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

加拿大西部和北极地区的白垩纪沉积盆地是加拿大最大的碳氢化合物生产地。白垩纪时期的沉积作用和古生物群落与温暖的温室气候和通常的高海平面有关，在连接北方海和特提斯海的时候形成了西部内海。 大部分工作集中在南部地区，那里钻探了大部分石油威尔斯。 本研究针对加拿大北部研究较少的白垩纪盆地，包括鹰平原和麦肯齐平原位于靠近北方入口的方式西部内陆海和比较那些与北极岛屿reflecting北中国海的古环境。 这些是了解白垩纪古气候、植物群和动物群的响应以及北方古海洋学对海道的影响的关键领域。 综合白垩纪生物地层框架将汇集多个化石群，以完善现有的古地理重建，并帮助任何新的绘图工作。 相关碎屑锆石研究将加强盆地沉积和构造模式的评估，并限制物源解释。 碳同位素研究将首次确定这些北方海域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标志物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实验室研究提供了优秀的学生培训。

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.