{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/159903"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/159903","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Triple oxygen isotope measurements in chert: insights into the Snowball Earth glaciations","abstract":"Snowball Earth events represent a critical component of the history of the planet, particularly for the trajectory of life, atmospheric oxygen, and planetary habitability. There remains a myriad of questions about the dynamics of these global glaciations, especially regarding the relationship between the cryosphere and hydrosphere during this time. This study analyzes silica precipitates within a carbonate sequence immediately underlying a Cryogenian diamictite to better understand this relationship, particularly the chemistry of subglacial meltwater. Using triple oxygen isotope measurements, clumped isotope palaeothermometry, uranium-lead geochronology, and SEM/EDS and XRD analyses, we present interpretations of both the host rock and possible scenarios for the geochemistry of the precipitating fluid(s) responsible for these silica cements. We posit that these cherts are precipitates either from syn-glacial, sub-ice meltwaters or deglacial fluids from the end of the Marinoan glaciation, providing useful insights into the chemical composition of these source waters and demonstrating the utility of chemical precipitates as a record of ancient sub-ice conditions.","abstract_html":"Snowball Earth events represent a critical component of the history of the planet, particularly for the trajectory of life, atmospheric oxygen, and planetary habitability. There remains a myriad of questions about the dynamics of these global glaciations, especially regarding the relationship between the cryosphere and hydrosphere during this time. This study analyzes silica precipitates within a carbonate sequence immediately underlying a Cryogenian diamictite to better understand this relationship, particularly the chemistry of subglacial meltwater. Using triple oxygen isotope measurements, clumped isotope palaeothermometry, uranium-lead geochronology, and SEM/EDS and XRD analyses, we present interpretations of both the host rock and possible scenarios for the geochemistry of the precipitating fluid(s) responsible for these silica cements. We posit that these cherts are precipitates either from syn-glacial, sub-ice meltwaters or deglacial fluids from the end of the Marinoan glaciation, providing useful insights into the chemical composition of these source waters and demonstrating the utility of chemical precipitates as a record of ancient sub-ice conditions.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Freudenburg-Puricelli, Markey"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Bachelor","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Bergmann, Kristin"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05","date_published":"2025-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:46Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"],"rights_urls":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/159903","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Bergmann, Kristin"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Freudenburg-Puricelli, Markey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-07T17:37:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-07T17:37:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Bachelor","Bachelor of Science in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/159903"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Snowball Earth events represent a critical component of the history of the planet, particularly for the trajectory of life, atmospheric oxygen, and planetary habitability. There remains a myriad of questions about the dynamics of these global glaciations, especially regarding the relationship between the cryosphere and hydrosphere during this time. This study analyzes silica precipitates within a carbonate sequence immediately underlying a Cryogenian diamictite to better understand this relationship, particularly the chemistry of subglacial meltwater. Using triple oxygen isotope measurements, clumped isotope palaeothermometry, uranium-lead geochronology, and SEM/EDS and XRD analyses, we present interpretations of both the host rock and possible scenarios for the geochemistry of the precipitating fluid(s) responsible for these silica cements. We posit that these cherts are precipitates either from syn-glacial, sub-ice meltwaters or deglacial fluids from the end of the Marinoan glaciation, providing useful insights into the chemical composition of these source waters and demonstrating the utility of chemical precipitates as a record of ancient sub-ice conditions."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Triple oxygen isotope measurements in chert: insights into the Snowball Earth glaciations"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Bergmann, Kristin"],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Freudenburg-Puricelli, Markey"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-07T17:37:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-07T17:37:49Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["Snowball Earth events represent a critical component of the history of the planet, particularly for the trajectory of life, atmospheric oxygen, and planetary habitability. There remains a myriad of questions about the dynamics of these global glaciations, especially regarding the relationship between the cryosphere and hydrosphere during this time. This study analyzes silica precipitates within a carbonate sequence immediately underlying a Cryogenian diamictite to better understand this relationship, particularly the chemistry of subglacial meltwater. Using triple oxygen isotope measurements, clumped isotope palaeothermometry, uranium-lead geochronology, and SEM/EDS and XRD analyses, we present interpretations of both the host rock and possible scenarios for the geochemistry of the precipitating fluid(s) responsible for these silica cements. We posit that these cherts are precipitates either from syn-glacial, sub-ice meltwaters or deglacial fluids from the end of the Marinoan glaciation, providing useful insights into the chemical composition of these source waters and demonstrating the utility of chemical precipitates as a record of ancient sub-ice conditions."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/159903"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"],"dc:rights.uri":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Triple oxygen isotope measurements in chert: insights into the Snowball Earth glaciations"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Bachelor","Bachelor of Science in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:46Z"}