Elizabeth Turner

Associate Professor
Carbonate Sedimentology
Invertebrate Paleontology

Department of Earth Sciences
Laurentian University
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 2C6
Telephone: (705) 675-1151 ext 2267
E-mail: eturner@laurentian.ca

Research Interests

• Proterozoic carbonate sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleobiology, basin analysis
• Early reef evolution (Precambrian & early Paleozoic)
• Sediment-hosted mineral deposits
• Paleozoic and Proterozoic regional stratigraphy of the Arctic islands
• Carbonate mineralisation processes in extant cold-water tufa systems

My work aims to contribute new perspectives regarding the evolution of Proterozoic and early Paleozoic carbonate depositional systems, and is based on sedimentologic and stratigraphic field studies. The fossil and geochemical records contained in carbonate sedimentary rocks (limestone and dolostone) represent the single most important repository of information about biological and chemical evolution of the Earth's surface. Earth's earliest atmosphere was oxygen-free, and accumulated oxygen slowly over about 3 billion years (66% of earth's total lifespan to date). Significant levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, and the protecting ozone layer that accompanies it, permitted multicellular and terrestrial life-forms eventually to emerge. Earth's earliest biota was limited to single-celled organisms, many of which proliferated and produced oxygen by photosynthesis in shallow, tropical water where carbonate sediment accumulated. The emergence of more complex organisms (such as plants and animals) is documented in 1.2 billion year old carbonate rocks, and their population of most marine niches was complete by about 475 million years ago.

Many significant gaps remain in our collective understanding of this 3 billion year long series of events. Studies of Proterozoic (544 to 2500 million years old) and early Paleozoic carbonate systems address two of these salient issues: (1) when and how carbonate sedimentary environments changed from settings that reflect geochemically challenged conditions of the early Earth, to those we consider biologically and sedimentologically 'modern'; and (2) how this affected biotic evolution. In addition to contributing to ongoing research into early earth systems, the Arctic part of this work augments our superficial understanding of sediment-hosted ore deposits in the Arctic islands, information which is needed to support the long-term economic development of Canada's north.

Available Research Projects

If you are interested in a M.Sc. or Ph.D. research project, please contact me or see our current research projects and geology graduate program information.

Mesoproterozoic stratigraphy & basin analysis (Nunavut): PhD level projects will address the regional stratigraphy and facies architecture of several mixed carbonate-terrigenous units that were deposited on a putative Mesoproterozoic continental margin that was undergoing episodic, local extensional tectonism. The lithofacies and geochemistry of these stratigraphic units are of particular interest because of their relevance to regional base metal mineralisation, and to reconstructing the poorly known paleocontinental margin.

Cambro-Ordovician reef paleoecology (various locations in Canada): Projects at MSc and PhD level are planned for several locations. The work will focus on the interplay between Precambrian-style reef frameworks and new metazoan reef constituents of the early Paleozoic.

Current Graduate Students

Ph.D. Students

Baldwin, Geoff, B.Sc. Hons (Acadia), M.Sc. (Laurentian), Stratigraphy and Geochemistry of the Rapitan iron formation [Turner / Kamber].

M.Sc. Students

Fischer, Beth, BSc Hons (Carleton), Controls on base-metal mineralization in the Early Cambrian Sekwi Formation, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. [Turner]

Representative Publications

Turner, E.C., 2009. Mesoproterozoic carbonate systems in the Borden Basin, Nunavut. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 46, p. 915-938.

Neuweiler, F., Turner, E.C. and Burdige, D., 2009. Early Neoproterozoic origin of the metazoan clade recorded in carbonate rock texture. Geology, v. 37, 475-478.

Turner, E.C., and Long, D.G.F., 2008. Basin architecture and syndepositional fault activity during deposition of the Neoproterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup, N.W.T., Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 45, p. 1159-1184.

Turner, E.C., and Jones, B., 2005, Microscopic calcite dendrites in cold-water tufa: Implications for nucleation of micrite and cement, Sedimentology, v. 52, p. 1043-1066.

Dewing, K., Sharp, R.J., and Turner, E.C., 2007. Synopsis of the Polaris Zn-Pb-Cu District, Canadian Arctic Islands, Nunavut. In: Goodfellow, W. (ed.). Mineral Resources of Canada: A Synthesis of Major Deposit-types, District Metallogeny, the Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods. Geological Association of Canada - Mineral Deposit Division Special Paper 5, p. 655-672.

Dewing, K., Turner, E.C., and Harrison, J.C., 2007. Geological History, Mineral Occurrences and Mineral Potential of the sedimentary rocks of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In: Goodfellow, W. (ed.). Mineral Resources of Canada: A Synthesis of Major Deposit-types, District Metallogeny, the Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods. Geological Association of Canada - Mineral Deposit Division Special Paper 5, p. 733-753.

