Calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy through the Middle to Late Eocene transition of Fayum area, Western Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The Eocene sequence exposed at Gebel Naalun (Fayum-Nile divide), Guta section-I (West of Birket Qarun near Guta Village) and Guta section-II (Northwest of Birket Qarun near Guta Village) is differentiated, from base to top, into two formations; Gehannam Formation (Middle–Late Eocene) and Birket Qarun Formation (Late Eocene), respectively.Two calcareous nannofossil zones were recognized from the Eocene succession at Gebel Naalun; Discoaster saipanensis (NP17) and Chiasmolithus oamaruensis (NP18) zones as well as one planktonic foraminiferal zone; Truncorotaloides (Acaranina) rohri (P14) zone. However, at Guta section-I, two nannofossil zones were defined; Discoaster saipanensis (NP17) and Chiasmolithus oamaruensis (NP18) zones; the preservation of planktonic foraminiferal assemblage is too poor to enable us to recognize marker species as a result of many diagenetic processes. At Guta section-II, two nannofossil zones; Chiasmolitus oamaruensis (NP18) and Isthmolithus recurvus (NP19) and two planktonic foraminiferal zones; T. pseudoampliapertura zone and G. semiinvoluta zone are recorded.Several authors found that the lowest occurrence of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis is a poor criterion for defining the base of NP18 Zone, which is confirmed here. The same criticism has been applied to the lowest occurrence of Isthmolithus recurvus which defines the NP18/NP19 zonal boundary. It is generally agreed that NP19 Zone falls in the Priabonian (Late Eocene).As a result of the occurrence of the nannofossil marker species; Isthmolithus recurvus only in side views below and above the first appearance of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis at both Naalun and Guta section-I, this species is not reliable to define the NP18/NP19 zonal boundary. At Guta section-II, the Middle/Upper Eocene boundary can be delineated by the first appearance of Globigerinatheka semiinvoluta above the first occurrence of Isthmolithus recurvus in both plane and side views.