The Rupelian-Chattian boundary in the North Sea Basin and its calibration to the international time-scale
Van Simaeys, S. (2004). The Rupelian-Chattian boundary in the North Sea Basin and its calibration to the international time-scale. Geol. Mijnb. 83(3): 241-248
In: Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. Kluwer/Cambridge University Press: Den Haag, Cambridge. ISSN 0016-7746; e-ISSN 1573-9708, more
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| Keywords |
Geological time > Phanerozoic > Geological time > Cenozoic > Paleogene > Palaeogene > Oligocene > Chattian
Geological time > Phanerozoic > Geological time > Cenozoic > Paleogene > Palaeogene > Oligocene > Rupelian
Dinoflagellata [WoRMS]
ANE, North Sea [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
biochronostratigraphy; dinoflagellate cysts; North Sea Basin;Rupelian-Chattian boundary; Tethyan Ocean |
| Abstract |
The classical problem of the nature and age of the Rupelian-Chattian (Early-Late Oligocene) unconformity in its type region is here approached using organic walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) correlations between the North Sea Basin and well-calibrated central Italian (Tethyan Ocean) sections. Useful Oligocene dinocyst events are the last occurrence of Enneadocysta pectiniformis (similar to29.3 Ma), and the first occurrences of Saturnodinium pansum (similar to29.4 Ma), Distatodinium biffii (similar to27.9 Ma) and Artemisiocysta cladodichotoma (similar to26.7 Ma). The latter event marks the earliest Chattian. The improved correlations indicate that the Rupelian-Chattian (R-C) boundary is associated with the so-called 'Oligocene Glacial Maximum'. This phase of important global cooling and glacio-eustatic sea level fall is genetically related to the unconformity between the classic Oligocene stages. Subsequent global warming (so-called 'Late Oligocene Warming Event'), induced a major sea level rise, leading e.g. to the time-transgressive deposition of the typical basal Chattian glauconitic sands. The oldest of the Chattian units have a GPTS age of similar to26.7 Ma. It further appears that a hiatus of similar to500 kyrs spans the classic Rupelian-Chattian unconformity. |
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