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Paleopedology and Paleogeomorphology of the Early Oligocene Orella and Whitney Members, Brule Formation, White River Group, Toadstool Geologic Park, Nebraska

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Paleopedology and Paleogeomorphology of the Early Oligocene Orella and Whitney Members, Brule Formation, White River Group, Toadstool Geologic Park, Nebraska PALEOPEDOLOGY AND PALEOGEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE EARLY OLIGOCENE ORELLA AND WHITNEY MEMBERS, BRULE FORMATION, WHITE RIVER GROUP, TOADSTOOL GEOLOGIC PARK, NEBRASKA A Thesis Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree MASTER OF SICENCE GEOLOGY by William E. Lukens August 2013 ________________________________ Dr. Dennis O. Terry, Jr., Thesis Advisor ________________________________ Dr. David E. Grandstaff ________________________________ Dr. Alexandra Krull Davatzes ABSTRACT Understanding local and regional reactions to the global Eocene-Oligocene climate transition is a continuing challenge. The White River Group in the North American midcontinent preserves dynamic fluvial, volcaniclastic and lacustrine facies that yield to aeolianites. To test whether this shift in sedimentation style was driven by climate change, 20 paleosols from 8 profiles were analyzed from the fluvial-aeolian Orella Member through the aeolian-dominated Whitney Member of the earliest Oligocene Brule Formation at Toadstool Geologic Park, NE. Paleosol morphology and geochemistry were used to assess the balance of aeolian vs. alluvial sedimentation at key stratigraphic intervals and lithologic transitions. Significant loess deposition began at least as early as the lower Orella Member but is masked in most settings by concomitant fluvial deposition. As fluvial influence on landscapes waned across the Orella-Whitney Member boundary, loess deposits predominated and became more recognizable. Paleosols follow different pedogenic pathways in direct response to depositional setting. Whereas all paleosols formed through top-down pedogenesis in alluvial settings, paleosols in aeolian-dominated settings formed though pedogenic upbuilding during aggradational phases and through top-down pedogenesis during depositional hiatuses. The disparity between each style of pedogenic development creates fundamentally different pedogenic associations that must first be understood before climatic interpretations can be drawn from macroscopic paleosol morphology alone. Microscopic analysis of loessic and alluvial paleosols indicates that pedogenic features do not greatly change across the Orella-Whitney Member boundary. ii Furthermore, results of climofunction calculations from five paleosol Bw and Btk horizons show mean annual temperature (ca. 9.0-10.5 °C) and precipitation (ca. 650-800 mm/y) do not significantly vary across the Orella-Whitney Member transition. Clay mineralogy and the presence of pedogenic carbonate and translocated clay corroborate paleoclimate estimates. However, geochemical paleosol profiles are uniform and do not reflect observed vertical associations of pedogenic features. Constant additions of aeolian sediment, which replenishes base losses through leaching, explain this phenomenon. Interpretations of paleovegetation from root trace morphology and paleosol taxonomy indicate that predominantly open canopy to savanna habitats were in place in the lower Orella Member and continued into the Whitney Member. Evidence for riparian partitioning exists in the lower Orella Member but disappears as fluvial deposits wane in the Whitney Member. Lacking evidence of climate change from paleosol analysis, changes in sedimentation style and vegetative biomes are most likely a reaction to increased aeolian deposition. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to the following people, without whom this work would have been either nonexistent or appreciably hindered. Funding Field work and lab analyses were funded in part by the Temple University Earth and Environmental Science Department and the United States Forest Service. Barb Beasley: Thank you for facilitating our field work over the last few years. The Forest Service has been more than accommodating and we are very appreciative. Faculty DT: You hold the most culpability for my conversion to geology. The answers are out there, it’s just a race for time before humanity goes extinct. Excited ignorance! Jubilant naiveté! G: From mass spec. labs to Zion NP, it’s been a heck of time. Thanks for teaching me to lie with statistics and to stand up to great challenges (your classes). Alix Davatzes: Thank you for taking the time to mentor me in the ways