TITLE:
Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy and Stage Boundaries of the Santonian-Eocene Successions in Wadi El Mizeira Northeastern Sinai, Egypt
AUTHORS:
Hamza Khalil, Esam Zahran
KEYWORDS:
Calcareous Nannofossil, Biostratigraphy, Santonian, Eocene, Sinai, Egypt
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: The stratigraphic successions exposed in Wadi El Mizeira have been dated
through the analysis of the calcareous nannofossil assemblages. The results of
this study indicate that the successions comprise the Santonian-Late
Maastrichtian (Sudr Formation), the Paleocene (Esna Formation) and the Early
Eocene (Thebes Formation). The following biozones were recognized: Late Santonian,
CC16 Zone; Late Santonian/Early Campanian, CC17 Zone; Early Campanian, Aspidolithus parcus Zone (CC18)
Zone; Late Maastrichtian, CC25c Zone; Early Paleocene (Late Danian), NP3
Zone and NP4 Zone; Late Paleocene (Thanethian-Selandian), NP5 Zone; Early
Eocene, NP9b Zone, NP10a
Zone, NP11 Zone, NP12 Zone and NP14 Zone. Several stratigraphic hiatus
were recorded in the studied interval including the absence of Cretaceous
nannofossil Zones CC19 to CC25b and CC26 as well as the early Paleocene Zones
NP1 and NP2 and probably the basal part of Zone NP3, in addition to the absence
of the Zones NP6 and NP7/8. These hiatus may be attributed to environmental
conditions, structural activity and/or post depositional processes. This work
represents the first attempt to evaluate the nannofossil taxa of the Wadi El
Mizeira, Northeastern Sinai.