Black Mats

Abstract
Pleistocene / Holocene (P/H) Boundary oceanic Koefels-comet Impact Series Scenario (KISS) of 12.850 yrs BP Global-warming Threshold Triad (GTT) - Part IVb
Michael Bujatti-Narbeshuber
Intradom Beratungsgesellschaft m.b.H. Wien, Austria (dr.bujatti@gmx.at)
P/H-KISS, the geophysical evidence based, multidisciplinary set of hypotheses, explains  P/H-paleo-climatological-borehole-evidence. Dual Continental-Ice-Atlantic-Ocean-CIAO-KISS-impact-series-scenario solves “via high stratospheric…greenhouse-gases (higher water & CO2 content)” (Manabe,Wetherald,1967) through GTT and H-EAT-maximum-MWP-(Holocene-End-Alleroed-Temperature-maximum-Melt-Water-Pulse) the P/H-deglaciation-energy-paradox. Furthermore P/H-thermohaline “bipolar-half-center-tipping-regulation” (BIHATI-regulation) constrains critical-Pleistocene-temperature-excursions into damped-Holocene with CIAO-KISS-Albedo-increase-based “hot-climate-prediction”…“permanent end of the ice age” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a,2022,2023,2024) confirming (CAGE)-Cosmogenic-(Holocene-95%H2O)-Anthropogenic-(Anthropogene-Anthropospheric 5%CO2,CH4)-Gravity-Greenhouse-(Little&Big-ice-age-termination)-Event.
Undeniable transition into P/H-geophysical theory, started September 22.1997 with letter and abstract (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a,b) to John Grant III, Buffalo University, concerning: “A new explanation of climate as stochastic resonance phenomenon...amplifying the weak signal of Milankovich cycles”, “...triggered by small impacts every ca. 10.000 years…” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997b) into potentially “totally new” (=“Holocene”) climate-regime. Expanding “… the hypothesis that a continental Koefels-comet ice-impact, from the mainly oceanic KISS at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, associated with global warming…”  (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,Hoogewerff,1995), the letter provided about genesis of U.S.-Carolina Bays (CBs) the following conclusive P/H-impact-evidence:
Undeniable 500.000 LIDAR-CBs were geo-physically explained as “paleo-seismic impact-seismic liquefaction features” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997b).
Undeniable CBs-ice-meteorite-craters, were paradigmatically-relevant-dated 12.850calBP, using GRIP-borehole-KISS-event-stratigraphy-calibration for C14-(Laacher-See-Eruption)-LSE-volcanism-unstratified-sand-intercalated-tephra-dates (Hajdas,Zolitschka,1995) as CBs-KISS-impact-proxy (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a,b): “They include the Sand Craters in the Gulf Coastal Plain clastic Sediments and are the first evidence for a late Pleistocene Impact event. Dated by me at 11.300 BP C 14 or 12.850 BP (1950) in calendar years (see enclosed abstract, Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a) of the talk promoting this interpretation.…It combines nicely Bailey (Nature,1944,154: Meteorites or Springs as Geological agents?) with old impact associated meteoritic interpretations albeit in an unexpected way.”
