Abstract

For the same reasons which prompted its ratification in 1990 as the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the Mid-Carboniferous boundary, namely, section completeness, abundant fossils, and excellent exposure, the Morrowan Arrow Canyon Bird Spring strata is recommended as a candidate standard sequence stratigraphic reference for the Morrowan portion of the Lower Absaroka I supersequence. The stratigraphic architecture of Morrowan strata in Arrow Canyon was largely controlled by high-amplitude (100-m), high-frequency sea-level changes. Outcrop data and facies stacking patterns define 59 fifth-order fundamental cycles. These fundamental cycles stack into ten third-order sequences with an average duration of 320 ka. Changes in both cycle thickness and fundamental cycle type indicate that the second-order sea-level curve of Golonka and Keissling for the Lower Absaroka Ia supersequence should be modified to reflect rising sea-level from the Mid-Carboniferous boundary with maximum flooding conditions ~120 to 135 meters above the Mid-Carboniferous boundary, followed by falling sea-level to ~6 meters below the Morrowan-Atokan boundary in Arrow Canyon. Additionally, cycle diagnostic conodonts and foraminifera permit correlation of selected third-order sequences to basins containing time-equivalent strata.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Geological Sciences

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2005-04-21

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd807

Keywords

cycle, sequence, second-order, sea level, Morrowan, Arrow Canyon, third-order, Bird Spring Formation, stratigraphy

Language

English

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