Integrated planktonic foraminifera Bolboforma and carbon isotope stratigraphy in a mid/early late Miocene carbonate ramp setting from the Arcreide area (Sicily)

• Published in: Marine Micropaleontology
• Main Authors: Spezzaferri, D., Mutti, M., Spiegler, Dorothee
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2001
• Subjects: Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/1813/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/1813/1/Spezzaferri.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-8398(01)00032-9

Taxa of Bolboforma, a marine calcareous microfossil group of uncertain origin with affinities to protophytic algae, are generally used for biostratigraphy of lower Eocene to lower Pleistocene marine sediments from high latitudes. Biostratigraphy based on Bolboforma has been applied only rarely to European outcrop sections and very rarely to Mediterranean sections. Three Bolboforma and two planktonic foraminifera events are identified and used to interpret the sedimentation rate of the 90 m of slope sediments from the Palazzolo Section, Palazzolo Acreide area (Sicily) and spanning the interval from 11.9 to approximately 10.5 Ma. Carbon isotope stratigraphy supports the age assigment based on Bolboforma and planktonic foraminifera. In particular, the sediments of the Palazzolo Section seem to record the latest pulse of the Monterey Event, a major perturbation in the global carbon cycle related to global intensification of upwelling. Expanded use of the Bolboforma may, thus, improve stratigraphy in outcropping Miocene sequences in temperate regions, particularly in shallower water facies with poorly resolved planktonic foraminifera and nannofossil stratigraphy.