Collaborative Research: Terrestrial Paleoenvironmental Record Through the Permian-Triassic Transition of Texas and New Mexico

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该项目涉及伯克利地质年代学中心、加州大学、新墨西哥州大学、新墨西哥州州立大学和南卫理公会大学的科学家之间的合作。项目？的首要目标是确定在德克萨斯州西北部和新墨西哥州东南部的沉积地层中保存的陆地环境中的环境条件，在一个短暂的时间间隔内，包括古生代和中生代时代之间的过渡，当地球上已知的最大的质量波动？的历史发生。利用古地磁学和年代学（40 Ar/39 Ar和U/Pb法）相结合的方法，建立了高分辨率的区域年代地层格架。在年代地层学的支持下，将建立夸特马斯特组沉积条件和环境的区域模型。化石花粉的分析，如果存在，将阐明跨越灭绝地平线的时间间隔的生态条件（和变化）。氧和碳的同位素被用来量化大气中的二氧化碳浓度和地表空气温度。这些结果将有助于澄清地球系统的环境耐受性，并有助于了解我们星球上已知的最深刻的生物灾难的原因。的历史。作为研究领域和实验室组成部分的参与者，参与机构的本科生和研究生将接受该项目所采用的各种科学学科的实践培训。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This project involves a collaboration between scientists at the Berkeley Geochronology Center, University of California, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, and Southern Methodist University. The project?s overarching goal is to determine environmental conditions in terrestrial environments preserved in sedimentary strata of northwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, over a brief time interval including the transition between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras, when the greatest mass extinctions known in Earth?s history occurred. A detailed program of paleomagnetism integrated with geochronology (using the 40Ar/39Ar and U/Pb methods) are used to provide a high resolution, regional chronostratigraphic framework. Supported by the chronostratigraphy, a regional model of depositional conditions and environments for the Quartermaster Formation will be developed. Analysis of fossil pollen, where present, will elucidate ecological conditions (and changes) across the time interval spanning the extinction horizon. Isotopes of oxygen and carbon are used to quantify atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and surface air temperatures. The results will help clarify the environmental tolerances of the Earth system, and aid understanding of the causes of the most profound biotic catastrophe known in our planet?s history. As participants in field and laboratory components of the research, undergraduate and graduate students at the participating institutions will receive hands-on training in the diverse scientific disciplines employed in the project.