Late proterozoic stratigraphy of northwestern Canada and its record of earth system evolution

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The aim of this proposed research program is to use the late Proterozoic (c. 1200-540 Ma) stratigraphic record of northwestern Canada to reconstruct the tectonic history of the northwestern margin of North America and address outstanding questions about the evolution of the Earth system leading into the Phanerozoic Eon. This interdisciplinary research will combine rigorous fieldwork with state-of-the-art geochemical techniques and innovative climate-geochemical modeling to constrain the timing and nature of northwestern North America's break-up from the supercontinent Rodinia, identify the formerly adjacent continental fragments, determine the influence of rifting and associated magmatism on global climate, and calibrate the timing and tempo of important biogeochemical changes within Earth's surface environment. The fieldwork will be centered on the Yukon and Northwest territories, where Proterozoic inliers and belts have emerged as key localities for addressing these questions of global significance. My research group will spend about 4 weeks each summer carrying out this field work, which will require helicopter transport to mountainous terrain that is otherwise inaccessible.