Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Oligocene Afales Basin, Ithaki island, western Greece

Assemblages of benthic foraminifera from one clastic succession in the Afales Basin (Ithaki Island, western Greece) were investigated to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions during the Oligocene. The section consists of alternating hemipelagic marls and detrital deposits, designated as flysch-like beds, attributed to biostratigraphic Zones P20 and P21. Planktic percentages are mostly high (66–80%). Benthic foraminiferal assemblages comprise calcareous and agglutinated taxa (up to 15%). The prevalence of epifaunal foraminifera indicates good ventilation of the bottom water resulting from basin morphology, which enabled the undisturbed flow of water throughout the basin. Palaeodepth estimates imply bathyal deposition, from about 800 to 1200 m deep. The benthic foraminiferal fauna is of high diversity along the section, as is expected in deep marine environments. The abundances of the most common foraminiferal taxa (Cibicidoides spp., Oridorsalis umbonatus, Gyroidinoides spp., Stilostomella spp., Nodosariidae, Nuttallides umbonifera) are quite variable and imply generally oligotrophic to mesotrophic environmental conditions with variable organic flux.     

Coral microatoll as geodetic tool in North Andaman and Little Andaman,India

Coral microatolls were examined from North Andaman and Little Andaman to understand the relative sea level change due to vertical tectonic deformation above the subduction interface. The highest level of survival of coral microatoll before the 26 December, 2004 earthquake at eastern coast of North Andaman has been determined by Global Ocean Tide Model. The present position of recently dead flat top microatoll with preserved internal structure at the eastern coast of North Andaman mainland indicates 31.21 cm uplift due to the 26 December, 2004 earthquake. Comparatively old cup shaped microatoll at the eastern fringe of North Andaman group of islands and highly bioeroded fossil microatolls at the intertidal zone of Little Andaman bear the signature of permanent vertical deformation in the past.     

Evidence of probable paleotsunami deposits on Kho Khao Island, Phang Nga Province, Thailand

The 2004 tsunami deposits and probable paleotsunami deposits were studied at the southern Kho Khao Island, on Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. The 2004 tsunami laid down about 8?cm of fining upward medium sand and locally about 40?cm of massive coarse sand with common mud clasts. The sediments were characterized by the presence of marine foraminiferal assemblage; however, already after 5?years many of carbonate foraminiferal tests were partly or completely dissolved. The probable paleotsunami deposits form layer about 1?m thick. It consists of massive very coarse sand with common big shells and mud clasts. Its composition suggests a marine origin and the presence of mud clasts, and similarity to the 2004 tsunami deposits suggests that the layer was left by paleotsunami, which took place probably during the late Holocene, even though two shells within the layer gave ¹⁴C ages of 40,000?years or more.     

Distribution of foraminifera and ostracods in the Onkaparinga Estuary,South Australia

Analysis of sediment and aquatic vegetation samples collected along the Onkaparinga estuary, South Australia, revealed the distribution patterns of benthic and epi-benthic micro-organisms, specifically foraminifera and ostracods. The total assemblage provided an assemblage ‘snap shot,’ contemporaneous with the environmental conditions at the time of sampling, as well as seasonally and time-averaged distribution information. Species richness is low in the upper reaches of the estuary and favours species with a wide salinity tolerance. Observed species richness increases seawards. Species richness and abundance within species is greater where there is conspicuous aquatic vegetation. Thus, species richness and distribution appear to be related to the proximity to the sea and the provision of diverse habitable substrate. Foraminiferal species, Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium excavatum, and ostracods belonging to the genera Paracypria, Xestolebris and Leptocythere dominate the total assemblage. These species are characteristic of euryhaline conditions. The mutual maximum occurrences of Reophax barwonensis, Ammobaculites barwonensis and Trochammina inflata signify mid-estuarine conditions. In the lower regions of the estuary, the appearance of shallow marine species of foraminifera such as Elphidium crispum and Quinqueloculina poeyana, and ostracods Bairdoppilata sp., Hemicytherura spp. and Paranesidea spp. signifies interactions with the adjacent inner shelf coastal waters. Throughout the entire length of the estuary, the presence of vegetal substrate created a strong numerical bias towards live occurrences of the ostracods Paracypria sp. and Xestolebris cedunaensis. These species are potentially useful as proxies for paleoenvironmental interpretations of estuarine sediments.     

Paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic significance of uvigerinids and other foraminifera from the Bhuban Formation,Assam-Arakan Basin,Mizoram

Planktic and benthic foraminifera including uvigerinids are documented from the Upper Bhuban Formation, exposed at Thingdawl village, Kolasib district, Mizoram. The foraminiferal assemblage is poorly preserved and consists of index fossils useful for precise biochronology and interpretation of the depositional environment. A total of ten benthic and six planktic foraminiferal species are described. Six species belong to the genus Uvigerina, four to Ammonia, one species each of Globorotalia, Globigerinoides, Clavatorella, Praeorbulina and two species of the genus Orbulina. Based on lithological and foraminiferal assemblage, middle neritic to upper part of outer neritic paleobathymetry is inferred for the deposition of this part of the Upper Bhuban Formation. The foraminiferal assemblage suggests late Early Miocene to early Middle Miocene, (∼16 Ma) equivalent to planktic foraminiferal zones N8-N9 for the Upper Bhuban Formation.     

Constraining sediment provenance for tsunami deposits using distributions of grain size and foraminifera from the Kujukuri coastline and shelf,Japan

Tsunami deposits preserved in the geological record provide a more comprehensive understanding of their patterns of frequency and intensity over longer timescales; but recognizing tsunami deposits can prove challenging due to post-depositional changes, lack of contrast between the deposits and surrounding sedimentary layers, and differentiating between tsunami and storm deposition. Modern baseline studies address these challenges by providing insight into modern spatial distributions that can be compared with palaeotsunami deposits. This study documents the spatial fingerprint of grain size and foraminifera from Hasunuma Beach and the Kujukuri shelf to provide a basis from which tsunami deposits can be interpreted. At Hasunuma Beach, approximately 50 km east of Tokyo, the spatial distribution of three common proxies (foraminiferal taxonomy, foraminiferal taphonomy and sediment grain size) for tsunami identification were mapped and clustered using Partitioning Around Medoids cluster analysis. Partitioning Around Medoids cluster analysis objectively discriminated two coastal zones corresponding to onshore and offshore sample locations. Results show that onshore samples are characterized by coarser grain sizes (medium to coarse sand) and higher abundances of Pararotalia nipponica (27 to 63%) than offshore samples, which are characterized by finer grain sizes (fine to medium sand), lower abundances of Pararotalia nipponica (2 to 19%) and Ammonia parkinsoniana (0 to 10%), higher abundances of planktonics (15 to 58%) and species with fragile tests including Uvigerinella glabra. When compared to grain-size and foraminiferal taxonomy, foraminiferal taphonomy; i.e. surface condition of foraminifera, a proxy not commonly used to identify tsunami deposits, was most effective in discriminating modern coastal zones (identified supratidal, intertidal and offshore environments) and determining sediment provenance for tsunami deposits at Kujukuri. This modern baseline study assists the interpretation of tsunami deposits in the geological record because it provides a basis for sediment provenance to be determined.     

Foraminiferal record of the postglacial (Holocene) marine transgression and subsequent regression,northern Spencer Gulf,South Australia

Core SG120 recovered 3.65 m of Quaternary sediment from a northern, shallow-water environment of Spencer Gulf, a marine embayment into the southern continental margin of Australia. Previous investigations had revealed that the upper interval 0 – 148 cm is Holocene marine bioclastic sediment, and that the lower Late Pleistocene interval 250 – 365 cm, with its carbonate palaeosol, had a similar marine origin. However, the age and origin of the interval 148 – 250 cm remained subject to ambiguous interpretation. Re-examination of core SG120, employing detailed foraminiferal analysis, has revealed that this middle unit records the earliest sedimentation associated with the postglacial marine transgression into the northern gulf. These basal Holocene sediments, which incorporated broken, corroded and carbonate-encrusted tests from the underlying palaeosol, together with tests of more pristine appearance, were deposited in a shallow-water, seagrass sandflat environment similar to those in coastal settings of the modern gulf. The lithological change at 148 cm has therefore been reinterpreted as a facies change related to increasing water depth. Radiocarbon analyses of fossil molluscs support this interpretation and reveal that marine transgression, at the site of SG120, was initiated prior to 8600 y cal BP. Selected species of foraminifers (Nubecularia lucifuga, Massilina milletti, Peneroplis planatus, Discorbis dimidiatus, Elphidium crispum and E. macelliforme) together reveal a consistent record of the final stages of the transgression with maximum water depth indicated at a core depth of 90 cm. Subsequent regression, which has been attributed to the combined effects of hydroisostatic uplift and sediment aggradation, is equally recorded by the foraminiferal assemblages.     

