Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Late Paleozoic Sea Levels And Depositional Sequences, Charles A. Ross, June R. P. Ross

Geology Faculty Publications

Cyclic sea level charts for the Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian), Middle and Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian), and Permian show considerable variability in the duration and magnitude of third-order depositional sequences, and also in the position of general sea level as represented by second-order sea level. Transgressive and highstand system tracts are numerous on the cratonic shelves of the late Paleozoic continents. Shelf margin wedges are less well represented except at times of general lower sea levels. Most low stand wedges and all low stand fan systems are structurally deformed and make up many of the accretionary wedges and displaced terranes that lie …

Biostratigraphic Zonation Of Late Paleozoic Depositional Sequences, Charles A. Ross, June R. P. Ross

Geology Faculty Publications

Correlation of more than seventy third-order depositional sequences in Carboniferous and Permian strata uses assemblage zones of warm water benthic and nektonic shelf faunas. These include calcareous foraminifers, bryozoans, conodonts, and ammonoids and represent tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate water faunas from carbonate shelves and adjacent cratonic basins.

After the Early Carboniferous faunal zonation was highly provincial and worldwide correlations of depositional sequences are based on interpretations of evolutionary lineages and depositional patterns in each province and in identifying times of limited dispersals between provinces.

Associated with these faunal zones there were times of expanded or reduced faunal diversities and …