Undeniable evidence are “old impact associated meteoritic interpretations” in the word “meteorite”. Ancient Greek etymology of meteoros (=raised from the ground), from airein  (=to raise), with meta (=higher-beyond), preserves eye-witness account of “continental Koefels-comet ice-impact” meteorites, “albeit in an unexpected way”, raised from the ground, higher-beyond earth atmosphere, before hitting “Gulf Coastal Plain clastic Sediments” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997b).
Undeniable CBs on Gulf-coastal-Plain-Sites (GPS) falsify Eugen Shoemaker`s “glaciological-features” as CBs-permafrost-thermokarst-lake-hypothesis (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997b).
Undeniable 500.000 CBs provide mathematical-elliptical-circular-conical-sections (Melton&Shriver,1933;Muck,1976;Zamora,2015) with major-axes-non-randomly-converging  (Davias&Gilbride,2012; Svenson,2023) towards “continental Koefels-comet-ice-impact” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,Hoogewerff,1995) within “terminal Wisconsinian” continental-ice-sheet-boundary (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a).
Undeniable 500.000 CBs-sand-impact-structures molded “Gulf Coastal Plain clastic sediments” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997b) or Atlantic-Coast-bleached-sand, often pure-silicate-industrial-white-glass-production-sand-“White-Mats”. Type-locality of this CBs-fossil-free-sand-blanket-horizon is the Goldsboro-Ridge-Enigma (Daniels&Gamble,1969,1970) testifying for the catastrophic first “mainly oceanic KISS” (Bujatti-Narbeshuber, Hoogewerff,1995;Bujatti-Narbeshuber,1997a).
Undeniable 3 Paleolithic-Maps proof oceanic-KISS-Mid-Atlantic-Ridge&Plateau-Lowering-Event-(MARPLE), with (13.124calBP)-“White-Mats”-Atlantic-Ocean-LST-KISS-boundary-horizon (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,2002,2009,2022,2023). 274yrs later, (12.850yrsBP) second Continental-Ice-CBs-KISS, caused Younger-Dryas-YDT-2-Transition, with chronostratigraphic-Pt-peak-horizon, followed by (YDT-3)-“Black-Mats” (Moore,2017,2023;Hayes,2008;Bujatti-Narbeshuber,2002,2009,2023).
Undeniable North-American “upper bleached sand A2-horizon” (Daniels&Gamble,1972) and North-European “bleached sand layer below Usselo-Finow-horizon” (van Hoesel,2014;Andronikov,2016; Bazelmans,2021;Heuberger,1968;Kusch,2009, 2014,2022) furthermore require 13.124calBP Atlantic-Ocean-LST-KISS-MARPLE-catastrophic-aeolian-transport of submarine-explosive-magmatism-silicates, seafloor-carbonates, volcanic-ash and sea-water in huge strato-meso-spheric overheated-steam-plume (Bujatti-Narbeshuber,2023). It divides Inter-Aleroed-Cold-Period (IACP) into Gerzensee-Cooling-Killarney-Oszillation-P/H-boundary-chronozones (GECKO-1,-2) of Older-Lilium (superbum), Younger-Lilium (pyrophilum=fire-affine) manifesting P/H-boundary-speciation-event of edaphically-highly- specialized, Sandhills-lily (Douglas,2011).
Undeniable 30 times wildfire increase, 13.200BP, with Rancholabrean megafauna extinction (O`Keefe,Science,381,2023) requires LST-KISS-MARPLE-consideration. Associated P/H-silicate-bleached-sand-Euro-American-horizon with GECKO-2 marine-atmospheric-cooling is reminiscent of K-Pg-boundary-impact-generated-plume of 0,8-8,0-micrometre-sized-silicate-dust-horizon-impactite, generating K/Pg-impact-winter (C.B.Senel et.al., Nature Geoscience, 2023).
Bujatti-Narbeshuber,M.,Hoogewerff,J.A:Journal of Paleopathology,7,2,1995(1996). Iridium, Rare Earth Elements and the Koefels-Comet-Impact-Series Scenario (KISS) of Mass Extinction and Neolithic Paleopathology.

