Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA

Late Cretaceous coastal plain deposits of the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) offer a rare glimpse into an ancient, high-latitude, arctic greenhouse ecosystem for which there is no modern analog. Here, we employ quantitative biofacies analysis to explore the spatio-temporal variability in PCF palynomor...

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Autores principales:	James R. Bonelli, Peter P. Flaig
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	MDPI AG 2021
Materias:	palynofacies multivariate analysis gradient analysis paleosols cluster analysis ordination Geology QE1-996.5
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/e05e4118697943818ba670c955417547
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:e05e4118697943818ba670c9554175472021-11-25T17:42:59ZQuantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA10.3390/geosciences111104602076-3263https://doaj.org/article/e05e4118697943818ba670c9554175472021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/11/460https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263Late Cretaceous coastal plain deposits of the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) offer a rare glimpse into an ancient, high-latitude, arctic greenhouse ecosystem for which there is no modern analog. Here, we employ quantitative biofacies analysis to explore the spatio-temporal variability in PCF palynomorph and microbiota assemblages from nine paleosol horizons exposed along the Colville River, North Slope, Alaska. Biofacies results provide insight into paleoenvironmental controls on the coastal plain ecosystem. Cluster and ordination analyses recognize five biofacies and the following two assemblage types: (1) fern and moss dominated assemblages and (2) algae dominated assemblages. Ordination arrays biofacies along environmental gradients related to soil moisture and marine influence. Fern and moss dominated biofacies from regularly water-logged paleosols along lake and swamp margins on the lower delta plain clearly segregated from algae dominated assemblages of periodically drier levee-overbank paleosols. These results support previous interpretations from the sedimentology, paleopedology, and geochemistry of PCF paleosols that suggest that fluctuations in the water table, related to seasonal river discharge and variations in topography and drainage, controlled soil development and vegetation growth across the coastal plain. This quantitative biofacies-based approach provides an independent predictive tool and cross-check for interpreting environmental conditions along any ancient coastal ecosystem.James R. BonelliPeter P. FlaigMDPI AGarticlepalynofaciesmultivariate analysisgradient analysispaleosolscluster analysisordinationGeologyQE1-996.5ENGeosciences, Vol 11, Iss 460, p 460 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	palynofacies multivariate analysis gradient analysis paleosols cluster analysis ordination Geology QE1-996.5
spellingShingle	palynofacies multivariate analysis gradient analysis paleosols cluster analysis ordination Geology QE1-996.5 James R. Bonelli Peter P. Flaig Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
description	Late Cretaceous coastal plain deposits of the Prince Creek Formation (PCF) offer a rare glimpse into an ancient, high-latitude, arctic greenhouse ecosystem for which there is no modern analog. Here, we employ quantitative biofacies analysis to explore the spatio-temporal variability in PCF palynomorph and microbiota assemblages from nine paleosol horizons exposed along the Colville River, North Slope, Alaska. Biofacies results provide insight into paleoenvironmental controls on the coastal plain ecosystem. Cluster and ordination analyses recognize five biofacies and the following two assemblage types: (1) fern and moss dominated assemblages and (2) algae dominated assemblages. Ordination arrays biofacies along environmental gradients related to soil moisture and marine influence. Fern and moss dominated biofacies from regularly water-logged paleosols along lake and swamp margins on the lower delta plain clearly segregated from algae dominated assemblages of periodically drier levee-overbank paleosols. These results support previous interpretations from the sedimentology, paleopedology, and geochemistry of PCF paleosols that suggest that fluctuations in the water table, related to seasonal river discharge and variations in topography and drainage, controlled soil development and vegetation growth across the coastal plain. This quantitative biofacies-based approach provides an independent predictive tool and cross-check for interpreting environmental conditions along any ancient coastal ecosystem.
format	article
author	James R. Bonelli Peter P. Flaig
author_facet	James R. Bonelli Peter P. Flaig
author_sort	James R. Bonelli
title	Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
title_short	Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
title_full	Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
title_fullStr	Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
title_full_unstemmed	Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA
title_sort	quantitative biofacies analysis to identify relationships and refine controls on paleosol development, prince creek formation, north slope alaska, usa
publisher	MDPI AG
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/e05e4118697943818ba670c955417547
work_keys_str_mv	AT jamesrbonelli quantitativebiofaciesanalysistoidentifyrelationshipsandrefinecontrolsonpaleosoldevelopmentprincecreekformationnorthslopealaskausa AT peterpflaig quantitativebiofaciesanalysistoidentifyrelationshipsandrefinecontrolsonpaleosoldevelopmentprincecreekformationnorthslopealaskausa
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Quantitative Biofacies Analysis to Identify Relationships and Refine Controls on Paleosol Development, Prince Creek Formation, North Slope Alaska, USA

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