Biostratigraphy of Paleogene Diatom Assemblages in the Southern Ocean

Authors

Angela Kaup, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

David Harwood

Second Advisor

Sherilyn Fritz

Third Advisor

Mindi Searls

Date of this Version

Fall 12-3-2021

Citation

Kaup, A. M. (2021). Biostratigraphy of Paleogene diatom assemblages in the Southern Ocean.

Comments

A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science, Major: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Under the Supervision of Professor David Harwood. Lincoln, Nebraska: December, 2021

Copyright © 2021 Angela Kaup

Abstract

The record of siliceous microfossil sedimentation in the high latitude South Atlantic Ocean has great potential for dating seismic and stratigraphic units. Over the last several decades, scientists have documented diatom biostratigraphic record from sediment cores and drill cores in the Falkland Plateau and Maurice Ewing Bank region, as well as other areas of the Southern Ocean, and a robust chronostratigraphic framework is available for Neogene sequences. Given the complicated nature of ocean bathymetry, tectonic plate motion (vertical and lateral), and ocean current flow, the sedimentological evolution of this oceanic region is not well understood. Sampling sediment cores at high resolution intervals has the potential to offer additional understanding of sedimentation, erosion, and diatom occurrences in this region. This thesis adds new information from diatom records in the South Atlantic Ocean, specifically around the Falkland Plateau and Maurice Ewing Bank. Chapter 1 identifies the structure of this thesis and presents an overview of the project, including a summary of the present state of diatom biostratigraphy in the Southern Ocean. Chapter 2 presents new information on the diatom-based age of sediment cores recovered during a site survey cruise by The Royal Research Ship (RRS) Discovery during Cruise DY087, as well as existing cores from the same region. The goal of dating these cores is to assess the age of seismic units in this region in order to identify future drilling targets. Chapter 3 presents details of the age and diatom assemblages of two Paleogene piston cores the cores from ARA Islas Orcadas Cruise 1678. These cores are correlated to existing Antarctic and Southern Ocean drill core records.

Advisor: David Harwood