The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Yorktown Formation records paleoclimate conditions along the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (3.264 to 3.025 Ma), a climate interval of the Pliocene in some ways analogous to near future climate projections. To gain insight into potential near future changes, we...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:da92b7e2484e40acb0975e06d6eea523 2023-05-15T17:34:02+02:00 The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Harry J. Dowsett Marci M. Robinson Kevin M. Foley Timothy D. Herbert 2021-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11120486 https://doaj.org/article/da92b7e2484e40acb0975e06d6eea523 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/12/486 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences11120486 2076-3263 https://doaj.org/article/da92b7e2484e40acb0975e06d6eea523 Geosciences, Vol 11, Iss 486, p 486 (2021) Pliocene Piacenzian Yorktown paleoclimate paleoecology Atlantic Coastal Plain Geology QE1-996.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11120486 2022-12-31T09:46:57Z The Yorktown Formation records paleoclimate conditions along the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (3.264 to 3.025 Ma), a climate interval of the Pliocene in some ways analogous to near future climate projections. To gain insight into potential near future changes, we investigated Yorktown Formation outcrops and cores in southeastern Virginia, refining the stratigraphic framework. We analyzed 485 samples for alkenone-based sea surface temperature (SST) and productivity estimates from the Holland and Dory cores, an outcrop at Morgarts Beach, Virginia, and the lectostratotype of the Yorktown Formation at Rushmere, Virginia, and analyzed planktonic foraminferal assemblage data from the type section. Using the structure of the SST record, we improved the chronology of the Yorktown Formation by establishing the maximum age ranges of the Rushmere (3.3–3.2 Ma) and Morgarts Beach (3.2–3.15 Ma) Members. SST values for these members average ~26 °C, corroborating existing sclerochronological data. Increasing planktonic foraminifer abundance, productivity, and species diversity parallel increasing SST over the MIS M2/M1 transition. These records constitute the greatest temporal concentration of paleoecological estimates within the Yorktown Formation, aiding our understanding of western North Atlantic temperature patterns, seasonality and ocean circulation during this interval. We provide a chronologic framework for future studies analyzing ecological responses to profound climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Geosciences 11 12 486 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Pliocene Piacenzian Yorktown paleoclimate paleoecology Atlantic Coastal Plain Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Pliocene Piacenzian Yorktown paleoclimate paleoecology Atlantic Coastal Plain Geology QE1-996.5 Harry J. Dowsett Marci M. Robinson Kevin M. Foley Timothy D. Herbert The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
topic_facet |
Pliocene Piacenzian Yorktown paleoclimate paleoecology Atlantic Coastal Plain Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The Yorktown Formation records paleoclimate conditions along the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (3.264 to 3.025 Ma), a climate interval of the Pliocene in some ways analogous to near future climate projections. To gain insight into potential near future changes, we investigated Yorktown Formation outcrops and cores in southeastern Virginia, refining the stratigraphic framework. We analyzed 485 samples for alkenone-based sea surface temperature (SST) and productivity estimates from the Holland and Dory cores, an outcrop at Morgarts Beach, Virginia, and the lectostratotype of the Yorktown Formation at Rushmere, Virginia, and analyzed planktonic foraminferal assemblage data from the type section. Using the structure of the SST record, we improved the chronology of the Yorktown Formation by establishing the maximum age ranges of the Rushmere (3.3–3.2 Ma) and Morgarts Beach (3.2–3.15 Ma) Members. SST values for these members average ~26 °C, corroborating existing sclerochronological data. Increasing planktonic foraminifer abundance, productivity, and species diversity parallel increasing SST over the MIS M2/M1 transition. These records constitute the greatest temporal concentration of paleoecological estimates within the Yorktown Formation, aiding our understanding of western North Atlantic temperature patterns, seasonality and ocean circulation during this interval. We provide a chronologic framework for future studies analyzing ecological responses to profound climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Harry J. Dowsett Marci M. Robinson Kevin M. Foley Timothy D. Herbert |
author_facet |
Harry J. Dowsett Marci M. Robinson Kevin M. Foley Timothy D. Herbert |
author_sort |
Harry J. Dowsett |
title |
The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
title_short |
The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
title_full |
The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
title_fullStr |
The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Yorktown Formation: Improved Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoclimate Interpretations from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain |
title_sort |
yorktown formation: improved stratigraphy, chronology, and paleoclimate interpretations from the u.s. mid-atlantic coastal plain |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11120486 https://doaj.org/article/da92b7e2484e40acb0975e06d6eea523 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Geosciences, Vol 11, Iss 486, p 486 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/12/486 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences11120486 2076-3263 https://doaj.org/article/da92b7e2484e40acb0975e06d6eea523 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11120486 |
container_title |
Geosciences |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
486 |
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1766132719349137408 |