At the time of deposition, a rock’s carbon isotopic value represents the environment it lithified in. However, there are scenarios when this is not true. If a clast formed and was relocated to a different location, for instance, by a turbidity current, then the clast within that rock would not indicate the correct value for the environment. We aimed to explore how sediment mixing and transport of clasts influenced carbon isotopic trends by focusing on the Late Permian Yates Formation, Tansill Formation, and Mckittrick Limestone exposed along the Permian Reef Trail in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Along the slope, we extracted large slabs, from which multiple samples of different clasts, fossils, and calcite cement were taken. By comparing these values to values of an environment with less mixing, it is clear that transportation and mixing of clasts does impact the carbon isotopic trends recorded in the rock record.
Past Projects
