(Appendix) Total organic carbon, pyrolysis characteristics, and organic matter types at DSDP Holes 77-535 and 77-540, supplement to: Summerhayes, Colin P; Masran, Theodora C (1984): Organic facies of Cretaceous sediments from Deep Sea Drilling Project Sites 535 and 540, eastern Gulf of Mexico. In: Buffler, RT; Schlager, W; et al. (eds.), Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Washington (U.S. Govt. Printing Office), 77, 451-457

• Main Authors: Summerhayes, Colin P, Masran, Theodora C
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 1984
• Subjects: Event label; Sample code/label; Lithologic unit/sequence; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Epoch; Lithology/composition/facies; Carbon, organic, total; Organic matter, terrigenous; Pollen and spores; Charcoal; Organic matter, amorphous; Organic matter, aquatic; Hydrogen index, mass HC per unit mass total organic carbon; Oxygen index, mass CO2 per unit mass total organic carbon; Drilling/drill rig; DSDP/ODP/IODP sample designation; Element analyser CHN, LECO; Light microscope; Rock eval pyrolysis Espitalié et al. 1977; Leg77; Glomar Challenger; Deep Sea Drilling Project DSDP; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.809302; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.809302

Lower to middle Cretaceous sediments in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are richer in organic matter and have a more marine organic facies than their counterparts in the nearby western North Atlantic, suggesting that the Gulf was the more productive of the two areas. As in the western North Atlantic, the rate of supply of terrestrial organic matter was high when the rate of supply of noncarbonate clastic materials was high (at times of low sea level) and diminished as sea level rose. The rate of supply of marine organic matter was lower in the Early Cretaceous than in the Cenomanian, perhaps in response to the global rise in sea level over this period. Where they are thermally mature, the organic matterrich units drilled at Sites 535 and 540 should be excellent sources for liquid hydrocarbons. The Pleistocene sediments of the eastern Gulf are dominated by terrestrial organic matter representing Mississippi River effluent. : Sediment depth is given in mbsf. Organic matter types by Th. C. Masran (in percent of kerogen fraction) using organic matter classification scheme of Masran and Pocock (1981).