [...] Read more.
The partially correlative Alaskan dinosaur-bearing Prince Creek Formation (PCF), North Slope, lower Cantwell Formation (LCF), Denali National Park, and Chignik Formation (CF), Aniakchak National Monument, form an N–S transect that, together, provides an unparalleled opportunity to examine an ancient high-latitude terrestrial ecosystem. The PCF, 75–85° N paleolatitude, had a Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) of ~5–7 °C and a Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) of ~1250 mm/year. The LCF, ~71° N paleolatitude, had a MAT of ~7.4 °C and MAP of ~661 mm/year. The CF, ~57° N paleolatitude, had a MAT of ~13 °C and MAP of ~1090 mm/year. The relative abundances of the large-bodied herbivorous dinosaurs, hadrosaurids and ceratopsids, vary along this transect, suggesting that these climatic differences (temperature and precipitation) played a role in the ecology of these large-bodied herbivores of the ancient north. MAP played a more direct role in their distribution than MAT, and the seasonal temperature range may have played a secondary role. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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15 pages, 1881 KiB  
Article
Atmospheric pCO2 Reconstruction of Early Cretaceous Terrestrial Deposits in Texas and Oklahoma Using Pedogenic Carbonate and Occluded Organic Matter
by Kate Andrzejewski, Neil Tabor, Dale Winkler and Timothy Myers
Geosciences 2022, 12(4), 148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences12040148 - 24 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
Pedogenic carbonate samples collected from three Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) fossil localities in Texas and Oklahoma were analyzed to develop paleoatmospheric pCO2 estimates by measuring the stable carbon isotopes of pedogenic calcite and their co-existing occluded organic matter. Calcite δ13C [...] Read more.
Pedogenic carbonate samples collected from three Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) fossil localities in Texas and Oklahoma were analyzed to develop paleoatmospheric pCO2 estimates by measuring the stable carbon isotopes of pedogenic calcite and their co-existing occluded organic matter. Calcite δ13C values ranged from −10.9‰ to −4.4‰ while occluded organic matter δ13C values ranged from −27.3‰ to −21.1‰. These stable carbon isotope measurements combined with temperature (30 °C) and soil-respired CO2 concentration (839–6047 ppmV) values provided atmospheric pCO2 estimates ranging from 67 ppmV to over 1100 ppmV. These estimates show a significant increase in atmospheric pCO2 during the late Aptian followed by a decrease in atmospheric pCO2 during the late Aptian to early Albian transition period, roughly correlating with the OEA1b event. Given the lack of chronostratigraphic constraints of the Lower Cretaceous geologic units in the study area, these data provide further evidence for the approximate age of the units as well as pertinent paleoclimate insights into greenhouse climate conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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17 pages, 2187 KiB  
Article
Stable Isotope Tracers of Cretaceous Arctic Paleoprecipitation
by Greg A. Ludvigson, Aaron F. Diefendorf, Marina B. Suarez, Luis A. González, Megan C. Corcoran, Kristen Schlanser, Peter P. Flaig, Paul J. McCarthy, Dolores van der Kolk, David Houseknecht and Margaret Sanders
Geosciences 2022, 12(4), 143; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences12040143 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2423
Abstract
We report estimated stable isotope compositions of depositional waters and paleoprecipitation from the Cretaceous Arctic to further elucidate the role of the global hydrologic cycle in sustaining polar warmth during that period. Estimates are based on new hydrogen isotopic analyses of n-alkane [...] Read more.
We report estimated stable isotope compositions of depositional waters and paleoprecipitation from the Cretaceous Arctic to further elucidate the role of the global hydrologic cycle in sustaining polar warmth during that period. Estimates are based on new hydrogen isotopic analyses of n-alkane biomarkers extracted from Late Cretaceous and mid-Cretaceous terrestrial deposits in northern Alaska and the Canadian High Arctic. We integrate these new results with earlier published work on oxygen isotopic analyses of pedogenic siderites, dinosaurian tooth enamel phosphates, and pedogenic clay minerals from the same field areas. Average Late Cretaceous δD values of −143‰ VSMOW corresponded with average δ18O values of −24.1‰ VSMOW, and average mid-Cretaceous δD values of −106‰ VSMOW corresponded with average δ18O values of −22.1‰ VSMOW. The distributions of water isotope δD and δ18O values from Cretaceous Arctic deposits do not intersect with the Global Meteoric Water Line, suggesting an apparent deuterium excess ranging from about 40 to 60 per mil. We considered several possible explanations for these Cretaceous results including (1) mass-balance changes in zonal patterns of evaporation and precipitation at lower latitudes, (2) concentration of 2H in leaf tissue waters from continuous transpiration by coniferous paleofloras during the Arctic growing season, and (3) concentration of 2H in the groundwaters of methane-emitting Arctic soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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21 pages, 3122 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
by James R. Bonelli, Jr. and Peter P. Flaig
Geosciences 2021, 11(11), 460; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences11110460 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2051
Abstract
Late Cretaceous coastal plain deposits of the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) offer a rare glimpse into an ancient, high-latitude, arctic greenhouse ecosystem for which there is no modern analog. Here, we employ quantitative biofacies analysis to explore the spatio-temporal variability in PCF palynomorph [...] Read more.
