My Research
My research is one of the many parts of the REEFCADE project (REEF and carbonate buildup development). The main goal of the on-going research is an accurate stratigraphic correlation between different parts of the Panthalassa realm. Therefore the determination of composition and paleoecology of microfossils and reef building organisms within the limestones is an essential component. Through the comparison of the fossil assemblages, the reconstruction of the paleogeography and palaeoenvironments with their respective sedimentological systems, we try to improve tectonic and geodynamic models for the accretion of the investigated terranes.
My PhD deals with the Late Triassic carbonates of the Sonoran Terrane in north-western Mexico. It is focused on the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment through microfacies analysis and palaeontology as well as the path taken by this terrane through the Panthalassa Ocean until its accretion onto the North American craton. Therefore we took, from several localities in northern Sonora where Norian carbonates out crop, samples and perform detailed field investigations as well as sedimentological and paleontological analysis on the material taken. My main focus is on the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment and the palaeotectonic setting through the comparison of the fossil assemblages, especially foraminifers and conodonts.
The results of my work can make a contribution to i) stratigraphy of the Cordillera, ii) palaeogeographic models as well as to iii) the global stratigraphic charts of the Upper Triassic. Furthermore, this research offers the chance for taxonomic revisions.
Lecturer assistant for
General Geology, Geological mapping, Informatics and Core Logging for Bachelor and Master students.
MY Abstracts
- Heerwagen, E., Ulyanov, A., Martini, R. (2015) - Geochemical provenance study on detrital zircon – An attempt to decipher the paleoposition of Mexican terranes. Poster at 31st IAS Meeting of Sedimentology, Krakow, Poland.
- Heerwagen, E., Ulyanov, A., Martini, R. (2015) - New insights into the paleogeographic relationship of the Antimonio-, Vizcaino terranes, and the North American craton. Poster at 23rd SwissSed, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Heerwagen, E., Martini, R. (2014) - The relationship between the Vizcaíno ’composite‘ Terrane and the ‘Antimonio Terrane’ during the Upper Triassic. Poster at 12th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Heerwagen, E., Martini, R. (2014) - The Vizcaíno ’composite‘ Terrane – A potential Upper Triassic neighbour of the Mexican ‘Antimonio Terrane’. Poster at 19th ISC Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Heerwagen E., Rigaud S., Martini R. (2013) - The REEFCADE-project and the Antimonio terrane in Northwest Sonora, Mexico. Poster at the 30th IAS Meeting of sedimentology, Manchester, United Kingdom. Abstract