Understanding Jurassic and Cretaceous High Arctic Paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimate Change
Final Report Abstract
Understanding the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution of Canada’s Arctic region is essential for assessing short- and long-term climate, environmental, and paleogeographic changes during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Our three Arctic field seasons (2011, 2014, 2019) were highly successful; for the first time, we documented significant Jurassic and Cretaceous paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic events, including Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs; Toarcian Event, Weissert Event, OAE1a, late Aptian cold snap, OAE2, OAE3) at Glacier Fiord, Lost Hammer, Slidre Fiord, and Strand Fiord on Axel Heiberg Island and Eidsbotn Graben at Devon Island of the High Arctic Sverdrup Basin. We also made substantial advancements in the chronology of lithostratigraphic Formations of the High Arctic Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary successions, which is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Sverdrup Basin during the Mesozoic and the associated volcanism, particularly the relationship between Arctic Large Igneous Province (LIP) volcanism and Oceanic Anoxic Events such as the (OAEs 1a and 2). Our findings suggests that the Jurassic and Cretaceous High Arctic Ocean functioned as a significant carbon sink on a global scale and underscore the potential of these sedimentary successions to reveal marine paleoenvironmental dynamics during Jurassic and Cretaceous key intervals. Using proxies such as carbon and osmium isotopes, TEX86, organic geochemistry (i.e., biomarker), and microfossils, we recorded variations in temperature, productivity, and the onset of dysoxic to anoxic bottom waters. Furthermore, we were able to calibrate Arctic diatom and silicoflagellate evolution within a chronostratigraphic framework for the late Cretaceous. The latter will help to illuminate a long-standing gap in the siliceous plankton evolution, bridging the exceptionally well-preserved middle Albian diatoms from the Weddell Sea of Antarctica and the well-documented Campanian/Maastrichtian silicoflagellate and diatom-rich deposits. Our international collaborative efforts have resulted in several peer-reviewed publications numerous B.Sc. and M.Sc. theses that enhance our understanding of the Mesozoic evolution of the High Arctic realm. Furthermore, as part of our public relations work, we have produced a documentary film, ‘Arctic Greenhouse’, to make our findings accessible to a wider public.
Publications
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Albian to Santonian carbon isotope excursions and faunal extinctions in the Canadian Western Interior Sea: Recognition of eustatic sea-level controls on a forebulge setting. Sedimentary Geology, 281, 50-58.
Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Herrle, Jens O. & Tu, Qiang
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High resolution carbon isotope stratigraphy and glendonite occurrences of the Christopher Formation, Sverdrup Basin (Axel Heiberg Island, Canada): implications for mid Cretaceous high latitude climate change. Paper presented at the EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Herrle, J. O.; Schröder-Adams, C. J.; Galloway, J. M. & Pugh, A. T.
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The Cretaceous Sverdrup Basin, Nunavut, Canada: A Boreal Ocean under Greenhouse Conditions. Paper presented at the EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Schröder-Adams, C. J.; Herrle, J. O.; Pugh, A. T.; Andrews, J. & Galloway, J.
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Aptian to Santonian foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental change in the Sverdrup Basin as revealed at Glacier Fiord, Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 413, 81-100.
Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Herrle, Jens O.; Embry, Ashton F.; Haggart, James W.; Galloway, Jennifer M.; Pugh, Adam T. & Harwood, David M.
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Cenomanian to Santonian radiolarian biostratigraphy, carbon isotope stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Sverdrup Basin, Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut, Canada. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 413, 101-122.
Pugh, Adam T.; Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Carter, Elizabeth S.; Herrle, Jens O.; Galloway, Jennifer; Haggart, James W.; Andrews, Julie L. & Hatsukano, K.
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High Arctic and low latitude Atlantic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes in the Mid-Cretaceous (Axel Heiberg and Ellef Ringnes Island, DSDP Site 545, ODP Sites 1258, 1049). Arbeitskreis Geologie und Geophysik der Polargebiete, 22
Herrle, J.; Schröder-Adams, C.; Selby, D.; Du Vivier, A.; Flögel, S.; McAnena, A. & Hofmann, P.
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High Arctic paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic changes in the Mid-Cretaceous. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2014; Vienna; AT; April 27-May 2, 2014
Herrle, J.; Schröder-Adams, C.; Selby, D.; Du Vivier, A.; Flögel, S.; McAnena, A. & Hofmann, P.
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Mid-Cretaceous High Arctic stratigraphy, climate, and Oceanic Anoxic Events. Geology, 43(5), 403-406.
