HIGH RESOLUTION BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE EARLY PLIOCENE SUCCESSION OF PISSOURI BASIN (CYPRUS ISLAND)

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Published: Jan 1, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.11242
Keywords:
calcareous nannofossil foraminifera fossil Pissouri Basin Zanclean-Piacenzian
M. V Triantaphyllou
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
A. Antonarakou
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
H. Drinia
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
M. D. Dimiza
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
G. Kontakiotis
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
E. Tsolakis
Geological survey of Cyprus
G. Theodorou
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens
Abstract
The Pissouri basin (Cyprus Island) corresponds to a small tectonically controlled depression elongated NNW-SSE and widening southward in the direction of the deep Mediterranean domain. In the centre of the basin, the section Pissouri South, about 100 m thick, consists of well-preserved cyclic marine sediments including laminated brownish layers alternating with grey homogeneous marls. Plankton biostratigraphy (calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera) revealed a remarkable number of biovents bracketing the Zanclean-Piacenzian boundary. In particular the Highest Occurrence (HO) of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus suggests the presence of NN14/15-NN16 nannofossil biozone boundary, dated at 3.84 Ma. Additionally the defined planktonic foraminiferal MPL3-MPL4a and MPL4a-MPL4b zone boundaries point to ages between 3.81 and 3.57 Ma, in Pissouri North section. Zanclean/Piacenzian boundary (3.6 Ma) is placed at 75.8 m from the base of the section, considering Discoaster pentaradiatus top paracme (3.61 Ma) and Globorotalia crassaformis first influx (3.6 Ma) bioevents. The cyclically developed sapropelic layers around the Zanclean – Piacenzian boundary suggest a climate characterized by a period of warm temperate conditions and a highly stratified water column that occurred at times of precession minima.
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  • Palaeontology, Stratigraphy and Sedimentology
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