| Several approaches were taken to unravel the paleoclimatic evolution of the Permian in the Paraná Basin in southern Brazil. I utilized climate-sensitive sediment data, sequence stratigraphy, redox-sensitive geochemistry, the chemical index of alteration and floral diversity data. This study suggests that the climate change resulted more from the northward migration of the Gondwana than from any global phenomena. Changes in paleotemperature, paleoprecipitation and depositional environments reflect the shift from temperate to subtropical latitutes. The Paraná Basin began as an inland marine basin at high latitudes influenced by a glacial climate. In the Early Permian, as the continent drifted northward to temperate latitudes, the Paraná Basin witnessed a climatic amelioration; this new cool to warm, humid climate favored the development of extensive vegetation and the accumulation of peat. Progressive subsidence of the basin led to marine transgression in the Early to Middle Permian and the accumulation of marine and organic-rich sediments under warm-temperate conditions. As the continent continued to move toward subtropical latitudes, temperature and aridity increased, which, coupled with the isolation of the former sea from open ocean, ultimately led to the irreversible continentalization of the Paraná Basin in the Late Permian.*; *This dissertation includes a CD that is compound (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following application: Adobe Acrobat. |