Late Cretaceous coastal plain deposits of the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) offer a rare glimpse into an ancient, high-latitude, arctic greenhouse ecosystem for which there is no modern analog. Here, we employ quantitative biofacies analysis to explore the spatio-temporal variability in PCF palynomorph and microbiota assemblages from nine paleosol horizons exposed along the Colville River, North Slope, Alaska. Biofacies results provide insight into paleoenvironmental controls on the coastal plain ecosystem. Cluster and ordination analyses recognize five biofacies and the following two assemblage types: (1) fern and moss dominated assemblages and (2) algae dominated assemblages. Ordination arrays biofacies along environmental gradients related to soil moisture and marine influence. Fern and moss dominated biofacies from regularly water-logged paleosols along lake and swamp margins on the lower delta plain clearly segregated from algae dominated assemblages of periodically drier levee-overbank paleosols. These results support previous interpretations from the sedimentology, paleopedology, and geochemistry of PCF paleosols that suggest that fluctuations in the water table, related to seasonal river discharge and variations in topography and drainage, controlled soil development and vegetation growth across the coastal plain. This quantitative biofacies-based approach provides an independent predictive tool and cross-check for interpreting environmental conditions along any ancient coastal ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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20 pages, 3635 KiB  
Article
Carbon Isotopic Signature and Organic Matter Composition of Cenomanian High-Latitude Paleosols of Southern Patagonia
by Augusto Nicolás Varela, María Sol Raigemborn, Patricio Emmanuel Santamarina, Sabrina Lizzoli, Thierry Adatte and Ulrich Heimhofer
Geosciences 2021, 11(9), 378; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/geosciences11090378 - 08 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2453
Abstract
The Cenomanian Mata Amarilla Formation (MAF) in southern Patagonia (~55° S paleolatitude, Austral-Magallanes Basin, Argentina) is composed mainly of stacked fluvial deposits with intercalated paleosols, which document Cenomanian environments at high-paleolatitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. We performed a multiproxy study of the paleosols [...] Read more.
The Cenomanian Mata Amarilla Formation (MAF) in southern Patagonia (~55° S paleolatitude, Austral-Magallanes Basin, Argentina) is composed mainly of stacked fluvial deposits with intercalated paleosols, which document Cenomanian environments at high-paleolatitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. We performed a multiproxy study of the paleosols and sediments of the MAF in order to (1) understand the composition of the soil- and sediment-derived organic matter (OM), (2) apply carbon isotope stratigraphy as a tool to correlate patterns obtained from the MAF with existing marine and non-marine δ13Corg records worldwide, and (3) investigate the relationship between variations in spore-pollen assemblages of the MAF and the climatic conditions prevailing in the Cenomanian Southern Hemisphere. An integrated dataset was generated, including total organic carbon content, Rock-Eval pyrolysis data, stable isotope (δ13Corg) composition, and palynological data, combined with published paleosol-derived mean annual temperatures and mean annual precipitations. The results indicated that the OM preserved in the MAF paleosols allowed its use as a chemostratigraphic tool. The MAF δ13Corg curve showed the rather stable pattern characteristic for the Early to Late Cenomanian interval. The absence of the major positive carbon isotope excursion associated with oceanic anoxic event 2 provided an upper limit for the stratigraphic range of the MAF. The palynological data suggested the development of fern prairies during warmer and moister periods at the expense of the background gymnosperm-dominated forests. Overall, the multiproxy record provided new insights into the long-term environmental conditions during the Cenomanian in the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Paleoclimatology and Paleohydrology of the Cretaceous Greenhouse World)
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