辽东半岛东南岸全新世海进的认识

辽东半岛呈北东向低山丘陵地形,西临渤海,东濒黄海,半岛的东西两侧为窄长的第四纪沿海平原。为了搞清半岛东部沿海平原的第四纪海侵问题,近年来我们在东沟、庄河等地打了七个钻孔,分层取样,进行微体古生物的研究,首次发现了有孔虫及海生硅藻化石。     

First report of trace fossils from Palaeogene succession (Namunagarh grit) of Andaman and Nicobar islands

The Namunagarh grit of Eocene age in South Andaman island is a submarine fan deposit where sedimentation occurred in deep marine environment mainly by turbidity currents. The mudstone and fine-grained sandstone of the turbidite sequence yielded three ichnogenera viz Thalassinoides, Teichichnus and Lorenzinia. Typically shallow marine Thalassinoides burrows co-occur with deep water burrows represented by Teichichnus and Lorenzinia, indicating a dominant control of substrate, availability of food and rate of sedimentation against bathymetry on distribution of trace fossils. Trace fossils are particularly abundant in the mudstones pointing to a strong lithofacies control. A well-oxygenated muddy bottom with a low rate of sedimentation is envisaged. An order in the succession of traces could be deciphered. Simply constructed burrows of Thalassinoides appeared initially followed by complex structures of Teichichnus and ornate Lorenzinia.     

Timing and preservation mechanism of deglacial pteropod spike from the Andaman Sea,northeastern Indian Ocean

The aragonite compensation depth (ACD) fluctuated considerably during the last glacial until the Holocene with a dominant pteropod preservation spike during the deglacial period, which is prominently seen in three well‐dated cores covering the Andaman Sea, northeastern Indian Ocean. The precise time period of the preservation spike of pteropods is not known but this knowledge is crucial for stratigraphical correlation and also for understanding the driving mechanism. Isotopic and foraminiferal proxies were used to decipher the possible mechanism for pteropods preservation in the Andaman Sea. The poor preservation/absence of pteropods during the Holocene in the Andaman Sea may have implications for ocean acidification, driven by enhanced atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Strengthening of the summer monsoon and the resultant high biological productivity may also have played a role in the poor preservation of pteropods. The deglacial pteropod spike is characterized by high abundance/preservation of the pteropods between ～19 and 15 cal. ka BP, associated with very low atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Isotope data suggest the prevalence of a glacial environment with reduced sea surface temperature, upwelling and enhanced salinity during the pteropod preservation spike. Total planktic foraminifera and Globigerina bulloides abundances are low during this period, implying a weakened summer monsoon and reduced foraminiferal productivity. Based on the preservation record of pteropods, it is inferred that the ACD was probably deepest (>2900 m) at 16.5 cal. ka BP. The synchronous regional occurrence of the pteropod preservation spike in the Andaman Sea and in the northwestern Indian Ocean could potentially be employed as a stratigraphic marker.     

Late Quaternary marine deposition in New South Wales and southern Queensland — An evolutionary model

From new data on coastal and continental shelf morphology, sediments, stratigraphy and chronology, it is possible to formulate a general model of late Quaternary marine sedimentation, for New South Wales and southern Queensland. This model integrates various factors influencing deposition in coastal and shelf environments, in relation to glacio‐eustatic sea level oscillations.

The model involves several components, including (i) very slow to negligible continental margin subsidence during the Quaternary, (ii) an inherited geomorphic framework; (iii) oscillations of sea level of c 100 m amplitude every 100 000 years, with interglacial high sea levels being close to present and only the Last Interglacial being significantly higher; and (iv) a wave climate that induces a potential south to north littoral sand transport at all sea level positions.

Terrigenous sediment that is moved from the hinterland through embayments to the shelf is either stored as barrier, estuarine or inner shelf deposits, or lost to depositional sinks on the continental slope or into coastal dune fields. Over many glacial‐interglacial cycles, sand has been progressively moved northward and has accumulated in vast aeolian sand deposits in southern Queensland. Littoral sand transport was especially effective during sea levels lower than present. The relatively shallow and lower gradient shelf north of Newcastle (33°S) has encouraged preservation at the coast of a wide range of depositional morphologies, including Pleistocene barriers, whereas the steeper southern shelf has induced net sediment loss seawards and shoreline erosion, excpt in the Holocene. To account for Holocene barrier development in the southern region, the model invokes reworking of sand deposits stranded high on the inner shelf at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. These were in disequilibrium with Postglacial marine processes that operated at a lower level of the sea than did those during the Last Interglacial maximum.     

