ALBERT

Description: This study summarizes organic carbon isotope (δ13C) and total organic carbon (TOC) data from a series of tests undertaken to provide an appropriate methodology for pre-analysis treatment of mudstones from an Upper Carboniferous sedimentary succession, in order to develop a consistent preparation procedure. The main treatments involved removing both inorganic carbonate and hydrocarbons (which might be extraneous) before δ13C and TOC analysis. The results show that decarbonating using hydrochloric acid causes significant reduction in δ13C and total carbon (TC) of the bulk material due to the removal of inorganic carbonate. These changes are most pronounced where soluble calcium carbonate (rather than Ca-Mg-Fe carbonate) is present. Deoiled samples show only slightly higher mean δ13C where visible bitumen was extracted from the bulk sample. Moreover, the isotopic signatures of the extracts are closely correlated to those of their respective bulk samples, suggesting that small yields of hydrocarbons were generated in situ with no isotopic fractionation. In addition, further δ13C and TC analyses were performed on samples where mixing of oil-based drilling mud with brecciated core material had been undertaken. Brecciated mudstone material did not display distinct isotopic signals compared to the surrounding fine-grained material. Overall we show that the most accurate assessment of bulk organic carbon isotopes and concentration in these samples can be achieved through decarbonating the material prior to measurement via the ‘rinse method’. However, our results support recent findings that pre-analysis acid treatments can cause variable and unpredictable errors in δ13C and TOC values. We believe that, despite these uncertainties, the findings presented here can be applied to paleoenvironmental studies on organic matter contained within sedimentary rocks over a range of geological ages and compositions.

Description: Geodynamic models of mantle convection predict that Mexico and western North America share a history of dynamic support. We calculate admittance between gravity and topography, which indicates that the elastic thickness of the plate in Mexico is 11 km and in western North America it is 12 km. Admittance at wavelengths 〉 500 km in these regions suggests that topography is partly supported by sub-crustal processes. These results corroborate estimates of residual topography from isostatic calculations and suggest that the amount of North American topography supported by the mantle may exceed 1 km. The Cenozoic history of magmatism, sedimentary flux, thermochronometric denudation estimates and uplifted marine terraces imply that North American lithosphere was uplifted and eroded during the last 30 Ma. We jointly invert 533 Mexican and North American longitudinal river profiles to reconstruct a continent-scale rock uplift rate history. Uplift rate is permitted to vary in space and time. Erosional parameters are calibrated using incision rate data in southwest Mexico and the Colorado Plateau. Calculated rock uplift rates were 0.15–0.2 mm/yr between 25–10 Ma. Central Mexico experienced the highest uplift rates. Central and southern Mexico continued to uplift at 0.1 mm/yr until recent times. This uplift history is corroborated by independent constraints. We predict clastic flux to the Gulf of Mexico and compare it to independent estimates. We tentatively suggest that the loop between uplift, erosion and deposition can be closed here. Mexico's staged uplift history suggests that its dynamic support has changed during the last 30 Ma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.