Lower Meotian facies of the Taman trough

The facies structure and sedimentation settings of lower Meotian sequences in the Taman trough are considered with detailed characteristics of their seven shallow-water facies. It is established that sedimentation in the basin during the initial early Meotian was strongly influenced by the influx of sea waters, indicating connection of the Eastern Paratethys with the World Ocean. This period was marked by the wide distribution of diatomaceous sediments. In the terminal early Meotian, sedimentation during the continuing transgression was largely determined by regional tectonic and orogenic regimes, shallowing of the basin segment adjacent to the Kerch Peninsula, and synchronous reworking of sediments by bottom discharge currents.     

Middle Sarmatian facies of the Taman Trough

The sequential accumulation of middle Sarmatian sediments in the Taman Trough in the terrigenous and carbonate settings is considered. Six facies of the shallow-water basin are identified. The first half of the middle Sarmatian was marked by the accumulation of dominant clayey sediments. The formation of small serpulid-microbial bioherms took place under relatively deep conditions (upper part of the lower sublittoral zone). The terminal middle Sarmatian was dominated by the deposition of carbonates with a wide development of bacterial-algal mats. Their formation in the upper sublittoral setting below the base level of ordinary waves was intermittently disturbed by the enhanced influx of terrigenous material and accumulation of clays, as well as by the storm-induced roiling and bioturbation.     

New palynological data about middle Jurassic sediments in northwest Moscow

This work presents the results of palynological study of the section of hole nos. 1 and 5, which were drilled in northwest Moscow. The samples were selected from clays and sands of the Kudinovskaya, Moskvoretskaya, and Velikodvorskaya series, as hole as from karst caverns. As a result, two palynological complexes of Bathonian-Callovian age were recognized. The Bathonian complex is characterized by the predominance of spores (61%) over pollen (35%), mainly ferns of the Gleicheniaceae family and lycopsid spores of Neorastrikia. The Callovian complex was identified in the sequence of the Velikodvorskaya serie. It differs distinctly from the Bathonian complex by the presence of Classopollis pollen, whose quantity reaches 15%.     

Middle-upper Miocene volcanic ashes of the Kerch-Taman region

Results of the detailed study of Miocene volcanic ashes from Kerch and Taman peninsulas are presented. Based on the distribution of pyroclastics in the rocks under consideration, the Sarmatian and late Meotian stages of volcanic activity are distinguished. In close association with other geological data, results of the first microprobe analysis of the volcaniclastic materials are analyzed. It has been revealed that Sarmatian ashes are characterized by rhyolitic composition, whereas upper Meotian ashes correspond to dacites and rhyodacites. Decrease of silicate content and increase of alkalinity in the studied pyroclastic rocks are traced from ancient to younger sediments. The upper Meotian volcanics are noted for higher concentration of potassium. The predominantly vitroclastic Kerch-Taman ashes with a low content of calcium and high contents of potassium and sodium most likely belong to a single magmatic center. Stages of volcanic events and petrochemical similarity of composition of the magmatic products suggest that the studied ash material belongs to volcanic centers of the Lesser Caucasus.