First report of Ranikothalia Caudri from Middle Andaman Island, India and its significance

Genus Ranikothalia Caudri is described for the first time from the Upper Palaeocene sediments of Middle Andaman Island. Three species R. sidensis, R. cf. nuttalli, R. cf. tobleri along with one species of Discocyclina are described here. The occurrence of Ranikothalia has great implication in understanding the stratigraphy of the island and in deciphering the palaeogeography of the area. This point to the extension of the Ranikot Sea at least up to Middle Andaman.     

What have natural and human changes wrought on the foraminifera of San Francisco Bay late Quaternary estuaries?

In this study we compare the foraminifera of modern South San Francisco Bay with fossils from sediments of a previous estuary at 125 ka to provide a basis for interpreting the impact of natural and human change on the benthic ecosystem. All the species found in the Pleistocene sediments of this study are estuarine and/or shallow-water species occurring commonly in San Francisco Bay today, except for the introduced foraminifer Trochammina hadai, a native of Japan that was not found in samples taken in San Francisco Bay before 1983. The biodiversity and species composition of the fossil and modern assemblages before the introduction of T. hadai are nearly identical, suggesting that the environmental and physical changes in the 125,000-year-old and modern estuaries have not had a significant effect on the meiofauna of the Bay. In contrast, modern anthropogenic change in the form of species introductions has impacted the modern foraminiferal assemblage: T. hadai began to dominate the modern assemblage a decade after its introduction. Similar to the recorded impacts of introductions of marine metazoan invertebrate species, the dominance of T. hadai changed species proportions in the post-1980s foraminiferal assemblage, however no known extinctions in the native foraminiferal fauna occurred.     

Sub‐arctic Holocene climatic and oceanographic variability in Stjernsund,northern Norway: evidence from benthic foraminifera and stable isotopes

A high‐resolution record, covering 9.3–0.2 ka BP, from the sub‐arctic Stjernsund (70°N) was studied for benthic foraminiferal faunas and stable isotopes, revealing three informally named main phases during the Holocene. The Early‐ to Mid‐Holocene (9.3–5.0 ka BP) was characterized by the strong influence of the North Atlantic Current (NAC), which prevented the reflection of the Holocene Climatic Optimum (HCO) in the bottom‐water temperature. During the Mid‐Holocene Transition (5.0–2.5 ka BP), a turnover of benthic foraminiferal faunas occurred, Atlantic Water species decreased while Arctic‐Polar species increased, and the oxygen isotope record showed larger fluctuations. Those variations correspond to a period of global climate change, to spatially more heterogeneous benthic foraminiferal faunas in the Nordic Seas region, and to regionally diverging terrestrial temperatures. The Cool Late Holocene (2.5–0.2 ka BP) was characterized by increased abundances of Arctic‐Polar species and a steady cooling trend reflected in the oxygen isotopes. In this period, our record differs considerably from those on the SW Barents Sea shelf and locations farther south. Therefore, we argue that regional atmospheric cooling triggered the late Holocene cooling trend. Several cold episodes centred at ～8.3, ～7.8, ～6.5, ～4.9, ～3.9 and ～3.3 ka BP were identified from the benthic foraminiferal faunas and the δ¹⁸O record, which correlated with marine and atmospherically driven proxy records. This suggests that short‐term cold events may result from reduced heat advection via the NAC or from colder air temperatures.     

Dinoflagellate and foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Gurpi Formation (upper Santonian–upper Maastrichtian), Zagros Mountains, Iran

A rich dinoflagellate cyst assemblage has been recovered from an outcrop of the Gurpi Formation, the hydrocarbon source rock in the South Iranian Basin. Key dinoflagellates recorded in the section studied provide a means of correlation with zonation schemes for Australasia and north-west Europe. These include Eucladinium kaikourense, Nelsoniella aceras, Odontochitina spp., Cannosphaeropsis utinensis, Palaeocystodinium denticulatum and Dinogymnium spp. The assemblage points to a late Santonian–late Maastrichtian age for the Gurpi Formation. Dinoflagellate and planktonic foraminiferal evidence indicates the presence of a hiatus spanning the uppermost Maastrichtian to at least the lowermost Danian at the base of a glaucony-rich layer separating the Gurpi Formation from the overlying Pabdeh Formation. Palynofacies and lithofacies profiles suggest that the sediments were deposited in an open, relatively deep marine outer ramp environment belonging to ramp facies 8 and 9.     