Herrle, Jens O.; Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Davis, William; Pugh, Adam T.; Galloway, Jennifer M. & Fath, Jared
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U–Pb geochronology of bentonites from the Upper Cretaceous Kanguk Formation, Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada: constraints on sedimentation rates, biostratigraphic correlations and the late magmatic history of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province. Geological Magazine, 154(4), 757-776.
DAVIS, WILLIAM J.; SCHRÖDER-ADAMS, CLAUDIA J.; GALLOWAY, JENNIFER M.; HERRLE, JENS O. & PUGH, ADAM T.
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Carbon Isotopes. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, 194-204.
Wagner, Thomas; Magill, Clayton R. & Herrle, Jens O.
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Integrated biostratigraphy and carbon isotope stratigraphy for the Upper Cretaceous Kanguk Formation of the High Arctic Sverdrup Basin, Canada. GSA Bulletin, 130(9-10), 1540-1561.
Davies, Marissa A.; Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Herrle, Jens O.; Hülse, Peter; Schneider, Simon; Quesnel, Alex & Harwood, David M.
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Onshore Cretaceous-Paleogene stratigraphic studies, Nunavut: GEM-2 Baffin Project, report of activities 2018.
Haggart, J. W.; Dafoe, L. T.; Tremblay, T.; Burden, E. T.; Williams, G. L.; Fensome, R. A.; Currie, L. D.; Enoogoo, J.; Clark, K.; Herrle, J. O. & Schröder-Adams, C. J.
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Response of vegetation to Lower Cretaceous paleoclimate variation in the Canadian Arctic. Paper presented at the EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Galloway, J. M.; Hadlari, T.; Fensome, R.; Swindles, G. T.; Schroder-Adams, C.; Herrle, J. & Fath, J.
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Influence of the High Arctic Igneous Province on the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary interval, Sverdrup Basin, High Canadian Arctic. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 511, 76-88.
Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Herrle, Jens O.; Selby, David; Quesnel, Alex & Froude, Gregory
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Bottom water redox conditions and benthic foraminiferal morphogroup response in the Late Cretaceous Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for Oceanic Anoxic Event 3. Cretaceous Research, 111, 104449.
Davies, Marissa A.; Schröder-Adams, Claudia J.; Herrle, Jens O.; Hülse, Peter & Schneider, Simon
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Macrofauna and biostratigraphy of the Rollrock Section, northern Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic Islands – a comprehensive high latitude archive of the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition. Cretaceous Research, 114, 104508.
Schneider, Simon; Kelly, Simon R.A.; Mutterlose, Jörg; Herrle, Jens O.; Hülse, Peter; Jolley, David W.; Schröder-Adams, Claudia J. & Lopez-Mir, Berta
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Carbon isotope and sequence stratigraphy of the upper Isachsen Formation on Axel Heiberg Island (Nunavut, Canada): High Arctic expression of oceanic anoxic event 1a in a deltaic environment. Geosphere, 17(2), 501-519.
Dummann, W.; Schröder-Adams, C.; Hofmann, P.; Rethemeyer, J. & Herrle, J.O.
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Der Arbeitskreis Geologie und Geophysik der Polargebiete. Polarforschung, 89(1), 51-55.
Herrle, Jens O.; Spiegel, Cornelia; Läufer, Andreas & de Vera, Jean-Pierre Paul
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Exploring the role of High Arctic Large Igneous Province volcanism on Early Cretaceous Arctic forests. Cretaceous Research, 129, 105022.
Galloway, Jennifer M.; Fensome, Robert A.; Swindles, Graeme T.; Hadlari, Thomas; Fath, Jared; Schröder-Adams, Claudia; Herrle, Jens O. & Pugh, Adam
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Polar Regions, Climate Change and Society, 28th International Polar Conference, Potsdam, 01–05 May 2022, German Society for Polar Research. Berichte zur Polarund Meeresforschung, Reports on polar and marine research, 762
Kassens, H.; Damaske, D.; Diekmann, B.; Flisker, F.; Heinemann, G.; Herrle, J. O. & Lehmann, R.
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The Silica Cycle on a continental Shelf during the Upper Cretaceous: Reconstructions of Silicon Isotopes of Sponges, Radiolaria and Diatoms. Goldschmidt2023 abstracts.
Doering, Kristin; Zhang, Zhouling; Dai, Yuhao; Dummann, Wolf; Pickering, Rebecca; Brylka, Karolina; Stoerling, Tjoerdis; Schröder-Adams, Claudia; Richoz, Sylvain; Frank, Martin; Herrle, Jens; Harwood, David & Conley, Daniel
