paleonet AGU Ocean Sciences Session: Ancient Marginal Environments

["Achim D. Herrmann" <achim@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a call for contributions to AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting Session
OS25, ”Exploring epeiric seas: interdisciplinary perspectives on the study
of ancient marginal environments” to be held at the Ocean Sciences Meeting
in Portland, OR (26-30 January, 2004).

This session is intended to encourage a multifaceted approach to the study
of epeiric sea environments, combining research on ocean circulation,
biogeochemical cycles, spatial and temporal distribution of fossil
assemblages and lithofacies, and numerical modeling.

We feel this is an important step to take because epeiric sea sediments
offer a valuable record (often the only record) of geochemical, climate, and
evolutionary change through geologic time, yet interpreting stratigraphic
records from marginal seas presents a significant challenge-  These marginal
seas were potentially restricted and decoupled from the open ocean.
Decoupling may have led to unique biogeochemical cycles being recorded in
epeiric sea sediments, instead of trends characteristic of global cycles.

We hope that the integration of multiple disciplines will lead to important
insights about epeiric sea environments that clarify the role of epeiric
seas as recorders of global change.

Please note that the deadline for electronic abstract submission is October
16, and feel free to distribute this email to others who may be interested
in session OS25.

Cheers,
Karla Panchuk and Achim Herrmann