Age estimates of coastal terraces in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and their tectonic implications

The great Indian Ocean earthquake of December 26, 2004 caused significant vertical changes in its rupture zone. About 800 km of the rupture is along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which forms the outer arc ridge of the subduction zone. Coseismic deformation along the exposed land could be observed as uplift/subsidence. Here we analyze the morphological features along the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in an effort to reconstruct the past tectonics, taking cues from the coseismic effects. We obtained radiocarbon dates from coastal terraces of the island belt and used them to compute uplift rates, which vary from 1.33 mm yr^− 1 in the Little Andaman to 2.80 mm yr^− 1 in South Andaman and 2.45 mm yr^− 1 in the North Andaman. Our radiocarbon dates converge on  600 yr and  1000 yr old coastal uplifts, which we attribute to the level changes due to two major previous subduction earthquakes in the region.     

Characterization of the 26 December 2004 tsunami deposits in Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal, India)

The large tsunami, which was generated by an earthquake on 26 December 2004, affected most of the countries around the Indian Ocean. A total of 48 tsunamigenic surface sediments and nine core samples have been collected from various coastal geomorphological features such as beaches, estuaries/creeks and mangrove areas in the Andaman Islands. These samples were analysed for textural analysis and geochemical studies to evaluate effects of the tsunami on sediment contamination. The studied sediments, deposited by the 26 December 2004 tsunami in Andaman group of islands, belong to poorly sorted, coarse to medium sands. Generally the concentration of heavy metals in the tsunamigenic surface sediments is mainly in the order of Cu > Mn > Fe > Zn > Pb during the post-tsunami (2005) and Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb during the post-monsoon (2008). The analysed core samples show that tsunami sediments have been preserved at certain depths from the sampling locations and indicate that they were derived from shallow littoral to neritic depths. The approximate width of deposits deposited by the 26 December 2004 Tsunami in Diglipur and Mayabandar areas (North Andaman) is ~10 cm, in Rangat and Baratang (Middle Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is ~15 cm. In Chidiyatapu, Junglighat, Rutland Islands and Havelock Island (South Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is ~30, ~8, ~25 and ~5 cm, respectively, and in Hut Bay (Little Andaman) the thickness of the deposits is about ~15 cm.     

北京顺义早更新世有孔虫动物群的古生态及古环境

1975年我们报道了泥河湾盆地怀来及蔚县境内发现半咸水有孔虫化石,当时认为它们的层位可能属第四系上部,后来进一步工作证实应是泥河湾组上部沉积。1977年我们对华北平原第四纪海进海退现象作了初步报道,认为华北平原在早更新世时发生过海进(渤海海进),并引用陈方吉在北京东南发现海相介形虫资料,说明早更新世渤海海进时海水曾经到达这一地区。1978年李鼎容等在北京市顺义县早更新世地层中发现大量有孔虫化石。进一步证实北京地区早更新世确曾发生过海进,使我们解释怀来及蔚县所发现的半咸水有孔虫来源,有更多证据。这一发现,对于北京地区第四纪地层划分对比、新构造运动判别和古地理恢复有重大意义。     

A 10,000 yr B.P. extensive ice shelf over Viscount Melville Sound,Arctic Canada

Late Wisconsinan age glacial landforms and deposits indicate that an ice shelf of at least 60,000 km² flowed northwestward into Viscount Melville Sound, probably from the M'Clintock Dome of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The ice shelf overlapped coastal areas and laid Winter Harbour Till up to 125 m above present sea level on the southern coast of Melville Island, to 135 m on Byam Martin Island, to possibly 90 m on the northeast tip of Banks Island, and to 150 m on the north coast of Victoria Island. The contemporary sea level was 50 to 100 m higher than present (it now rises eastward). A maximum age of 10,340 ± 150 yr B.P. for the till, and thus the ice-shelf advance, is provided by shells in marine sediments which underlie it, whereas a minimum age of 9880 ± 150 yr B.P. is provided by overlying shells that postdate the ice advance. The major advance of shelf ice into Viscount Melville Sound may be the result of the rapid disintegration of the M'Clintock Dome while the climate ameliorated in the western Arctic.