Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A South Polar View Of Late Paleozoic Glaciation: Physical Sedimentology And Provenance Of Glacial Successions In The Tasmanian And Transantarctic Basins, Elizabeth Rosa Woodford Ives

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA; ~ 374 – 256 Ma) is the longest Phanerozoic icehouse interval. this interval in Earth’s history was largely defined by extensive glaciation of the southern hemisphere at both polar and temperate latitudes. Glaciers are powerful climatic and geologic actors, especially during icehouse periods, and widespread glaciation can have a significant influence on both regional and global climate and geology. Therefore, constraining the characteristics of LPIA glaciers is essential to developing a global-scale understanding of this key climatic event in Earth’s history. The manuscripts in this dissertation examine the sedimentology, transport directions, stratigraphy, and detrital …

Sedimentological And Geochemical Analysis Of Deep-Water Deposits In The Mojón De Hierro Formation At Arroyo Garrido, Tepuel-Genoa Basin, Patagonia, Argentina, Natalie Beatrice Mcnall

Theses and Dissertations

The Earth has had multiple Phanerozoic glacial intervals but the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) was its longest and most extensive, lasting from the Late Devonian (~372 Ma) until the Late Permian (~254 Ma). The LPIA is the last complete climate shift from a greenhouse to icehouse and back to a greenhouse state and the only one to occur on a biologically complex Earth. Therefore, it provides perspectives on deep-time climatic transitions, the parameters controlling them, and the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological responses to such climate changes. Research on mid to high-latitude deposits in Gondwana provides evidence that the …

Testing The Late Paleozoic Ice Volume Paradox In The Southernmost Paraná Basin, Brazil, Nicholas David Fedorchuk

Theses and Dissertations

The late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA; ~372-259 Ma) was the last complete transition from icehouse to greenhouse conditions on a fully vegetated Earth, making it a relevant analog for modern Earth systems. High frequency glacioeustatic fluctuation of ~100-200 m during the late Paleozoic are described by some authors in low paleolatitude basins and attributed to the orbitally-driven, waxing and waning of a massive (~20-35 x 106 km2) hypothetical ice sheet. This massive ice sheet is traditionally interpreted to have covered much of southern Gondwana for >100 m.y. Meanwhile, recent studies of high-paleolatitude glacial deposits imply a much more complex pattern …

Using Ams To Help Interpret Glaciogenic Deposits Of The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In The Paraná Basin, Brazil, James Anthony Amato

Theses and Dissertations

The term ‘diamictite’ is used as a lithologic descriptive term without assigning a particular origin to a rock unit as either glacial deposits (till), proglacial, glacially influenced deposits (resulting from meltwater plumes and ice rafted debris), or mass transport deposits (glacial or non-glacial related). While in some cases, it is possible to delineate between the origins of diamictites, in other instances, weathering and lack of exposures make it difficult to determine. In general, the occurrence of diamictites within the Gondwana succession has been traditionally used to indicate the occurrence of subglacial deposition despite the potential occurrence of other depositional modes. …

Sedimentology Of The Mid-Carboniferous Basal Fill Of The Olta Paleovalley, Eastern Paganzo Basin, Argentina, Levi Darwin Moxness

Theses and Dissertations

As global climate transitioned from the icehouse of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) to greenhouse conditions of the Late Permian, glaciers vanished across Gondwana; however, not all ice centers responded synchronously. The Paganzo basin, northwestern Argentina, was geographically adjacent to significant mid-Carboniferous ice centers that disappeared notably earlier than ice over much of Gondwana. Confining the extent of glacial ice during the LPIA and resolving the timing of its disappearance is of particular interest as this dramatic climatic transition is the closest analogue in Earth history to late Cenozoic climate change, potentially aiding in anticipating the response of modern …

Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of High-Latitude, Glacigenic Deposits From The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In The Tepuel-Genoa Basin, Patagonia, Argentina, Sarah Rose Survis

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) was the longest lived ice age of the Phanerozoic lasting ~87 million years. During this time multiple, small ice sheets advanced and retreated with alternating glacial and nonglacial intervals across Gondwana. Controversy still remains over the size, timing, and number of ice sheets because the traditional view of Gondwana during this time is of a single, large ice sheet that waxed and waned across the supercontinent. Furthermore, high-latitude glacially-influenced basins during the Carboniferous have received limited attention, underscoring the poor understanding of glacial to non-glacial transitions. The Tepuel Basin in Patagonia, Argentina, was located …

Late Paleozoic Glaciation And Ice Sheet Collapse Over Western And Eastern Gondwana: Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of Glacial To Post-Glacial Strata In Western Argentina And Tasmania, Australia, Lindsey C. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

The late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA; 345-280 million years ago) provides the last complete record of a major deglaciation on a vegetated Earth, and therefore can serve as a proxy for Earth's inevitable transition out of its present glaciated state. This project analyzes climate change during and following the LPIA using two different approaches:

1) Detailed sedimentology analyses of five glacially-influenced formations in Argentina and Australia in order to determine the size and thermal regime of glaciers during the LPIA.

2) An investigation of massive volcanism along the Panthalassan margin of Gondwana as a source of CO2 that may have …