Turner, E.C., and Jones, B., 2005, Microscopic calcite dendrites in cold-water tufa: Implications for nucleation of micrite and cement, Sedimentology, v. 52, p. 1043-1066.

Turner, E.C., James, N.P., and Narbonne, G.M., 2000, Taphonomic control on microstructure in early Neoproterozoic reefal stromatolites and thrombolites, Palaios, v. 15, p. 87 – 111.

Turner, E.C., Narbonne, G.M., and James, N.P., 2000, Framework composition of early Neoproterozoic calcimicrobial reefs and associated microbialites, Mackenzie Mountains, N.W.T., Canada. In Grotzinger, J.P. and James, N.P., eds., Carbonate Sedimentation and Diagenesis in the Evolving Precambrian World, SEPM Special Publication no. 67, p. 179 – 205.

Refereed Government Publications

Turner, E.C., 2009. Lithostratigraphy and stable isotope values of the early Neoproterozoic Gypsum formation (Little Dal Group, Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup), N.W.T. Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2009-002, 26 p.

Long, D.G.F., Rainbird, R.H., Turner, E.C., MacNaughton, R.B., 2008. Early Neoproterozoic strata (Sequence B) of mainland northern Canada and Victoria and Banks islands: a contribution to the Geological Atlas of the Northern Canadian Mainland Sedimentary Basin. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5700, 2008, 27p.

Dewing, K., Sharp, R.J., Ootes, L., Turner, E.C. and Gleeson, S., 2006, Geological assessment of known Zb-Pb showings, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2006-A4, 12p.

Turner, E.C., 2004, Origin of basinal carbonate laminites of the Mesoproterozoic Society Cliffs Formation (Borden Basin, Nunavut), and implications for base metal mineralisation; GSC Current Research 2004-B2, 12 p.

Turner, E.C., 2004, Stratigraphy of the Society Cliffs Formation: Correlations between northwestern and southeastern Milne Inlet Graben; GSC Current Research, 2004-B3, 11 p.

Turner, E.C., Kilometre-scale carbonate mounds in basinal strata: Implications for base-metal mineralisation in the Mesoproterozoic Arctic Bay and Society Cliffs Formations, Borden Basin, Nunavut, GSC Current Research, 2004-B4, 12 p.

Turner, E.C., and Dewing, K., 2004, Geology of Little Cornwallis Island and Rookery Creek (Cornwallis Island), Nunavut; GSC Open File 1780, scale 1:50,000.

Turner, E.C., 2003, New contributions to the stratigraphy of the Mesoproterozoic Society Cliffs Formation, Borden Basin, northern Baffin Island, Nunavut; GSC Current Research 2003-B2, 7 p.

Turner, E.C., 2003, Lead-zinc showings associated with debrites shed from synsedimentary faults, Mesoproterozoic Society Cliffs Formation, northern Baffin Island, Nunavut; GSC Current Research 2003-B3,13 p. Dewing, K., and Turner, E.C., 2003, Structural setting of the Cornwallis zinc district, Arctic islands, Nunavut; GSC Current Research 2003-B4, 9 p.

Patterson, K., Powis, K., Sutherland, R.A., and Turner, E.C., 2003, Stratigraphy and structural geology, Nanisivik area, northern Baffin Island, Nunavut; GSC Open File 1552, scale 1:100,000.

Abstracts and Conference Proceedings

Turner, E.C. and Long, D.G.F., 2009. Rift-related shale lithostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy and metal prospectivity, Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, NU. 37th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 17-19, 2009.

Long, D.G.F. and Turner, E.C., 2009. Tectonic, sedimentary and metallogenic re-evaluation of basal strata in the Mesoproterozoic Bylot Basins (NU): Are unconformity-type uranium concentrations a realistic expectation? 37th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 17-19, 2009.

Turner, E.C., 2009. Proterozoic Carbonate Lithofacies Control the Distribution of Sulphides at the Gayna River Zn-Pb Camp, Mackenzie Mountains, NWT. GAC-MAC-AGU Joint Assembly, May 24-27.

Turner, E.C., 2009 Spatial Constraints on Carbonate-hosted Base Metals in the Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, Nunavut. GAC-MAC-AGU Joint Assembly, May 24-27.

Fischer, B., Turner, E.C. and Kontak, D., 2009 Controls on Zn(-Pb) Mineralization in the Lower Cambrian Sekwi Formation, Mackenzie Mountains Zinc District, Northwest Territories. GAC-MAC-AGU Joint Assembly, May 24-27.

Turner, E.C. and Long, D.G.F., 2008. Basin architecture and syndepositional fault activity during deposition of the Neoproterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup: implications for metallogeny of northeast Yukon. 37th Yukon Geoscience Forum, Nov. 24-26, 2008.

