Renee BreedlovestroutGeology Doctoral Student
Project funded by GPSA Travel Awards, Carol Nygren Support Fund, and the Evolving Earth Foundation
Paleoclimate Analysis of the Chuckanut Formation Using Fossil Plants, Western Washington, USA
Paleoclimate temperates, derived from dicotyledon leaf margins outline the most detailed assessment of northwestern Washington to date.
The Chuckanut Formation records 8,300 meters of paleovegetative history during the late Paleocene to Eocene eras, 60-45 million years ago.
In this study, paleo-MAT’s are provided for each member using Leaf Margin Analysis.
The results place the Bellingham Bay, Slide, and Warnick Members in the paratropical to broadleaved evergreen subtropical forest regime, and the Padden Member in the mixed coniferous to broadleaved evergreen temperate forest regime.