THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY – THE TRIASSIC MARINE BOREAL RECORD AT SPATH CREEK, CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC

Spath Creek, northern Ellesmere Island, Canadian High Arctic, hosts not only the Early Triassic Spathian stratotype, but also records a near continuous boreal marine record of almost the entire Triassic Period. The Early Triassic was characterised by significant swings in carbon isotope signature while primary productivity was severely stressed along the NW margin of Pangea during post Late Permian Extinction hothouse conditions. Drop of global temperatures led to renewed nutrient upwelling and extensive productivity producing Middle Triassic organic rich phosphorites, until the earliest Late Triassic when carbon isotope values stabilised to Late Permian conditions. This was followed by the Carnian Pluvial Event that was expressed by anomalous carbonate deposition and further disrupted carbon isotope records. Only in the latest part of the Triassic did geochemical record final stabilisation. Overall, the > 1600 m record shows a long history of dynamic climate change and prolonged recovery until final stabilisation in Late Triassic time.