From Continental Shelf to Slope: Mapping the Oceanic Realm
CONTAINS OPEN ACCESS
This volume covers multi-disciplinary Research and Development contributions from Europe, Asia and North America on geology, geophysics, bathymetric and biological aspects, towards data sampling, acquisition, data analysis and its results, and innovative ways of data access. It also presents the development of processes to map, harmonize and integrate marine data across EEZ boundaries, an impressive example of which is the European EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data network) initiative. EMODnet assembles scattered and partially hidden marine data into continentally harmonized geospatial data products for public benefit and increasingly within overseas collaboration. The volume also aims to shed light on an evaluation of biological and mineral resources and environmental assessments at continental shelf to slope depths. Western Pacific examples provide excellent case studies for this topic. Mapping of the Ocean Realm is not only for scientific purposes, but also for the people who live by the seas. Communication amongst scientists and multiple stakeholders is essential for living sustainably with the seas. In this volume we encourage dialogue amongst all the stakeholders.
The Pliocene deposits of the Black Sea Shelf east of the Danube River Delta
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Published:September 07, 2022
Abstract
This paper provides analysis of the published materials on the occurrences of the Dacian and Cimmerian molluscs in the Danube River valley as well as the results of Pliocene sediments study based on core material of the boreholes drilled at the Black Sea Shelf east of the Danube River Delta.
In the early Pontian time, the Dacian Basin was a large sub-basin of Paratethys which, due to an abrupt drop in sea level, separated into the Euxinian, Dacian and Caspian basins. At the end of the Bosphorus time, the discharge of the Dacian Basin waters into the Euxinian Basin formed a wide valley from the Galati-Reni region to the east through the Galati gateway. During the Cimmerian transgression, a vast bay existed on the site of the modern Danube Delta, from which mutual migrations of the Dacian and Cimmerian molluscs took place along the runoff valley. The cessation of runoff occurred during the regressive phase of the Late Cimmerian. The rhythmically bedded thick strata originated during the existence of the runoff valley. These strata were identified as the Pridanubian Formation (Suite). The cryptogenic form of Tulotoma Tulotoma (=Viviparus) ovidii nasonis (Bogachev) is characteristic of the lower and middle parts of the suite. The presence of the Dacian and Cimmerian molluscs in this suite became the basis for the correlation of sediments of the Dacian and Cimmerian regional stages. The Duabian molluscs were registered in the Cimmerian deposits of the Transcaucasus (the Duabian layers), Priazovye and the Kerch–Taman region. The migration of these molluscs took place during the regressive phases due to the circular current in the Euxinian Basin similar to the one existing in the Black Sea today.
The Pliocene formation contains marine and continental deposits of the Lower and Upper Pliocene, which are represented by the Pridanubian Formation (Lower and Upper), Cimmerian deposits (non-subdivided Lower and Middle Cimmerian), Lower Kujalnician deposits, Upper Poration deposits, complex of red-coloured palaeosols (the Upper Miocene–Lower Pliocene non-subdivided).
The formation of the Pliocene sediments on the Black Sea Shelf, east of the Danube Delta, was controlled by the inter-basin connectivity of the Eastern Paratethys.
- alluvium
- anaerobic environment
- Black Sea
- Cenozoic
- Cimmerian
- clastic sediments
- continental shelf
- cores
- Dacian
- Danube Delta
- Danube Valley
- East Mediterranean
- Europe
- marine environment
- Mediterranean Sea
- Miocene
- Mollusca
- Neogene
- paleosols
- Paratethys
- planar bedding structures
- Pliocene
- Pontian
- rhythmic bedding
- sea-level changes
- sedimentary structures
- sediments
- stratigraphic units
- terrestrial environment
- Tertiary
- upper Miocene
- Pridanubian Formation