Elizabeth Turner

Research

Research focus on tectononstratigraphic analysis and economic potential of Proterozoic to lower Paleozoic sedimentary basins, including paleobiological, geochemical, paleoenvironmental, sedimentological, and diagenetic evolution in deep time spanning over 1 billion years of Earth history. Over 30 years of experience doing remote field research in Canada's north (NU; NWT).

Current projects in:

• ​Geological evolution of Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Paleozoic basins innorthern Canada (NU, NWT)
• Sedimentary-rock-hosted ore deposits (DRCongo; northern Canada)
• Carbonate facies and stratigraphy
• Carbonate and silciclastic diagenesis and alteration
• Microbial reef geochemistry and evolution
• Early evolution of eukaryotes

Current Research Group:

PhD Students

Chaneil Wallace (2019 - ) - Origin of three contrasting sedimentary-rock-hosted ore deposits in Maritime Canada

MSc Students

Christian Frost (2019 - ) - Pyrite geochemistry at the Kamoa-Kakula Cu deposits, Democratic Republic of Congo

Charlotte Stone (2018 - ) - Dynamics of mid-Neoproterozoic marine systems leading to Rodinia dispersal, Mackenzie Mountains, NWT

Post-doctoral Fellows

Jordan Mathieu (2020 - ) - Zn- and Cu-mineralising fluids at Kipushi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Recently completed

R. William Scott (MSc; 2020 - 2023) - Lower to Middle Cambrian evolution of the ancestral margin of North America in western NWT

Jordan Mathieu (PhD; 2015 -  2020) - Mineralising fluids of the Cornwallis Zn district, Nunavut

Philippe Trudel (MSc; 2016 - 2019) – Geochronology of the Cu-hosting lower Nguba Group, southern Democratic Republic of Congo

Quinn Dabros (MSc; 2016 - 2019) – Microstructural controls on sulphide distribution in the Kamoa-Kakula deposits, Democratic Republic of Congo

Melanie Bouchard (MSc; 2015 - 2019) - Middle Cambrian stratigraphy of the Brock Inlier and Mackenzie Mountains, NWT

Katherine Hahn (post-doctoral fellow; 2016 - 2017) - Late Ordovician basin evolution, northern Ontario and Manitoba

Awards

• 2020 - Geological Association of Canada, Howard Street Robinson Medal for excellence in Precambrian geology  https://gac.ca/about/grants-awards/howard-street-robinson-medal/
• 2010 - Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Best Paper, 2009: Turner, E.C., 2009. Mesoproterozoic carbonate systems in the Borden Basin, Nunavut. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 46, p. 915-938. doi:10.1139/E11-066)
• 2001 - PALAIOS - Honourable mention for best paper: 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. 
• 1999 - Best Canadian PhD Thesis in Sedimentary Geology - Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists

Teaching

Regularly or intermittently offered courses:

GEOL 1007 and 1022 - Introductory Geology II  (Earth's Deep-Time History)

GEOL 2406 - Paleobiology

GEOL 3217 - Sedimentology & Stratigraphy

GEOL 4216 - Oceanography

GEOL 4217 - Carbonate Sedimentology

GEOL 4005 - BSc Thesis Course

GEOL 5246 - Carbonate Facies

Current Research Group:

PhD Students

Chaneil Wallace (2019 - ) - Lithofacies and fluids in the Irish Zn district

MSc Students

Christian Frost (2019 - ) - Pyrite geochemistry at the Kamoa-Kakula Cu deposits, Democratic Republic of Congo

Charlotte Stone (2018 - ) - Dynamics of mid-Neoproterozoic marine systems leading to Rodinia dispersal, Mackenzie Mountains, NWT

Post-doctoral Fellows

Jordan Mathieu (2020 - ) - Zn- and Cu-mineralising fluids at Kipushi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Recently completed

R. William Scott (MSc; 2020 - 2023) - Lower to Middle Cambrian evolution of the ancestral margin of North America in western NWT

Jordan Mathieu (PhD; 2015 -  2020) - Mineralising fluids of the Cornwallis Zn district, Nunavut

Philippe Trudel (MSc; 2016 - 2019) – Geochronology of the Cu-hosting lower Nguba Group, southern Democratic Republic of Congo

Quinn Dabros (MSc; 2016 - 2019) – Microstructural controls on sulphide distribution in the Kamoa-Kakula deposits, Democratic Republic of Congo

Melanie Bouchard (MSc; 2015 - 2019) - Middle Cambrian stratigraphy of the Brock Inlier and Mackenzie Mountains, NWT

Katherine Hahn (post-doctoral fellow; 2016 - 2017) - Late Ordovician basin evolution, northern Ontario and Manitoba

Publications

Bold indicates student author.

