Global Upper Ordovician correlation by means of delta C-13 chemostratigraphy: implications of the discovery of the Guttenberg delta C-13 excursion (GICE) in Malaysia

• Apart from a single study of the early Katian delta C-13 chemostratigraphy in two regions in China, no investigations of the Sandbian and Katian chemostratigraphy have been published from anywhere in Asia. A recent study of the conodont biostratigraphy of the classical Ordovician succession on Langkawi Islands, peninsular Malaysia, showed the presence there of strata coeval with those having the Guttenberg Carbon Excursion (GICE) on the Yangtze Platform. In an effort to establish for the first time the presence of this widespread delta C-13 excursion in southern Asia, a series of samples from the upper part of the Kaki Bukit Formation was isotopically analysed. This resulted in the discovery of a conspicuous delta C-13 excursion with peak values of similar to 2% above the baseline values. The excursion is located just above the Baltoniodus alobatus Subzone and near the level of the first appearance of Hamarodus europaeus, hence the same stratigraphic position as the GICE on the Yangtze Platform. Using the GICE, the Malaysian study interval is closely correlated with the GICE intervals at three localities representing an approximately 23 000 km long transect from Malaysia across Baltoscandia to central North America. This shows the usefulness of delta C-13 chemostratigraphy to clarify previously obscure stratigraphic relationships between geographically very widely separated localities.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Geologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

China

delta C-13 chemostratigraphy

Ordovician

GICE

Baltoscandia

NorthAmerica

Malaysia

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)