Pressures and Temperatures

[PaleoGenesis]

Looking for information on pressures and temperatures present during typical fish fossil formation. My most recent fossil is from the Green River formation in Wyoming. I know there are some generalized guesses out there but I'm looking real numbers and a description of how those numbers were arrived at or calculated. Thank you.

[ThePhysicist]

Welcome to the forum! 

 

For determining temperatures, one method I know of is thermally-induced color changes in conodont elements, described here: https://pubs. .gov/pp/0995/report.pdf. However, as first discovered, it was a qualitative analysis. Apparently, it now can be quantified somewhat: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018219301191

This method is only applicable roughly from the Cambrian to the Triassic, when conodonts existed. 

 

As for the GRF, temperature determination appears to be largely based on the flora/fauna present: https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/eoc/greenriver.html

see also: https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/products/wsgs-1984-b-63.pdf page 3

Edited July 9, 2021 by ThePhysicist

[PaleoGenesis]

In thinking this through there must have been a significant amount of vertical pressure from overburden, hydraulic pressure from depth of water or head pressure above the fish, and high enough temperatures to turn the biological remains to carbon,,,, if that is indeed how it happens. I was curious if this work or calculations have been done in the past and what the results may have been. Do we know or is it simply theoretical or just speculation?

Thank you for the links, I've downloaded 2 already and they look very interesting.