Abstract
Planktonic foraminifera were quantitatively analyzed across the Upper Coniacian - Lower Campanian succession at Jebel Ennahli and Ettout sections, northern Tunisia. This succession is characterized by hemipelagic facies domainated by a continuous sedimentary succession, allowing a good biostratigraphic correlation for this time interval. 55 planktonic foraminiferal species have been identified belonging to 13 genera. The distribution pattern of 17 heterohelicids and 38 trochospiral forms reveals to the identification of12 major bio-events and establishing three zones based on heterohelicids and five zones based on trochospiral forms. The trochospiral based zones are from base to top: Dicarinella primitiva Interval Zone, Dicarinella concavata Interval Zone, Dicarinella asymetrica Total Range Zone, and Globotruncanita elevata/Globotruncana arca Concurrent Range Zone, Globotruncana ventricosa Interval Zone; while the three heterohelicid based planktonic foraminiferal biozones are: Pseudotextularia nuttalli Interval Zone, Sigalia carpatica Interval Zone, Ventilabrella eggeri/Planoglobulina manuelensis Concurrent Range Zone. The bioevents and planktonic foraminiferal zones were correlated with the previously published works especially in Tunisia and other palaeolatitude provinces. There are no significant planktonic foraminiferal datums recorded across the Coniacian/Santonian boundary (CSB) except the lowest occurrence (LO) of Dicarinella asymetrica , which was recorded slightly below the LO of inoceramid Platyceramus cycloides cycloides representing a good proxy for the CSB. The Santonian/Campanian boundary of the studied sections are characterized by a major turnover represented by the highest occurrence of Sigalia , Dicarinella and Whiteinella genera; in addition to the lowest occurrence of Ventilabrella and Planoglobulina genera and above slightly the LO Globotruncana and Globotruncanita .
Highlights
The Palmyride area is part of the northern Arabian platform (Fig. 1)
The Palmyride fold belt was established at the site of an inverted Mesozoic rift basin and Geologia Croatica 67/2 developed as a linear trough genetically related to the Levantine margin rift system, which formed along a Gondwana Proterozoic suture zone (BREW, 2001)
This study focuses on the Upper Cretaceous succession from two deep exploration wells Al Mahr-1 and Palmyra-1, and was aimed at age determination and correlation of strata based on their microfossil assemblages
Summary
The Palmyride area is part of the northern Arabian platform (Fig. 1). The Arabian platform was located on the northern passive margin of Gondwana bordering the Tethys Ocean for most of the Phanerozoic. The Palmyride fold belt was established at the site of an inverted Mesozoic rift basin and Geologia Croatica 67/2 developed as a linear trough genetically related to the Levantine margin rift system, which formed along a Gondwana Proterozoic suture zone (BREW, 2001). Planktonic foraminifera have been abundant in most oceanic environments since their appearance in the Middle Jurassic and are the most commonly used microfossil group for biostratigraphic zonation and reconstruction of past sea surface-water conditions and palaeoclimate (HEMLEBEN et al, 1989; MURRAY, 1991)
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