2007 GSA Denver Annual Meeting (28–31 October 2007)

Paper No. 6
Presentation Time: 1:30 PM-5:30 PM

GRAPHIC CORRELATION OF NEOGENE BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATUMS OF THE MACUSPANA BASIN, SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO


NARVÁEZ-RODRÍGUEZ, Yanina1, HELENES, Javier1, JARAMILLO, Carlos2, DEL MORAL-DOMÍNGUEZ, José3, MARTÍNEZ-MORALES, Victor3, GRANADOS, Olga3, MARÍN, Clara3, SÁNCHEZ, Maria4, AYALA, Monica4 and CARRILLO, Rosa1, (1)GEOLOGY - EARTH SCIENCES DIVISION, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana, 22860 Ensenada, Baja California, México, P.O.Box 434843 San Diego, CA, 92143-4843, U.S.A, Ensenada-Baja California, 22860, Mexico, (2)Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, 0843-03092, Panama, (3)PEMEX. Región Sur. Laboratorio de Paleontología y Petrografía, México, (4)Instituto Mexicano de Petróleo, Exploración, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 152, 07730. México, D.F., México, jyanina@yahoo.com

Six selected wells from the Macuspana Basin, Southeastern Gulf of Mexico, Mexico have been analyzed using graphic correlation method. Graphic correlation is a methodology to derive precise and relatively accurate biostratigraphic correlations. The analysis is based in calcareous nannofossil, planktonic foraminifera and palynomorph data define chronostratigraphic intervals for the Neogene time.

The age of the strata drilled ranged from Middle Miocene to Pleistocene. The graphic correlation analysis reveals unconformities that were detected in the wells with Early Pliocene strata underlying Pleistocene strata. A hiatus was detected in one well where Pliocene sediments were overlying Middle Miocene strata. One of the wells shows the lack of Late Miocene fossil markers represented by a hiatus. The composite zonation provides a rapid and consistent subdivision of the Neogene based on recognizable species that can be used to build via graphic correlation a chronostratigraphic framework.