An Early Tertiary Outcrop in North-Central Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada: Environment and Significance
A thin, impure limestone was found in situ on Precambrian bedrock at latitude 70°36.6′ N and longitude 75°20′ W some 26 km northwest of the Barnes Ice Cap. The unit consists of undulating laminations composed of alternating fine- and coarse-grained sediment, which are interpreted as a series of alga...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1972
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e72-019 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e72-019 |
| Summary: | A thin, impure limestone was found in situ on Precambrian bedrock at latitude 70°36.6′ N and longitude 75°20′ W some 26 km northwest of the Barnes Ice Cap. The unit consists of undulating laminations composed of alternating fine- and coarse-grained sediment, which are interpreted as a series of algal mats or algal-laminated sediments. An analysis of enclosed palynomorphs indicates the presence of Ulmus, Taxodiutm, Liriodendron, Carpinus, and Engelhardtia plus other genera. On the basis of the microflora a Paleogene age is assigned to the unit. The climate at that time was warm-temperate and the environment suggested is a freshwater marsh or swamp. The outcrop is restricted to a single hill summit and its location suggests considerable Neogene geomorphological activity, primarily river-cutting associated with vertical movements along the western margin of the Davis Strait/Baffin Bay Tift. |
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