Skiing in the Eocene Uinta Mountains? Isotopic evidence in the Green River Formation for snow melt and large mountains

Isotopic analysis of lacustrine carbonates from the Eocene Green River Formation suggests that lake waters were derived partly from snow melt. This evidence for cool climates is in marked contrast to paleontological and model evidence for mild temperatures in the continental interior. Oxygen isotope...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geology (Boulder) 1996-05, Vol.24 (5), p.403-406
Main Authors: Norris, Richard D, Jones, Lawrence S, Corfield, Richard M, Cartlidge, Julie E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
atmospheric precipitation
carbonates
Cenozoic
closed systems
cores
Eocene
extinct lakes
Freshwater
geochemistry
Geology
Green River Formation
isotope ratios
Isotopes
Lake Gosiute
Lakes
Marine
melts
meltwater
Mountains
North America
O-18/O-16
oxygen
paleoclimatology
Paleogene
paleogeography
paleohydrology
paleolimnology
paleotemperature
Rocky Mountains
sedimentary rocks
Snow
southwestern Wyoming
stable isotopes
Stratigraphy
Sweetwater County Wyoming
Tertiary
U. S. Rocky Mountains
Uinta Mountains
United States
Wyoming
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Summary:Isotopic analysis of lacustrine carbonates from the Eocene Green River Formation suggests that lake waters were derived partly from snow melt. This evidence for cool climates is in marked contrast to paleontological and model evidence for mild temperatures in the continental interior. Oxygen isotope ratios of carbonates frequently reach -12per mil to nearly -16per mil (Peedee belemnite), which suggests that lake waters probably had δ18O of
ISSN:0091-7613
1943-2682
DOI:10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0403:SITEUM>2.3.CO;2