Early/Late Maastrichtian Climatic History of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans (Marine Geology): VPW

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Contrary to previous suggestions of uniform, warm and equable climatic conditions during the Late Cretaceous, foraminiferal isotopic results from deep-sea and onshore sequences reveal progressive cooling, and significant climatic and oceanographic variability during the Maastrichtian. Episodes of marked increase in forminiferal values correlate with decreases in specified oceanic values, documented sea level regressions and increases in seawater 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the early to late, and latest Maastrichtian. The coincidence of these events, and the similarity between Maastrichtian benthic foraminifera values and those of middle Eocene age associate with ice-rafted debris, suggest that these variations might be related to glacioeustatic phenomena. The research proposed will investigate and document the climatic and oceanographic history of the early to late Maastrichtian in the high and mid latitude South Atlantic and Indian Oceans based on foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotope measurements, and foraminiferal quantitative analyses. Biostratigraphic correlation of deep-sea sections will be enhanced by integration of biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy. Evidence of substantial continental ice accumulation in the Maastrichtian will have significant implications for modeling of Cretaceous climates as well as interpretations of climatic history in general. This project should lead to better paleooceanographic reconstructions, relevant to climatic evolution, suggesting when and how certain changes developed. It furthers VPW program objectives to provide opportunities for women to advance their careers in science or engineering through research, and to encourage other women to pursue careers in these areas through the investigators' enhanced visibility as role models on the host campuses. In this project, the proposed activities which contribute to the second objective include: teaching a course in chemical-biotic relations in the fossil record; giving lectures in geologic topics to universities, colleges and high schools near Princeton University to encourage women students to pursue scientific careers; co-teaching a departmental seminar each semester.