T51 The Other Red Planet: Terrestrial Environments and Climates from the Permian and Triassic

Sunday, 25 September 2016
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 501

FLORAL, BACTERIAL AND ORGANIC CARBON ISOTOPE CHANGES ACROSS THE NON-MARINE PERMO-TRIASSIC BOUNDARY AT WYBUNG HEAD, AUSTRALIA AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

Paper number: T51-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Authors

Abstract

The Permo-Triassic boundary section at Wybung Head, eastern Australia shows a rapid change from Permian coals to Triassic semi-arid silty floodplain deposits with a thin clay and coal breccia and paleosols between. The flora changes occur above the coal breccia in the paleosols. Total organic carbon drops from >30% in the coal, through <5% in the breccia to <1 % in the paleosols and silts. The organic δ13C values remain constant at ~ -25.5‰ in the coal and coal breccia but then decrease to variable -26‰ to <-27‰ in the paleosols and silts. The lowest values correspond with bacteria in the samples. These results confirm in more detail, the rapid overall sedimentary, floral and organic carbon isotope changes across the non-marine PTr boundary in eastern Australia. Fungal studies are in progress and will be reported if completed.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 7

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-283961

© Copyright 2016 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.