Submitted:

Recent papers in refereed journals:

• Mathieu, J., Turner, E.C., Kontak, D.J., and Fayek, M., 2024. Redbed diagenesis links district-scale mineralising fluids to Cu source rock in the Polaris Zn-Pb (-Cu) district, Arctic Canada. Ore Geology Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.105916
•  
• Turner, E.C., Dabros, Q., Broughton, D.W., and Kontak, D.J., 2023. Textural and geochemical evidence for two-stage mineralisation at the Kamoa-Kakula Cu deposits, Central African Copperbelt. Mineralium Deposita https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-023-01165-z
•  
• Medig, K., Thorkelson, D., Turner, E., Rainbird, R., Gibson, D., and Marshall, D.D., 2023. Mesoproterozoic basins (Yukon, Canada) in the evolution of supercontinent Columbia. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences.  https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2022-0055
•  
• ​Mathieu, J., Turner, E.C., Kontak, D.J., and Fayek, M., 2022. Geochemical vidence for a topographically driven regional mineralizing fluid in the Polaris Zn district, Arctic Canada. Economic Geology. doi:10.5382/econgeo.4959

• O’Sullivan, E.M., Nägler, T.F., Turner, E.C., Kamber, B.S., Babechuk, M.G., and O’Hare, S.P., 2022. Mo isotope composition of the 0.85 Ga ocean from coupled carbonate and shale archives: some implications for pre-Cryogenian oxygenation. Precambrian Research. Precambrian Research 378, doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106760

• Scott, R.W., Turner, E.C., MacNaughton R.B., and Fallas, K.M., 2022. Biostratigraphic evidence for incremental tectonic development of Early Cambrian deep-water environments in the Misty Creek embayment (Selwyn basin, Northwest Territories, Canada) Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2021-0049

• Shields, G.A., Strachan, R.A., Porter, S.M., Halverson, G.P., Macdonald, F.A., Plumb, K.A., deAlvarenga, C.J., Banerjee, D.M., Bekker, A., Bleeker, W., Brasier, A., Chakraborty, P.P., Collins, A.S., Condie, K., Das, K., Evans, D.A.D., Ernst, R., Fallick, A.E., Frimmel, H., Fuck, R., Hoffman, P.F., Kamber, B.S., Kuznetsov, A.B., Mitchell, R.N., Poiré, D.G., Poulton, S.W., Riding, R., Sharma, M., Storey, C., Stueeken, E., Tostevin, R., Turner, E., Xiao, S., Zhang, S., Zhou, Y, and Zhu, M., 2022. A remplate for an improved rock-based subdivision of the pre-Cryogenian timescale. Journal of the geological Society, v. 179. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2020-222

• Turner, Elizabeth C. 2021. Possible poriferan body fossils in early Neoproterozoic microbial reefs. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03773-z

• Loron, C., Halverson, G., Rainbird, R., Skulski, T., Turner, E., and Javaux, E., 2021. Shale-hosted biota from the Dismal Lakes Group in Arctic Canada supports an early Mesoproterozoic diversification of eukaryotes. Journal of Paleontology doi: 10.1017/jpa.2021.45

• Greenman, W, Rainbird, R.H., and Turner, E.C., 2020. High-resolution correlation between contrasting early Tonian carbonate successions in NW Canada highlights pronounced global carbon isotope variations. Precambrian Research, v. 346, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105816

• Currie, L., Brent, T., and Turner, E., 2020. Offshore bedrock geology of the Eclipse Sound - Pond Inlet area: Connecting the structure and stratigraphy of Bylot and northern Baffin islands. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 57, p. 1254-1267. doi: 10.1139/cjes-2019-0159

