PALEOZOIC GLACIAL SEDIMENTS OF THE PARANA BASIN, BRASIL

While field mapping Paleozoic units in the Parana Basin, Brasil the UMM REU group discovered a previously unidentified clast poor layer. Four locations throughout the 8 by 8 km mapping area were sampled. The goal was to determine the depositional environment and chronology of the semi consolidated clay, silt rich, clast poor layers found in Witmarsun, Brasil. Laboratory methods included grain size analysis, Loss on Ignition, and X-ray diffraction. The grain size distribution as a function of sorting was varied. Total organic carbon content levels were in the marine to river range. X-ray diffraction for all samples gave consistent quartz peaks. The Itarare and Parana groups in Witmarsun, Brasil have experienced faulting and severe weathering aiding the difficulty in fingerprinting this layer. Pleistocene sediments in SW Michigan displaying similar facies sequences made it possible interpret the layer as a clast poor till.