Cretaceous Magmatism
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HideSuperplumes and Global Magmatism
Resources containing information about the Cretaceous superplume event and its effects on global magmatism.
- Geochemical evidence for a mid-Cretaceous superplume. This is an abstract of an online journal (Geology) article which presents geochemical compositions of basalts from the Polynesian "superswell" region of the South Pacific. The geochemical data from the basalts, along with their ages, are interpreted as indicating a deep-mantle plume origin and superplume activity in the region as old as 90-150 million years ago. This page also includes information on how to purchase the full text article. (more info)
- The biogeochemical consequences of the mid-Cretaceous superplume. This journal article (published in the Journal of Geodynamics) proposes that large amounts of carbon were liberated from submarine methane clathrate deposits during the mid-Cretaceous superplume event. Evidence for this hypothes is based on carbon isotope records of marine carbonates, marine organisms, and terrestrial plants. The author speculates that possible effects of this disruption on the global carbon cycle may have included widespread oceanic anoxia and changes in land plants at mid- to high-latitudes. (more info)
Guided student activity: The Cretaceous Superplume.
Sierra Nevada Batholith, Yosemite National Park. Details
Batholiths
Resources containing information about Cretaceous intrusive bodies.
- Cretaceous Paleogeography of the Southwestern U.S.. The complex tectonic evolution of southwestern US is explained with these detailed paleogeographic maps of this region. Significant geologic features such as the Cordilleran volcanic arc, the Cordilleran fold and thrust belt, incipient Laramide uplifts, foreland basin and Western Interior seaway are depicted in this series of maps. Discussions of important geologic features, concepts and the tectonic evolution of the southwestern US during the Cretaceous accompany the maps. (more info)
- Geology Fieldnotes: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. This site provides geologic information, maps, and visitor information for Capitol Reef National Park. The geologic discussion covers the Waterpocket Fold, a classic monocline of Cretaceous-Eocene age, the stratigraphy of the sedimentary rocks (Permian-Cretaceous) of the Capitol Reef, the erosional features of Cathedral Valley, and the general role of erosion in the formation of the park's landscapes. Other materials include an image gallery, links to related websites, and general information about the park's education and intrepretive programs. (more info)
- Geology Fieldnotes: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. This site provides geologic information, maps, and visitor information for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The geologic discussion centers on the glacial history of the park, including the tidewater glaciers that calve into the bay, the 'Little Ice Age' from about 4000 years ago to the 18th century, and the rapid melting which began in about 1750. There is also information about the Fairweather Range, which supplies ice to the area's glaciers, the types of icebergs that can be seen in the bay, and a brief history of exploration in the park. Other materials include an image gallery, links to related websites, and general information about the park's education and intrepretive programs. (more info)
- Geology Fieldnotes: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. This site provides general geologic information, maps, and visitor information for Grand Teton National Park. The geologic discussion covers the park's mountain-building history and regional structure, soils, geomorphology of the Snake and Gros Ventre rivers and other streams, volcanism, and glacial history. References are provided. Other materials include an image gallery, links to related websites, and general information about the park's education and intrepretive programs. (more info)
- Global Paleogeographic Views of Earth History. This site supplies 26 global paleogeographic maps that illustrate how Earth may have appeared throughout the last 600 million years. Realistic colors for geographic features were derived from satellite images and adjusted to portray climate and vegetation on the maps. Maps were created as rectangular images then wrapped around a sphere to convey a global view. An extensive list of references used is provided at the bottom of the page. (more info)
- Mantle Plumes and Mountain Building. This page presents an abstract from the American Scientist March-April 1999 issue. It discusses how the westward progress of the North American plate over the relatively stationary Yellowstone plume during the past 75 million years may explain geological features as diverse as the Laramide Orogeny, the distended Basin and Range Province, and the accretion of exotic terranes along the continent's west coast. Some sample figures from the article that illustrate the path of the hot spot across North America, as well as a cross section of the subduction zone over the past 70 million years, are also included. Other links included are: relief maps of the United States, physiographic provinces of the United States, geomorphology from space, a story on plate tectonics by the United States Geological Survey, a plate motion calculator, and various geology links. (more info)
