THE PALEOMAGNETIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE FOSSILIFERIOUS PALEOGENE UZUNCARSIDERE FORMATION, CENTRAL TURKEY
The geological age of the UCF and similar continental red beds in Central Turkey are questionable. Various authors assigned Paleocene or Eocene age based on the stratigraphic position of UCF between the overlying Lutetian limestone (Orhaniye formation) and underlying Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) aged flysch. Obviously, this creates considerable problem for any systematic analysis of the fauna and hinders any reasonable biogeographical interpretation.
In this project, we correlate the lithofacies of UCF with the paleomagnetic stratigraphy so that the age of the fossiliferious section in the formation is constrained. In addition to this, the fossil localities will be mapped using GPS and a spatial distribution analysis will be conducted.
Using measured sections and marker beds, a composite vertical stratigraphy of UCF is produced. One hand sample per locality and/or stratum is collected for the paleomagnetic stratigraphy. 65 hand samples corresponding approximately 130m of thickness have been collected. For each sample, the in-situ orientation and dip is measured by a pocket transit. The results from the samples are then going to be correlated with the geomagnetic polarity time scale (Harland et al. 1992).