Title:

Using Magnetostratigraphy to Find the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary in La Colonia Formation, Patagonia, Argentina

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary is a geologic record marks the occurrence of one of the most important events in Earth’s history. At this time (approximately 66 million years ago), a mass extinction occurred, caused primarily by a meteorite impact. This also caused a change in global climate and widespread deposition of material ejected from the impact crater. Currently, there are few continental records of the K-Pg boundary in South America, resulting in poor understanding of its effects there. One method for finding the boundary uses magnetostratigraphy (measuring the magnetic polarity of a rock, preserved from when it formed). Earth’s magnetic field has reversed through time, and these reversals can be recorded in rock formations. Chron C29r is an interval of reversed magnetic polarity that encompasses the K-Pg boundary. This project seeks to find Chron C29r in samples taken from La Colonia Formation in Patagonia, Argentina. Samples taken from strata in La Colonia were analyzed to find their magnetic polarity, resulting in the magnetostratigraphy for that formation.

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