- North American Orogenies. This web-site contains files showing simple cross sections of one or more states in selected North American orogenies (mountain building events). Major structures, elements, and rock units are shown. The orogenies covered here include the Wopmay, Taconic, Acadian, Alleghanian, Palisades, Antler, Ancestral Rockies, Sonoman, Sevier and Laramide. (more info)
- Tertiary Paleogeography and Tectonic History, Central Arizona. This website presents images and text depicting the paleogeography and tectonic evolution of central Arizona during the Tertiary period. Emphasis is on an evolving Oligocene to Miocene drainage system that documents the existence of the Mogollon Rim, the southern physiographic boundary of the Colorado Plateau. The goal of this page is to demonstrate the evolution of stream systems in relation to complex, dynamic, tectonic events in the Southwest including the Laramide orogeny, Cenozoic core complexes, Basin and Range faulting, and Cenozoic volcanism. This is done through photographs, stratigraphic columns and cross-sections of area geology. (more info)
- The Formation of Pangaea: The Making of a Supercontinent. This site explains the events during the Paleozoic era that led up to the formation of the Pangaea supercontinent in the Mesozoic era. The existence in the Paleozoic era of the supercontinent Gondwanaland, the continents Laurentia and Baltica, and smaller continental masses are explained as well as the later collisions which created mountains by folding of the Earth's crust, (orogenies) such as the Acadian, Appalachian, Urals, and Laramide orogenies. (more info)
- The PLATES Project. This is the web page for PLATES, a program of research into plate tectonic and geologic reconstructions at the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics. The page contains links to a brief overview of plate tectonics and plate reconstructions using the PLATES Project's global plate reconstruction model, in addition to movies in the format of powerpoint animations which can be downloaded for later use. Models are shown on the evolution of the earth's oceans and the movement of the earth's tectonic plates from the Late Precambrian through the present day, reconstructing (i.e. "predicting") geological environments through geologic history. Maps of the following can be accessed: late Neo-Proterozoic, Silurian, early Jurassic, early Cretaceous, Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary, and Oligocene. Movies are available on the following subjects: global plate motion, Jurassic to present day, opening of the Indian Ocean, and tectonic evolution of the Arctic region. (more info)
- Tour of Park Geology: Mountain Building. This site provides links to geologic 'tours' of national parks, monuments, and recreation areas of the United States National Park Service that are associated with major mountain building periods. The parks are divided into groups by mountain building events: Appalachian, Laramide, and others. Individual park websites feature general geologic information, maps, and visitor information. Where available, there are also image galleries, links to multimedia resources (books, videos, CDs), links to related websites, park-specific curriculum materials, and general information about the parks' education and intrepretive programs. Featured parks include Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Shenandoah National Park, Devils Tower National Monument, Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Yosemite National Park, and many others. (more info)
- Mesozoic Plutonism in the central Sierra Nevada Batholith: A review of works on mineralogy and isotopes in relation to models for batholith formation. This webpage, developed by a student as part of a "Tectonics of the Western U.S." course at the University of Colorado, is a useful summary of past and current ideas about the origin of the Sierra Nevada batholith in California. The page contains informative text, color graphics, supplementary explanations of relevant isotope systems, a list of references, and a page of related links. (more info)
Volcanism
Resources containing information about Cretaceous volcanism and its impacts on the earth system.
- Late Cretaceous. This site provides a list of links to paleogeographic reconstructions for several time slices within the Cretaceous Period. These include 100 million, 90 million, 80 million and 70 million years ago. Paleogeographic maps are arranged by age and emphasize tectonics, depositional systems and paleogeography. Short discussions of paleogeography, tectonic evolution and historical geology accompany some of the maps. (more info)
- The Extinction Files (BBC). This is a useful brief module on the general occurrences, mechanisms and theories behind mass extinctions. Answers are given to commonly asked questions, and links are included at the end of the module to numerous extinction resources. (more info)
- What Killed The Dinosaurs?: The Great Mystery. This site presents theories about why the dinosaurs became extinct. The first page provides background information covering not only the "great dying" at the K-T boundary but also the mass extinction at the end of the Paleozoic Era. The author covers six factors that complicate the study of mass extinction including time resolution, the Signor-Lipps Effect, and falsifiability. A link then takes the reader to a second page where invalid extinction hypotheses are explained. These range from "hay fever killed the dinosaurs" to "the dinosaurs just faded away," (no causation implied). The final link leads us to current thinking about extinction including volcanism, plate tectonics, and the Alvarez Hypothesis. (more info)