• Hnatyshin, D., Robert A Creaser, R.A., Meffre, S., Stern, R.A., Wilkinson, J.J., and Turner, E.C., 2020. Understanding the microscale spatial distribution and mineralogical residency of Re in pyrite: Examples from carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb ores and implications for pyrite Re-Os geochronology. Chemical Geology. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119427

• Loron, C.C., François, C., Rainbird, R.H., Turner, E.C., Borensztajn, S., and Javaux, E.J., 2019. Early fungi from the Proterozoic era in Arctic Canada. Nature, v. 570, p. 232-235. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1217-0​ 

• Loron, C.C., Rainbird, R.H., Turner, E.C., Greenman, W.J., Javaux, E.J., 2019. Organic-walled microfossils from the late Meso to early Neoproterozoic lower Shaler Supergroup (Arctic Canada): diversity and biostratigraphic significance. Precambrian Research, v. 321, p. 349-374. doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2018.12.024

• Loron, C.C., Rainbird, R.H., Turner, E.C., Greenman, W.J., Javaux, E.J., 2018. Implications of selective predation on the macroevolution of eukaryotes: evidence from Arctic Canada. Emerging Topics in Life Science  https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20170153

• ​Mathieu, J., Turner, E., Kontak, D., Fayek, M., and Mathur, R., 2018. Atypical Cu mineralisation in the Cornwallis carbonate-hosted Zn district: Storm copper deposit, Arctic Canada. Ore Geology Reviews 99, p. 86-115.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2018.06.009

• Turner, E.C., Broughton, D.W., and Brooks, T., 2018. Neoproterozoic carbonate lithofacies and ore distribution at the Kipushi Cu-Zn deposit, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gayna River Zn camp, Northwest Territories, Canada. Economic Geology, v. 113, p. 779-788 doi: 10.5382/econgeo.2018.4570; 10 p.

• Hahn, K.E., Turner, E.C., Kontak, D.J., and Fayek, M., 2018. Fluid-chemical evidence for one billion years of fluid flow through Mesoproterozoic deep-water carbonate mounds (Nanisivik zinc district, Nunavut). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 223, 493-519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.12.001​