• The small fauna of seven species of land snails appears to represent a mix of both damp and dry habitats. The species Hawaiia minuscula and Nesovitrea hammonis are the more indicative of damp and perhaps cooler habitats and environments. The species Gastrocopta cristata, Pupoides hordaceus, and Vallonia gracilicosta are generally common in dry habitats.

Black mats are organic-rich sediments and soils that form in wet environments associated with spring discharge. Micromorphological and geochemical analyses of 25 black mats dating to the Younger Dryas Chronozone (12.9–11.7 ka) and early Holocene were conducted to determine their composition and depositional environment. Samples were collected from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada. Micromorphological analyses were conducted on thin sections using polarized and blue fluorescent light. These analyses determined that black mats contain humic acids, fine (5–20 μm) plant fragments, diatoms, phytoliths, and gastropods. The dominant type of organic matter in black mats is derived from herbaceous plants, contradicting previous studies that supported algal or charcoal sources. Differences in the micromorphological characteristics of the samples revealed that black mats formed as three different types, organic horizons, moist soils and, ponded sediments, depending on their topographic position in relation to the water table. The microscopic evidence found in black mats supports the presence of widespread wet environments in Nevada and Arizona during the Younger Dryas Chronozone, clearly indicating a sustained period of greater effective moisture, optimal for spring discharge and black mat formation.

The 13k event was a catastrophic extinction event that nearly destroyed the planet.  However, in wake of the catastrophe, the surviving remnant populations of humans develop self-consciousness.  Post 13k, humanity awakened has traverse the stone age to the space age in a brief 13k years.  Humanity begins its ascent of the mountain, a sacred place, upon the self awareness imposed on humanity by nearly becoming extinct.  As witnesses to the event, the oral traditions of humanity must be scrutinized to fully understand its impact on the psyche of homo sapiens.

AbstrAct—The Water Canyon Paleoindian site near Socorro, New Mexico, is directly associated with an extensive buried wetland deposit, or black mat. This landscape-scale feature, which was extant across the late Pleistocene–early Holocene transition, represents the remains of a wetland resource that, during the early Holocene, may have served as an ecological refugium for flora, fauna and Paleoindian groups as other regional water sources disappeared. Today the organic-rich deposit has proved to be an important proxy data archive for environmental , climatic and archaeological reconstructions. Our recent paleoenvironmental reconstruction efforts at the site have focused largely on the period from ~8300 to 11,100 radiocarbon years ago, and have generated a range of proxy data, including dated pollen profiles, stable carbon isotope values, charcoal species identifications, and both faunal and macrobotanical remains. The pollen data currently provide the most robust basis for our paleoenvironmental reconstruction and, together with our chronometric data, affirm that the black-mat forming wetland served as a persistent place of ecological diversity. These findings provide us with provocative glimpses of past environments in a heretofore largely understudied region of the American Southwest, and add to a growing body of Southwest reconstructions that will ultimately enable researchers to compare paleoenvironments and paleoclimates at both local and regional scales.

Since 2008, interdisciplinary research at the Water Canyon Paleoindian site in west-central New Mexico has generated not only archaeological materials from Clovis, Late Paleoindian, and possibly late Folsom uses of the site, but identifiable activity areas. Excavations have recovered butchered Bison antiquus bones and tooth enamel, well over 30 radiocarbon and OSL dates, a robust pollen record and other proxy paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic data that are not found – as a package – elsewhere in this region of the Southwest. The site occurs at the location of a fossil wet meadow which is represented by a spatially extensive black mat deposit. The data archive at this site provides critical research potential for understanding how wetlands may have conditioned regional Paleoindian settlement and mobility during the terminal Pleistocene – early Holocene.

The Water Canyon Paleoindian site near Socorro, New Mexico is directly associated with an extensive buried wet meadow deposit. While extant across the Pleistocene – Holocene transition and into the middle Holocene, this landscape-scale deposit arguably represented a persistent, regional wetland resource, not only for plants and animals, but Paleoindian groups as well. Today, as a black mat, it represents an important proxy data archive for environmental, climatic and archaeological reconstruction. Our recent research efforts at the site have focused largely on the period from 8300 to 9900 radiocarbon years ago, and have generated a range of proxy data, including dated pollen profiles, stable carbon isotope data sets, charcoal species identifications and both faunal and macrobotanical remains. These findings provide us with provocative glimpses of past climates in a heretofore understudied region of the American Southwest.