Cenomanian-Turonian carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Andreas Prokoph; Lameed Olabode Babalola; Hafida El Bilali; Sulaiman Olagoke; Volker Rachold

doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005

Cenomanian-Turonian carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Andreas Prokoph^*
, Lameed Olabode Babalola
, Hafida El Bilali
, Sulaiman Olagoke
, Volker Rachold

^*Corresponding author for this work

Center for Integrative Petroleum Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary was characterized by distinctive positive carbon isotope excursions that were related to the formation of widespread oceanic anoxia. High-resolution geochemical proxies (TOC, CaCO₃, δ¹³C_org, and δ¹³C_carb) obtained from bulk rock, planktic foraminifers, and inoceramids from four marine marlstone-dominated stratigraphic sections in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) were used to establish a regional carbon isotope stratigraphic framework and to investigate paleoenvironmental variability in four different depositional settings. Compared to background δ¹³C_org, (<-27‰) and δ¹³C_carb (<2‰) values which were correlative to stable isotope excursions during Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) II worldwide, the δ¹³C_org (>24‰), and δ¹³C_carb (>4‰) derived from inoceramid prisms in the studied sections within WCSB, were elevated during the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian. During this interval, TOC and CaCO₃ values which increased sporadically to >40% and 7%, respectively, were not consistent enough to be used for stratigraphic correlations. Based on the δ¹³C_org excursions, two bentonite beds were regionally correlated across this portion of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). The eruption associated with the "Red" bentonite occurred approximately coeval with the maximum δ¹³C_org-excursion during OAE II in the Neocardioceras juddii Zone, whereas the "Blue" bentonite coincides with the termination of OAE II in the latest Watinoceras devonense zone. During the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian in the WCSB, benthic foraminifers were sparse or totally absent, indicating the existence of fully anoxic bottom-water conditions. Planktic foraminifera were common in the well-oxygenated surface waters. A benthic oxic zone characterized by several agglutinated species occurs in the eastern part of the WSCB at the beginning of OAE II in the Sciponoceras gracile zone. The termination of the OAE II in the WCSB coincides with the first occurrence of small ammonites (Subprionocyclus sp.) in the western part of the basin.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	39-53
Number of pages	15
Journal	Cretaceous Research
Volume	44
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005
State	Published - Aug 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research has been supported by the National Research Council of Canada to AP (NSERC Grant RGPIN 283208-2004 ). We thank Dr. Claudia Schröeder-Adams and Dr. Guy Plint for helpful discussions. We also thank Dr. Ann Holbourn, Dr. Peter Harris, and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments. We are very grateful for the help in language editing provided by Dr. Blair Paul Bremberg (Technical Editor, Research Institute, KFUPM, Dhahran Saudi Arabia).

Keywords

Bentonites
Carbon isotope stratigraphy
Cretaceous
OAE II
Western Canada

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Paleontology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005

Cite this

@article{4ebf10b54ad84321873a5181dd64a4bf,

title = "Cenomanian-Turonian carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin",

abstract = "The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary was characterized by distinctive positive carbon isotope excursions that were related to the formation of widespread oceanic anoxia. High-resolution geochemical proxies (TOC, CaCO3, δ13Corg, and δ13Ccarb) obtained from bulk rock, planktic foraminifers, and inoceramids from four marine marlstone-dominated stratigraphic sections in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) were used to establish a regional carbon isotope stratigraphic framework and to investigate paleoenvironmental variability in four different depositional settings. Compared to background δ13Corg, (<-27‰) and δ13Ccarb (<2‰) values which were correlative to stable isotope excursions during Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) II worldwide, the δ13Corg (>24‰), and δ13Ccarb (>4‰) derived from inoceramid prisms in the studied sections within WCSB, were elevated during the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian. During this interval, TOC and CaCO3 values which increased sporadically to >40\% and 7\%, respectively, were not consistent enough to be used for stratigraphic correlations. Based on the δ13Corg excursions, two bentonite beds were regionally correlated across this portion of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). The eruption associated with the {"}Red{"} bentonite occurred approximately coeval with the maximum δ13Corg-excursion during OAE II in the Neocardioceras juddii Zone, whereas the {"}Blue{"} bentonite coincides with the termination of OAE II in the latest Watinoceras devonense zone. During the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian in the WCSB, benthic foraminifers were sparse or totally absent, indicating the existence of fully anoxic bottom-water conditions. Planktic foraminifera were common in the well-oxygenated surface waters. A benthic oxic zone characterized by several agglutinated species occurs in the eastern part of the WSCB at the beginning of OAE II in the Sciponoceras gracile zone. The termination of the OAE II in the WCSB coincides with the first occurrence of small ammonites (Subprionocyclus sp.) in the western part of the basin.",

keywords = "Bentonites, Carbon isotope stratigraphy, Cretaceous, OAE II, Western Canada",

author = "Andreas Prokoph and Babalola, \{Lameed Olabode\} and \{El Bilali\}, Hafida and Sulaiman Olagoke and Volker Rachold",

note = "Funding Information: This research has been supported by the National Research Council of Canada to AP (NSERC Grant RGPIN 283208-2004 ). We thank Dr. Claudia Schr{\"o}eder-Adams and Dr. Guy Plint for helpful discussions. We also thank Dr. Ann Holbourn, Dr. Peter Harris, and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments. We are very grateful for the help in language editing provided by Dr. Blair Paul Bremberg (Technical Editor, Research Institute, KFUPM, Dhahran Saudi Arabia). ",

year = "2013",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

pages = "39--53",

journal = "Cretaceous Research",

issn = "0195-6671",

publisher = "Academic Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cenomanian-Turonian carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

