Abstract
Stromatolites are large, layered calcareous deposits, typically found by the shore of oceans or lakes. These are formed due to interactions of cyanobacteria – a photosynthetic organism – and the surroundings, specifically, introduced sediment and minerals in the water. The resulting stromatolite formations have a variety of external and internal structures influenced by the environment in which they form. The Green River Formation is a large lacustrine deposit that formed in what is the present-day United States during the middle Eocene, and is known for a large variety of fossils, including stromatolites. The stromatolites being investigated in the Green River Formation are some of the most recent deposits, formed ~45 million years ago, around the time the lakes were fully evaporating. This research investigates if changes in stromatolites reflect the changes in the fluctuations of the lake the samples formed in. The stromatolites were collected from two locations within Sanpete valley, White Hill and Temple Hill. When investigating sample stromatolites, the alterations in their internal formation, echoed in oxygen isotope analysis results, show minute changes in water that reflect small changes in the stages of lake recession.
Advisor
Lyon, Eva
Department
Geology
Recommended Citation
Hendrickson, Rheo M., "Morphological Differences in Stromatolites in Response to Changes in the Green River Lake System, Sanpete Valley, Utah" (2025). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11422.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11422
Disciplines
Geology | Hydrology | Paleontology
Keywords
paleontology, stromatolites, Green River, geology, Sanpete Valley, lake level change
Publication Date
2025
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2025 Rheo M. Hendrickson