POSITION OF THE PONTIAN OF THE EASTERN PARATETHYS IN THE MAGNETOCHRONOLOGICAL SCALE

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of paleomagnetic records, nannofossils, mammal fauna, and fission- track dating results was conducted for the Upper Miocene sediments of the Eastern Paratethys. The age of Pontian boundaries in the Eastern Paratethys (Euxinian basin) is determined. The stage base is at 7.5 Ma, the top at 6.7-6.6 Ma, and the lower-upper Pontian boundary at 7-7.1 Ma. In the magnetochronological scale, the Pontian corresponds to the uppermost Chron 7 (C4n) coupled with a greater portion of Chron 6 (C3Br-C3Ar). The lower Pontian is correlated with the upper part of the Tortonian and with an upper part of Zone MN12. The upper boundary of the lower Pontian coincides with the Tortonian-Messinian boundary. The upper Pontian corresponds to the lower third of the Messinian and to the lower part of Zone MN13. The Euxinian upper Pontian is correlated in the Caspian basin with the lower part of the Shemakhan regional substage of the middle Pontian in Azerbaijan. The Zone NN11 corresponds to the upper Maeotian, whole Pontian, and the lowermost Azov Beds of the Kimmerian.