A CRITICAL REEVALUATION OF THE MIOCENE PLIOCENE BOUNDARY AS DEFINED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

被引:80
作者
HILGEN, FJ [1 ]
LANGEREIS, CG [1 ]
机构
[1] PALEOMAGNET LAB FT HOOFDDIJK,3584 CD UTRECHT,NETHERLANDS
关键词
D O I
10.1016/0012-821X(93)90166-7
中图分类号
P3 [地球物理学]; P59 [地球化学];
学科分类号
0708 ; 070902 ;
摘要
A critical re-evaluation of the Miocene/Pliocene (M/P) boundary as defined-informally-in the Mediterranean is presented. We show that ages reported earlier for this boundary (ranging from 4.81 to 4.93 Ma) do not imply any diachroneity of the basal Zanclean lithohorizon which reflects the Pliocene flooding of the Mediterranean and defines the M/P boundary. These ages most likely represent an artefact resulting from intraformational variations in sedimentation rate and inconsistent interpretation of coluor variations in terms of sedimentary cycles. The best estimate for the age of this boundary arrives at 4.86 Ma if the conventional geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS) of Berggren et al. [1] is used, and at 5.16 Ma if the new GPTS of Cande and Kent [2] is used. An age of 5.32 Ma is obtained if the astronomically calibrated time scale of Hilgen [3] is adhered to. Because of its presumably global paleoclimatological significance, the M/P boundary as currently defined in the Mediterranean is preferred to a redefinition of this boundary at the Gilbert/Chron 5 boundary in a continuous open-marine sequence outside the Mediterranean. In addition, this redefinition would lead to unnecessary confusion in global chronostratigraphy.
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页码:167 / 179
页数:13
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