Turner, E.C., Neuweiler, F. and Burdige, D., 2008. Evidence of early Neoproterozoic metazoans (animals), Little Dal Group, N.W.T., 36th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 18-20, 2008, p. 60-61.

Ootes. L., Falck, H., Gleeson, S, Turner, E., Rasmussen, K., Gordey, S. And Pierce, K., 2008. Metallogenic evolution of the Mackenzie Mountains, N.W.T. 36th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 18-20, 2008, p. 47.

Turner, E.C., 2008. Base metal distribution in the Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, northern Baffin Island (invited talk), Nunavut Mining Symposium, Iqaluit, April 8-10, 2008.

Long, D.G.F. and Turner, E.C., 2008. Direct evidence for active listric detachment faults and craton-normal transfer faults during evolution of the Neoproterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup, N.W.T., Canada (talk). Cordilleran Tectonics Workshop, Vancouver, February 22-24, 2008.

Turner, E.C., 2007 Tectonostratigraphic dynamics of the Society Cliffs dolostone, Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, Nunavut (talk). 35th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 19-22, 2007.

Turner, E.C., and Long, D.G.F., 2007 Displacement history of syndepositional faults in the Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup (talk). 35th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 19-22, 2007.

Turner, E.C., 2007 Lithostratigraphy of the early Neoproterozoic Gypsum formation, (Little Dal Group, Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup), NWT (poster). 35th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 19-22, 2007.

Fischer, B. and Turner, E.C., 2007 Stratigraphy and mineralization at the AB-C carbonate-hosted zinc(-lead) showing, Mackenzie Mountains (poster). 35th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 19-22, 2007.

Turner, E.C., 2007 Lithofacies and structural controls on Zn-Pb mineralisation at Gayna River, NWT (talk). GAC-MAC Joint meeting 32, May 23-25, 2007.

Turner, E.C., 2007 Stratigraphy and Economic Potential of the Mesoproterozoic Bylot Basins of Arctic Canada and Greenland (invited talk). GAC-MAC Joint meeting 32, May 23-25, 2007.

Long, D.G.F. and Turner, E.C., 2007. Synsedimentary faulting during deposition of the Neoproterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup and its effect on economic mineralisation (talk). GAC-MAC Joint meeting 32, May 23-25, 2007.

Turner, E.C., 2006, Base metal mineralisation in the Borden Basin District, northern Baffin Island, NU (talk). 34th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 21-23, 2006.

Long, D.G.F. and Turner, E.C., 2006, Were listric detachment faults active during deposition of the Neoproterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup? (poster) 34th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 21-23, 2006.

Fischer, B. and Turner, E.C., 2006, Preliminary investigation of zinc showings hosted by the Sekwi Formation, Mackenzie Mountains (poster). 34th Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 21-23, 2006.

Turner, E.C., 2005, A lithofacies-constrained structural control on mineralisation at the Gayna River Zn-Pb deposit, Mackenzie Mountains, NWT. 33rd Yellowknife Geoscience Forum (poster), Program and Abstracts, November 15-17, 2005.

Sharp, R., Dewing, K., Ootes, L., Turner, E., Gleeson, S and Lawson, M., 2005, An overview of carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb showings in the Mackenzie Mountains, NWT. 33rd Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 15-17, 2005.

Dewing, K., Ootes, L., Sharp, R., Turner, E., Gleeson, S. and Lawson, M., 2005, Geological assessment of known Zn-Pb showings, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, 33rd Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, Program and Abstracts, November 15-17, 2005.

Turner, E.C., 2005. Brecciated laminite from the Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, Arctic Canada: A deep-water equivalent of Molar-tooth structure? (talk) IGCP (Unesco International Geoscience Programme) #447 Abstracts - Fourth International Meeting, Alice Springs, June 2005. (P)

Turner, E.C. and Jones, B., 2004, Nucleation, growth and demise of sub-micron dendritic calcite crystals forming oriented nuclei for micrite and cement precipitates, Big Hill Springs cold water extant tufa, Alberta (poster); GAC-MAC Joint meeting 29, May 12-144, 2004.

Turner, E.C., and Dewing, K., 2004, A new map of Little Cornwallis island, Cornwallis Zn-Pb district, Nunavut (poster); GAC-MAC Joint meeting 29, May 12-144, 2004.

Turner, E.C., 2004, Giant deep-water seep mounds enclosed by anoxic basinal carbonate strata: inplications for base-metal mineralisation in the Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, Nunavut (talk); GAC-MAC Joint meeting 29, May 12-144, 2004.

Turner, E.C., 2004, Geology and tectonic history of sedimentary bedrock, Arctic Islands, Nunavut (invited talk); GAC-MAC Joint meeting 29, May 12-144, 2004.