Climate forcing factors and their impact on biodiversity: Mid-Devonian bio-crises of proto-alpine carbonate factories under review (IGCP-497)

Project Management: Mag. Dr. Thomas J. SUTTNER, Commission for the Paleontological and Stratigraphical Research of Austria, Austrian Academy of Sciences, c/o University of Graz, Institute for Earth Sciences; Prof. Dr. Bernhard HUBMANN, University of Graz, Institute for Earth Sciences
Duration: 2 years (beginning 2007)


Absract

This project is a contribution to IGCP 497 which concentrates on the origin and development of the Rheic Ocean. Causes and effects of three global extinction events (Choteč-, Kačák- und Taghanic Event) on marine ecosystems of the Proto-Alpine terrane during the Mid-Devonian (ca. 392-384 Ma) are going to be investigated within our project. During that time the area of the Proto Alps conforms to a microplate, which is part of the tropical to subtropical southern shelf of the Rheic Ocean. Due to optimal conditions carbonate factories produced several 100m thick limestone deposits. In order to achieve a more confident interpretation of the trans-regional relation and development of carbonate factories within the Proto Alpine realm, suitable sections of the Graz Palaeozoic the Carnic Alps are compared. With respect to the extinction events, the impacts of climatic changes and other factors for the development and diversity of reef-communities are going to be traced by geochemical techniques.


Contact:
Mag. Dr. Thomas J. Suttner
Paleontological and Stratigraphical Research of Austria
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Institute for Earth Sciences
University of Graz
Heinrichstrasse 26, 8010 Graz
T +43 316 380-8735
F +43 316 380-9871
thomas.suttner@uni-graz.at
Homepage

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hubmann
Institute for Earth Sciences
University of Graz
Heinrichstrasse 26, 8010 Graz
T +43 316 380-5586
F +43 316 380-9871
bernhard.hubmann@uni-graz.at
Homepage

Snowball Earth: Geochemical and petrographic search for extraterrestrial material

Project Management: Prof. Dr. Christian KÖBERL, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Vienna
Duration: 2 years (beginning 2008)


Abstract

Observational evidence supports the idea that the Precambrian Earth's history has episodes of total ice coverage of the planet. The Snowball Earth hypothesis states that the Sturtian (about 710 Ma) and Marinoan glaciations (about 635 Ma) were of global extent and lasted for several million years each. The Snowball Earth glaciations would have ended abruptly in a greenhouse environment. However, both the cause of a possible glaciation, as well as the cause and mechanism of deglaciation, are unclear. In this study, we investigate if it is conceivable that a large-scale asteroid impact event might have triggered the deglaciation. Besides checking earlier work, if there are enrichments in siderophile elements between the glacial and post-glacial deposits, the topic will be addressed by numerical calculations of the effects of large-scale impacts onto a frozen planet, and by a detailed petrographic search for impact-related evidence in rocks from Namibia and other relevant deposits.


Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christian Köberl
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Vienna
Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna
T +43 1 4277-53110
F +43 1 4277-9531
christian.koeberl@univie.ac.at

The palaeo-Pacific subduction Zone in Russia Far-East and the origin of the Andesitic Formation in the Okhotsk-Chukotka Volcanogenic Belt

Projektleitung: Prof. Dr. Theodoros NTAFLOS, Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna
Duration: 2 years (beginning 2008)


Kontakt:
Prof. Dr. Theodoros Ntaflos
Department of Lithospheric Research
University of Vienna
Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien
T +43 1 4277-53314
F +43 1 4277-9534
theodoros.ntaflos@univie.ac.at