Alfred Traverse – författare

Microscopic organic-walled fossils are found in most sedimentary rocks. The organic particles - spores, pollens and other land and marine derived microfossils, representing animals, plants, fungi and protists - can be extracted and used to date the rock, reveal details of the original sedimentary environment and provide information on the climate of the time. The mix within a sediment of whole organic particles - palynomorphs - and organic fragments - palynodebris - form palynofacies. This book presents research work on the sedimentation of components of palynofacies and details their importance for sequence stratigraphy and the interpretation of ancient biologic and geologic environments. A comprehensive introduction to the subject is presented in the first chapter. Palynosedimentation in modern environments, the reconstruction of terrestrial vegetation and the application of the data to sequence stratigraphy are then considered. Later chapters detail various quantitative methods and their specific applications in the subject. This is a valuable reference work for palynologists and sedimentologists and also for paleobiologists, and for professionals working in the hydrocarbons industries.

Paleopalynology, second edition, provides profusely illustrated treatment of fossil palynomorphs, including spores, pollen, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans, scolecodonts, and various microscopic fungal and algal dispersal bodies. The book serves both as a student text and general reference work. Palynomorphs yield information about age, geological and biological environment, climate during deposition, and other significant factors about the enclosing rocks.Extant spores and pollen are treated first, preparing the student for more difficult work with fossil sporomorphs and other kinds of palynomorphs. Recognizing that palynomorphs occur together in rocks because of chemical robustness and stratigraphic distribution, not biological relationship, the central sections are organized stratigraphically. Among many other topics presented are the sedimentation and geothermal alteration of palynomorphs, and palynofacies analysis. An appendix describes laboratory methods. The glossary, bibliographies and index are useful tools for study of the literature.