AU - Prokoph, Andreas

AU - Babalola, Lameed Olabode

AU - El Bilali, Hafida

AU - Olagoke, Sulaiman

AU - Rachold, Volker

N1 - Funding Information: This research has been supported by the National Research Council of Canada to AP (NSERC Grant RGPIN 283208-2004 ). We thank Dr. Claudia Schröeder-Adams and Dr. Guy Plint for helpful discussions. We also thank Dr. Ann Holbourn, Dr. Peter Harris, and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments. We are very grateful for the help in language editing provided by Dr. Blair Paul Bremberg (Technical Editor, Research Institute, KFUPM, Dhahran Saudi Arabia).

PY - 2013/8

Y1 - 2013/8

N2 - The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary was characterized by distinctive positive carbon isotope excursions that were related to the formation of widespread oceanic anoxia. High-resolution geochemical proxies (TOC, CaCO3, δ13Corg, and δ13Ccarb) obtained from bulk rock, planktic foraminifers, and inoceramids from four marine marlstone-dominated stratigraphic sections in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) were used to establish a regional carbon isotope stratigraphic framework and to investigate paleoenvironmental variability in four different depositional settings. Compared to background δ13Corg, (<-27‰) and δ13Ccarb (<2‰) values which were correlative to stable isotope excursions during Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) II worldwide, the δ13Corg (>24‰), and δ13Ccarb (>4‰) derived from inoceramid prisms in the studied sections within WCSB, were elevated during the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian. During this interval, TOC and CaCO3 values which increased sporadically to >40% and 7%, respectively, were not consistent enough to be used for stratigraphic correlations. Based on the δ13Corg excursions, two bentonite beds were regionally correlated across this portion of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). The eruption associated with the "Red" bentonite occurred approximately coeval with the maximum δ13Corg-excursion during OAE II in the Neocardioceras juddii Zone, whereas the "Blue" bentonite coincides with the termination of OAE II in the latest Watinoceras devonense zone. During the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian in the WCSB, benthic foraminifers were sparse or totally absent, indicating the existence of fully anoxic bottom-water conditions. Planktic foraminifera were common in the well-oxygenated surface waters. A benthic oxic zone characterized by several agglutinated species occurs in the eastern part of the WSCB at the beginning of OAE II in the Sciponoceras gracile zone. The termination of the OAE II in the WCSB coincides with the first occurrence of small ammonites (Subprionocyclus sp.) in the western part of the basin.

AB - The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary was characterized by distinctive positive carbon isotope excursions that were related to the formation of widespread oceanic anoxia. High-resolution geochemical proxies (TOC, CaCO3, δ13Corg, and δ13Ccarb) obtained from bulk rock, planktic foraminifers, and inoceramids from four marine marlstone-dominated stratigraphic sections in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) were used to establish a regional carbon isotope stratigraphic framework and to investigate paleoenvironmental variability in four different depositional settings. Compared to background δ13Corg, (<-27‰) and δ13Ccarb (<2‰) values which were correlative to stable isotope excursions during Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) II worldwide, the δ13Corg (>24‰), and δ13Ccarb (>4‰) derived from inoceramid prisms in the studied sections within WCSB, were elevated during the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian. During this interval, TOC and CaCO3 values which increased sporadically to >40% and 7%, respectively, were not consistent enough to be used for stratigraphic correlations. Based on the δ13Corg excursions, two bentonite beds were regionally correlated across this portion of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). The eruption associated with the "Red" bentonite occurred approximately coeval with the maximum δ13Corg-excursion during OAE II in the Neocardioceras juddii Zone, whereas the "Blue" bentonite coincides with the termination of OAE II in the latest Watinoceras devonense zone. During the Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian in the WCSB, benthic foraminifers were sparse or totally absent, indicating the existence of fully anoxic bottom-water conditions. Planktic foraminifera were common in the well-oxygenated surface waters. A benthic oxic zone characterized by several agglutinated species occurs in the eastern part of the WSCB at the beginning of OAE II in the Sciponoceras gracile zone. The termination of the OAE II in the WCSB coincides with the first occurrence of small ammonites (Subprionocyclus sp.) in the western part of the basin.

KW - Bentonites

KW - Carbon isotope stratigraphy

KW - Cretaceous

KW - OAE II

KW - Western Canada

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84878927959

U2 - 10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005

DO - 10.1016/j.cretres.2013.03.005

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84878927959

SN - 0195-6671

VL - 44

SP - 39

EP - 53

JO - Cretaceous Research

JF - Cretaceous Research

ER -

Cenomanian-Turonian carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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