• Rainbird, R.H., Rayner, N.M., Hadlari, T., Heaman, L.M., Ielpi, A., Turner, E. and MacNaughton, R.B., 2017.  Zircon provenance data record lateral extent of pancontinental, early Neoproterozoic rivers and erosional unroofing history of the Grenvillian orogeny. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 129, p. 1408-1423 ​DOI:10.1130/B31695.1
• Hahn, K.E. and Turner, E.C., 2017. Composition and history of giant lacustrine carbonate seep mounds, Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin, Arctic Canada. Precambrian Research  v. 293, p. 150-173. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2017.03.009
• Mathieu, J, Turner, E.C., and Rainbird, R.H., 2017. Origin and hydrology of a large, intact Early Cambrian paleocave system and its role in overlying fluidisation structures, Arctic Canada. Sedimentary Geology,  v. 351, p. 66-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2017.02.006  
• Hnatyshin, D., Kontak, D.J., Turner, E.C., Creaser, R., Morden, R., Stern, R.A., 2016. Geochronologic (Re-Os) and fluid-chemical constraints on the formation of the Mesoproterozoic-hosted Nanisivik Zn-Pb deposit, Nunavut, Canada: Evidence for early diagenetic, low-temperature conditions of formation. Ore Geology Reviews, v. 79, 9. 189-217, doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.05.017
• Medig, K., Turner, E.C., Thorkelson, D.J., and Rainbird, R.H., 2016. Rifting of Columbia to form a deep-water siliciclastic to carbonate succession: The Mesoproterozoic Pinguicula Group of northern Yukon, Canada. Precambrian Research, v.   278, p. 179-206.   DOI: 10.1016/j.precamres.2016.03.021
• Baldwin, G.J., Turner, E.C., and Kamber, B.S., 2016. Tectonic controls on the distribution and stratigraphy of the Cryogenian Rapitan iron formation, northwestern Canada. Precambrian Research, v. 278, p. 303-322. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2016.03.014
• Turner, E.C., Long, D.G.F., Rainbird, R.H., Petrus, J.A., and Rayner, N.M., 2016. Late Mesoproterozoic rifting in Arctic Canada during Rodinia assembly: impactogens, trans-continental far-field stress, and zinc mineralisation. Terra Nova. doi:10.1111/ter.12207
• Turner, E.C., and Bekker, A., 2016. Thick sulfate evaporite accumulations marking a mid-Neoproterozoic oxygenation event (Ten Stone Formation, NWT, Canada). Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 128, p. 203-222. doi: 10.1130/B31268.1
• Hahn, K., Turner, E.C., Babechuk, M.G., and Kamber, B.S., 2015. Deep-water seep-related carbonate mounds in a Mesoproterozoic alkaline lake, Borden Basin (Nunavut, Canada). Precambrian Research, v. 271, p. 173-197. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2015.09.025
• Mathieu, J. Kontak, D.J., Turner, E.C., Fayek, M., Layne, G. 2015. Geochemistry of Phanerozoic diagenesis on Victoria Island, NWT, Canada. Chemical Geology. 15, p. 47-69. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.08.016
• Gallagher, M., Turner, E.C., and Kamber, B.S., 2015. In-situ trace metal analysis of Neoarchaean – Ordovician shallow-marine microbial carbonate-hosted pyrites. Geobiology, v. 13, p. 316-339. DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12139
• Medig, K.P.R., Thorkelson, D.J., Davis, W.J., Rainbird, R.H., Gibson, H.D., Turner, E.C., and Marshall, D.D., 2014. Pinning northeastern Australia to northwestern Laurentia in the Mesoproterozoic. Precambrian Research v. 249, p. 88-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2014.04.018
• Mathieu, J, Kontak, D.J., and Turner, E.C., 2013. A fluid inclusion study of diagenetic fluids in Proterozoic and Paleozoic carbonate rocks, Victoria Island, NWT. Geofluids v. 13, p. 559-578. doi: 10.1111/gfl.12063
• Ootes, L., Gleeson, S, Turner, E., Rasmussen, K., Gordey, S., Falck, H., Martel, E., Pierce, K. 2013. Metallogenic evolution of the Mackenzie and eastern Selwyn mountains of Canada’s northern Cordillera, Northwest Territories: a compilation and review. Geoscience Canada, v. 40, p. 40-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.12789/geocanj.2013.40.005
• Baldwin, G.J., Nägler, T.F., Greber, N.D., Turner, E.C., and Kamber, B.S., 2013. Mo isotopic composition of the mid-Neoproterozoic ocean: an iron formation perspective. Precambrian Research, v. 230, p. 168-178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2013.02.011
• Turner, E.C. and Kamber, B.S., 2012. Arctic Bay Formation, Borden Basin, Nunavut (Canada): Basin evolution, black shale base-metal potential, and dissolved metal systematics in the Mesoproterozoic ocean. Precambrian Research, v. 208-211, p. 1-18. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2012.03.006
• Long, D.G.F. and Turner, E.C., 2012. Tectonic, sedimentary and metallogenic re-evaluation of basal strata in the Mesoproterozoic Bylot basins (NU): are unconformity-type U concentrations a realistic expectation? Precambrian Research, v. 214-215, p. 192-209. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.11.005
• Baldwin, G.J., Turner, E.C. and Kamber, B.S., 2012. A new depositional model for glaciogenic Neoproterozoic iron formation: insights from the chemostratigraphy and basin configuration of the Rapitan iron formation. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 49, p. 455-476. doi:10.1139/E11-066
• Turner, E.C., 2011. Structural and stratigraphic controls on carbonate-hosted base-metal mineralization in the Mesoproterozoic Borden Basin (Nanisivik District), Nunavut. Economic Geology, v. 106, p. 1197-1223.
• Turner, E.C., 2009. Mesoproterozoic carbonate systems in the Borden Basin, Nunavut. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 46, p. 915-938. doi:10.1139/E11-066 (awarded Best Paper in CJES 2009)
• 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. doi: 10.1130/G25621A.1
• 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.