Title
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Central Paratethys Using Stable Isotopes from Bryozoan Skeletons
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2013
Department
Earth Sciences
Language
English
Publication Title
International Journal of Earth Sciences
Abstract
Stable carbon and oxygen isotope values from single bryozoan colonies were used to reconstruct the paleoenvironments of the Early to Middle Miocene (Ottnangian to Badenian) sediments of the Central Paratethys. This approach utilizes a locally abundant allochem while avoiding matrix and multiple allochem contamination from bulk rock samples. Bryozoan colonies (and a few foraminifera and rock matrix samples) from 14 localities yielded 399 carbon and oxygen isotope values. Data from six of the localities (15 % of the total number of samples) were interpreted as having been diagenetically altered and were rejected. The remaining data indicate a primarily localized upwelling signal with lesser variation caused by global climatic and regional tectonic forcing of sea level, salinity, and temperature. Paleotemperatures were calculated to range from 12 to 21°C. Despite potential taxonomic and diageneticproblems, bryozoan colonies are a powerful, underutilized source of paleoenvironmental carbon and oxygen isotope data.
DOI
10.1007/s00531-012-0786-z
Recommended Citation
Key, Marcus M., Jr., Kamil Zágoršek, and William P. Patterson. "Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Central Paratethys Using Stable Isotopes from Bryozoan Skeletons." International Journal of Earth Sciences 102, no.1 (2013): 305-318. doi:10.1007/s00531-012-0786-z.
Comments
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