The occurrence of marine fossils in the Upper Cretaceous deltaic sediments at Pautût, central West Greenland

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftArtikelForskningpeer review

Resumé

Finds of Upper Cretaceous marine macrofossils from Pautût have been reported since 1874. Subsequent investigations have led to contrasting views concerning the stratigraphicposition of the fossils, the general depositional environment, and the amount of marine influence. 
During a brief visit to Pautût in the summer of 1989, a section of the exposed sediments was described. The sediments can be divided into 4 facies associations reflecting depositionon a progradingdelta front, in distributary channels, on a subaerial to limnic delta plain and on an abandoned delta lobe during a marine transgression. The sedimentological model predicts that marine fossils, if present, should occur in the delta front association. 
The sediments were thoroughly searchedfor marine macrofossils, which were found inthe lower part of the prominent coarsening-upward delta front sequences. The number of fossils is generally low. Bivalves and echinoids constitute the dominant groups of fossils and seem to have been well adapted to a life in muddy marine bays, subject to fluctuations in salinity and rate of deposition and with much suspended sediment. 
The fossils indicate that the beds at Pautut were deposited during latest Santonian to earliest Campanian times. Sediment accumulation rates were high. The stratigraphy within the Pautût area is discussed and all the Cretaceous sediments are referred to the Atane Formation.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Sider (fra-til)111-122
Antal sider12
TidsskriftBulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark
Vol/bind39
StatusUdgivet - 20 dec. 1991
Udgivet eksterntJa

Programområde

  • Programområde 3: Energiressourcer

Fingeraftryk

Dyk ned i forskningsemnerne om 'The occurrence of marine fossils in the Upper Cretaceous deltaic sediments at Pautût, central West Greenland'. Sammen danner de et unikt fingeraftryk.

Citationsformater