Late Quaternary Foraminifera from Lower Bathyal and Abyssal Sediments, Gulf of Mexico: a Record of Paleoceanographic Change
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1997 Late Quaternary Foraminifera From Lower Bathyal and Abyssal Sediments, Gulf of Mexico: A Record of Paleoceanographic Change. Megan H. Jones Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Jones, Megan H., "Late Quaternary Foraminifera From Lower Bathyal and Abyssal Sediments, Gulf of Mexico: A Record of Paleoceanographic Change." (1997). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6426. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6426 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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LATE QUATERNARY FORAMINIFERA FROM LOWER BATHYAL AND ABYSSAL SEDIMENTS, GULF OF MEXICO: A RECORD OF PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC CHANGE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geology & Geophysics by Megan H. Jones B.S., Florida Institute of Technology, 1983 M.S., Old Dominion University, 1990 May 1997 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9736021 UMI Microform 9736021 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my ever-growing family, Matt and Joan, Kelly, Katy, Ron, Eddie and Zoe, and Jim and Sally, without whom I would not have had the strength or the courage to embark on such a task. Their love and belief in me were a lifeline for me through whatever storms came my way and when the storms were over, they were always there waiting, smiling in the sunshine, still loving me. I also dedicate this work to Chris, a long lost part of me, who has never ceased being on my mind and in my heart. May we catch up soon! ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to Dr. Barun Sen Gupta, my mentor and friend, for his constant support and guidance on this project. His candor and ceaseless availability were instrumental in the completion of my dissertation. My committee was invaluable to me in many ways, the most important of which was modeling for me professionalism, integrity, and excellence in scientific research in their own careers. Dr. James Geaghan was always available to share his statistical and biological expertise with me. Dr. Jeffrey Hanor provided guidance on the geochemical aspects of this project and on the critical illustrations, but probably most important were the much needed limits he set for the completion of this project. Dr. Lui-Heung Chan's boundless enthusiam for her own work in chemical oceanography was contagious and propelled me in directions I had no idea that I was interested in going. Dr. Joseph Hazel's love for stratigraphy and the subtleties of geology were a constant source of enlightenment. Dr. Stuart Scott, my outside committee member who surfed the net in search of foraminifera, was an inspiration in his effort to glean insight into my dissertation. Thank you all! Many thanks go to Dr. Bill Behrens, Dr. Dick Buffler, Dr. Tony Gary and Dr. Paul Loubere who graciously allowed my participation in the University of Texas at Austin cruise leg 89-G-10 from which this project evolved. Additional thanks go to Dr. Behrens for making available to me core material from other cruises as well as his chemical data from these cruises. He essentially opened-wide the door to his archives and let me roam around. Financial support for this work came from several sources: the Department of Geology and Geophysics here at LSU, research grants from British Petroleum, Mobil Oil, and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, and a iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. partial fellowship from Shell Oil. I would like to thank Dr. Victor Rivera, Dr. Robert Twilley, and John Foret from the Department of Biology at the University of Southwestern Louisiana for providing organic carbon analyses, and Dr. Gary Byerly (LSU) for microprobe analysis of the ash layer in core IG-45-15. The SEM photographs were graciously taken by Emil Platon (and this really is the last time I will thank you). I wish to thank Mary Lee Eggart for bringing to life many of the figures in this dissertation and for always having a calming and an objective perspective when I was fumbling with figures. Photography here at LSU was made effortless by Kerry Lyle and Felicia. Sara Marchiafava, in her quiet, efficient way, made the logistics of any task I undertook here flow smoothly. I would loath to be here without her! I want thank to Pam Borne, Jonathan Franzosa, Cathy Johnson, Missy Powell, and Diane Weiland for willingly helping me with many phases of this project at times when I was despairing. This work benefitted greatly from numerous stimulating discussions with Tom Buerkert, and from critical reviews by Maud Walsh and Wylie Poag. I am eternally grateful to Liz McDade for the roof (if you can call it that) over my head during this last year. Should every ABD be so lucky! Were it not for several new friends who openly shared their experience, strength and hope (timeless words of wisdom) with me and gently nudged me in a renewed life direction, I would still be floundering. Thank you Barbara, Diane, Dick, Grace, Janice, Jodi, Lance, Louise, Martha, Stuart, Tonia, Viki, and those that came before us. My most special thanks go to the following women who kept me steady throughout this endeavor over the last millenium: Laurie Anderson, my cherished friend and colleague, for her ceaseless support in ways too numerous to list, but she knows; Missy Powell, my roommate and cherished friend, who always asked the pointed questions at just the right moment; Jayne Salvo, my cherished friend and fellow waitress, for modeling for me wit, charm, determination, flirtatiousness, and iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. spontaneity, all which enabled me to crawl out of my shell over the last 20 years; Poree Sen Gupta, my voice of timeless wisdom, for her warmth, willingness to listen, and for the fabulous Indian food that usually followed; and Maud Walsh, my twin and cherished friend, for providing me with a family and an objective eye whenever I needed them. Numerous others have shared their expertise with me, have given of their time, have fed and tea'd me, and/or simply have dried my tears as I have trodden this path. I wish to thank all of you who joined me for this leg of the Journey; I was truly blessed: Paul Aharon, Gile Beye, Vila Binford, Grace Blereau, Susan Bradshaw, Peggy Broussard, Cathy Castille, Steve Culver, Jim Galluzzo, Glenn Garson, H.P., Stacy Henry, Paul Henrich, Stacey Hochstadter, Oscar Huh, Cathy Johnson, Steve Jones, Kirt Kempter, John Kruger, Dinah and Rich Launch, Chris Livesey, Chad McCabe, Liz McDade, Pete McLaughlin, Kathy McManus, Nargis, Janice Oliver, PJ Perry, Katy Powell, Ellen Prager, Bob Remy, Harry Roberts, Jim Roche, John Rybcyzk, Judith Scheibout, Julia Sanky, Stuart Stewart, Su Yin Ting, Bill W., Nan Walker, Lynn Wiggins,