Physical signatures of climate change in continental margin stratigraphy
Abstract
Physical signatures of climate change in continental margin successions occur at various scales and frequencies. This talk shows examples of physical products of high (flood events) and meso-frequency (orbital-forced) climate change that are recorded in shallow and deep-water delta and turbidite systems. Climate changes that leave outcrop detectable physical signatures that will be discussed include 1) grain size distribution in hemipelagic sediments, 2) sedimentary beds related to catastrophic changes in run off and 3) sedimentary units (system-scale) that are related to Milankovitch-scale changes in climate (run off). The prodelta of shelf-edge deltas that are fed by rivers issuing from relatively small drainage basins are considered potentially good recorders of abrupt changes in climate controlled run-off. The bottom line, however, is that it is extremely difficult to identify physical signatures of abrupt climate change without considering other, independent evidence.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFMOS41B..04P
- Keywords:
-
- 3022 Marine sediments: processes and transport;
- 3675 Sedimentary petrology