Abstract
High resolution inorganic carbon isotope stratigraphy provides a new tool for correlating the Neoproterozoic Shaler Supergroup with the Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup. Previous stratigraphic studies established a widely accepted basis for correlation between the two supergroups. This contribution introduces a revised, testable hypothesis for the correlation of the Shaler and Mackenzie Mountains supergroups, based on matching distinctive features in the Shaler Supergroup δ13C data with the previously published δ13C curve for the Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup. The hypothesis suggests that some lithologically similar units in the two basins were deposited diachronously, and that a significant disconformity may exist within the Wynniatt Formation of the Shaler Supergroup. An important implication of the newly proposed correlation is that the flora and fauna of the Wynniatt Formation predate the " Bitter Springs" isotopic stage, placing a new constraint on the chronology of the Neoproterozoic fossil record.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 43-63 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Precambrian Research |
| Volume | 181 |
| Issue number | 1-4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2010 |
Funding
Dave Maloley and Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP) provided logistical support in the field. Funding was provided by a PCSP grant to Maloof and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to Jones. Paul Hoffman, Andy Knoll, and Francis Macdonald provided insightful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Greg Eischeid guided the preparation of samples for isotopic analysis. Two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive feedback.
Keywords
- Chemostratigraphic correlation
- Isotope stratigraphy
- Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup
- Neoproterozoic
- Shaler Supergroup
- Victoria Island
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geology
- Geochemistry and Petrology