of sediment, laser beams, and all the fancy numbers that they demand. The Venus transit was incredible! Nick Davatzes: You have greatly improved my ability to be fascinated by natural order. Thanks for always making time to talk. You’re a true mentor and an amazing scientist. Dr. Ulmer and Dr. Meyer: If I achieve in a lifetime what you guys can do in a day, I’ll consider it a success. I’m incredibly fortunate to have learned from your knowledge and personalities. You truly know how to make students feel important and excited. Jim Ladd: For every time I showed up in your office yelling about how something is missing or broken and you stopped what you were doing and pointed out that nothing was actually wrong and maybe the machine I was using actually wasn’t plugged in, thank you. Also, the printers are probably still broken and we’re out of aluminum foil. Shelah: My other moms should be thanking you for taking over their jobs. All other faculty: You have all warped my brain into something better. Keep the department true to its roots, and the Sun will never set on Temple Geology. Students Lab samples were prepared with help from the following individuals: Nick Argis, Eve Lalor, Brett Saeinni, Leslee Everett, Catherine Sutton, Matthew Enos, Robbie Horner, and others. You guys saved my sanity—thanks for the work! All of my students: Thank you for keeping me honest and holding me to such high standards. Your work and excitement are as baffling as a fenestrate bryozoan. iv Friends Alyssa Finlay and Amanda Drewicz: I can’t wait to see how crazy our conversations are going to be in a few years. Keep dancing, keep eating lunch for breakfast, and above all, keep doing the amazing work you both do. You’re an inspiration. Paul Oliver: Brother, thank you for mentoring me in paleosols, Phish, the Dead, and recognizing that all are equally important. Keep sawing those logs! Ryan Bright: I see the world differently after every conversation with you. Our Tuesday facies phone calls improved my teaching by furlongs. Always change. Elizabeth Scroggs: Keep being the incredible person you are. Thanks for expanding my mind, repetitively. The Paleosol Guys: It’s been a treat to learn from each other. See you down the road. Steve Peterson: Thanks for making things work. We all owe you many beers. Grant Boardman: I’ve greatly benefited from our conversations and look forward to challenging dogma with you again in the near future. Kelly and Mary Jones: Thank you for keeping my belly full and welcoming me into your home. DT and I owe you a lot of cereal. Fellow graduate students: Thanks to my peers for commiseration and conversation. Keep the tradition moving forward. My nongenetic family: We’ve grown from a rag-tag mix of rowdy undergrads to a tight clan of real adult humans. We might not solve all the world’s problems, but at least we can throw a dang good barbeque. I’ll see you all in distant lands! Shannon Star: Thanks for recognizing the signs of heat exhaustion and forcing me to drink the cooler water. Wheel to the storm and fly! Family This thesis is a product of all the holidays, birthdays and social gatherings I’ve missed. Thank you for understanding and providing endless patience while I talked about paleosols—you’re one step closer to speaking Swedish. I’m the product of your love. Dad/Belinda: Thanks for showing me the world and teaching me to enjoy life. Mom/Rob: Thank you for teaching me it’s ok to always want all the toppings on the pizza. To my late Grandfather, Richard Mahnken: Thank you for making this all possible. I wish you could be here today to see how amazing our family has become. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................2 1.1.1 Geology of Toadstool Geologic Park .................................................2 1.1.2 Previous Paleosol Studies in the Brule Formation ..............................6 1.1.3 Utility of Paleosols ..............................................................................8 1.1.4 EOT Paleoclimatic Studies at Toadstool Geologic Park ....................9 1.2 Field Area.........................................................................................................10 1.3 Hypothesis........................................................................................................10 1.4 Materials and Methods .....................................................................................11 1.4.1 Field Methods ...................................................................................11 1.4.2 Laboratory Methods ..........................................................................13
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