The worldwide expansion of marine diatoms during the Late Cretaceous closely coincided with a global transition from hothouse to coolhouse climate conditions. Our project tests whether these two processes are related through changes in diatom-driven carbon sequestration. We use a combination of micropaleontological and organic geochemical methods to simultaneously reconstruct diatom assemblage composition, diatom biomass burial fluxes, and quantitative paleotemperatures from sedimentary archives on Banks Island (Northwest Territories, Canada). Our project aims to provide new data on the early evolution of diatoms and High Arctic climate change during the Late Cretaceous, shedding light on the role of biotic evolution in the context of global biogeochemical cycles and long-term climate evolution.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
Canada, USA
