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Date of Graduation

5-2026

Description

The Elliot Formation in South Africa preserves a fossil-bearing record spanning the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic, a time marked by significant environmental changes related to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) and the end-Triassic extinction event. Despite its importance, the Elliot Formation remains poorly constrained due to limited chronostratigraphic markers. Chronostratigraphy is the branch of geology that correlates and dates rock units in time, allowing researchers to arrange these rock units into a chronological sequence. Globally, the Triassic–Jurassic boundary is characterized by a pronounced negative carbon isotope excursion linked to CAMP volcanism and the end Triassic extinction event. This C-isotope excursion is dated to 201.56 million years ago and can act as a chronostratigraphic marker for the end Triassic extinction event. This study investigates whether the Elliot Formation records this characteristic carbon isotope excursion at the Qhemegha fossil locality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Bulk organic carbon isotope values were measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry in order to create a high resolution bulk organic carbon isotope profile of the Elliot Formation at the Qhemegha locality. The measured data ranges from -30.73‰ to -20.59‰. A detrital zircon maximum deposition age of 204.11 +/- 0.08 million years ago suggests that the initial negative carbon isotope excursion that marks the end-Triassic extinction should be positioned above 200 meters in the sampled section. The measured negative C-isotope trend reaches a minimum value of -30.73‰ just above this point, suggesting that this measured negative C-isotope excursion may represent the characteristic negative C-isotope excursion marking the end-Triassic extinction. Higher resolution sampling will resolve the origin of the C-isotope excursion at the Qhemegha locality.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Geology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Geosciences

Advisor/Mentor

Suarez, Celina

Disciplines

Geology

Keywords

Natural Science

Chronostratigraphy Using Stable Carbon Isotopes of the Elliot Formation, South Africa

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Geology Commons

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