Large-scale integrated Cretaceous biostratigraphic correlations and paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions across the Boreal realm

加拿大西部和北极的白垩纪沉积盆地是加拿大最大的碳氢化合物生产国。白垩纪的沉积和古生物群落与温暖的温室气候和普遍的高海平面有关，形成了西部内海，有时连接着北冰洋和特提斯海。大多数工作集中在南部地区，那里是大多数油井的钻探地区。这项研究涉及加拿大北部较少被研究的白垩纪盆地，包括靠近西部内海北部入口的Eagle Plain和Mackenzie Plain，并与影响北冰洋古环境的北极岛屿进行了比较。这些都是了解白垩纪古气候、动植物响应和北冰洋古海洋对海道影响的关键区域。综合的白垩纪生物地层框架将把多个化石群聚集在一起，以完善现有的古地理重建，并有助于任何新的制图工作。相关的碎屑锆石研究将加强对盆地沉积和构造模式的评估，并限制来源解释。碳同位素研究将首次确定这些北部海洋对整个白垩纪常见的海洋缺氧事件的反应。确定可靠的泛北极生物地层学标志将支持未来的油气钻探活动。该项目为与行业相关的、多学科领域和基于实验室的研究提供了出色的学生培训部分。

Cretaceous sedimentary basins in Western and Arctic Canada are the largest hydrocarbon producers in Canada. Sedimentation and paleobiological communities of Creataceous time are linked to a warm Greenhouse climate and commonly high sea levels forming the Western Interior Sea at times connectingthe Boreal and the Tethyan seas. Most work focused on the southern regions where the majority of petroleum wells are drilled. This research addresses the less studied cretaceous basins of Canada's North including the Eagle Plain and Mackenzie Plain located close to the northern entrance way of the Western Interior Sea and compare those with the Arctic islands relfecting paleoenvironments of the Boreal Sea. These are crucial areas to understandCretaceous paleoclimates, response of flora and fauna and the Boreal paleoceanographic influence on the seaway. Intergrated Cretaceous biostratigraphic frameworks will bring together multiple fossil groups in order to refine existing paleogeographic reconstructions and aid any new mapping efforts. Associated detrital zircon studies will enhance assessment of basin sedimentation and tectonic patterns and constrain provenance interpretations. Carbon isotopes studies will for the first time establish the response of these northern seas tooceanic anoxic events that were common throughout the Cretaceous. The identification of reliable pan-Artic biostratigraphic markers will support future hydrocarbon drilling activities. The project delivers an excellent student training component for industry-related, multidisciplinary field and laboratory based research.