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Fuencisla Canadas

“Paleoceanographic context of organic matter deposition on the Yangtze Craton, South China.”

PhD project title:

Paleoceanographic context of organic matter deposition on the Yangtze Craton, South China, during the Ediacaran Period.

Project description:

fuen canadas
The Neoproterozoic Era (1000-541 Ma) is considered one of the most interesting periods in the geological record. It encompasses fundamental changes in atmospheric and ocean chemistry, and the onset and evolution of animal life. The largest and more severe glaciations in the Earth’s history together with the onset of animal life during the Ediacaran Period (635-541 Ma), make this period of extraordinary importance. Global tectonic configuration, atmospheric and climatic changes, and profound oceanic chemistry variations will characterize this period and will also provide important clues to reformulate the timing, causes and consequences of these events, which remain poorly understood. 

This project targets an improved understanding of organic matter deposition and preservation in a classic Ediacaran black shale succession in the Yangtze platform (South China), where organic matter accumulation can be linked directly to basin geometry, redox conditions and fossil record. A broad set of geochemical proxies, including inorganic and organic proxies, will be apply together with organic facies modelling at a basin scale. By this approach, organic matter preservation will be used as a tool to understand the organic facies quality distribution linked to ocean chemistry and climate perturbations.

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