Meandering River Floodplain Processes and Sources of Organic Matter in the Late Cretaceous, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

A detailed analysis of floodplain deposits at Dinosaur Provincial Park reveals that terrestrial organic matter preserved in the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation reflects global carbon cycle changes, not solely local or regional processes. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the overprinting of local conditions on global signals. The study employed sedimentological and geochemical techniques, including stratigraphic section recording, total organic carbon analysis, palynofacies analysis, and X-ray diffraction, to investigate a 47.5-meter-high outcrop dominated by floodplain deposits. Physical structures such as pedogenic features indicated wet-dry climate fluctuations, while palynofacies assemblages suggested fresh-water conditions. The continuous section of floodplain deposits, spanning approximately 0.5 million years, provides a unique window into Late Cretaceous fluvial environments and their response to global changes.

Goonetilleke, M., Silva, R. L., Mendonça-Filho, J. G., & Durkin, P. (2024). Meandering River Floodplain Processes and Sources of Organic Matter in the Late Cretaceous, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. The Past Is the Key to a Sustainable Future, 36. https://doi.org/10.2110/sepmmisc.24.036