Maastrichtian Foraminiferal Stable Isotope Data
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           World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder 
                               and
                    NOAA Paleoclimatology Program
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NOTE: PLEASE CITE ORIGINAL REFERENCE WHEN USING THIS DATA!!!!!

NAME OF DATA SET: Maastrichtian Foraminiferal Stable Isotope Data

LAST UPDATE: 05/2002 (Original Receipt by WDCA Paleo)  

CONTRIBUTOR: Tracy Frank, University of Queensland

IGBP PAGES/WDCA CONTRIBUTION SERIES NUMBER: 2002-036

SUGGESTED DATA CITATION: Frank, T.D. and Arthur, M.A., 2002, 
Maastrichtian Foraminiferal Stable Isotope Data, 
IGBP PAGES/World Data Center A for Paleoclimatology 
Data Contribution Series #2002-036. 
NOAA/NGDC Paleoclimatology Program, Boulder CO, USA. 

ORIGINAL REFERENCE: Frank, T.D. and Arthur, M.A., 1999. 
Tectonic forcings of Maastrichtian ocean-climate evolution. 
Paleoceanography, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 103-117, April 1999.

FUNDING SOURCES: NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Earth Sciences
(EAR-9627703)

GEOGRAPHIC REGION: Global
PERIOD OF RECORD: Maastrichtian, 65-70 MMYrBP

LIST OF FILES: Readme_Frank1999.txt (this file), 
Frank1999.xls (Microsoft Excel format),
Frank1999.txt (tab-delimited ASCII format).


DESCRIPTION:
Maastrichtian Foraminiferal Stable Isotope Data used to trace
the major reorganization of ocean circulation at the early/late Maastrichtian
boundary.

ABSTRACT:
A global compilation of deep-sea isotopic records suggests that Maastrichtian 
ocean-climate evolution was tectonically driven. During the early Maastrichtian, 
the Atlantic intermediate-deep ocean was isolated from the Pacific, Indian, and 
Southern oceans; deep-water formed in the high-latitude North Atlantic and 
North Pacific.  At the early/late Maastrichtian boundary, a major reorganization 
of oceanic circulation patterns occurred, resulting in the development of a 
thermohaline circulation system similar to that of the modern oceans. 
A combination of isotopic and plate kinematic data suggest that this event was 
triggered by the final breaching of tectonic sills in the South Atlantic and the 
initiation of north-south flow of intermediate- and deep-water in the Atlantic. 
The onset of Laramide tectonism during the mid Maastrichtian led to the concurrent 
draining of major epicontinental seaways. Together, these events caused cooling, 
increased latitudinal temperature gradients, increased ventilation of the deep ocean, 
and affected a range of marine biota.