Settling the Danian Astronomical Time Scale: A Prospective Global Unit Stratotype at Zumaia, Basque Basin

Lisbona

We present a new Danian correlation framework between the land-based
Zumaia and Sopelana sections from the Basque Basin and marine-based sections
drilled during ODP Legs 198 (Shatsky Rise, North Pacific) and 208 (Walvis Ridge,
South Atlantic) that reconciles magnetostratigraphy and the short and long eccentricity
cycle patterns among the records. A new whole-rock d13C isotope record at
Zumaia is compared to that of Site 1262. This allows the question of whether the
Danian consists of 10 or 11 consecutive 405-kyr eccentricity cycles to be tested. The
new consistent stratigraphic framework enables accurate estimates to be made of
ages for magnetostratigraphic boundaries, bioevents, and sedimentation rates. Low
sedimentation rates appear common in all records in the mid-Danian interval along
the upper part of chron C28n, including conspicuous condensed intervals in some of
the oceanic records that in the past have hampered the proper identification of
cycles. Notably, we challenge the correlation to the Pacific Sites 1209–1210 that
were offset by as much as one 405-kyr cycle in previous interpretations (i.e., the
Fasciculithus spp. LO, which approximates the Danian–Selandian boundary, and
the TC27n event were at odds between oceans in the interpretation of Hilgen et al.
2010). Finally, we envisage that the Zumaia section, which already hosts the
Selandian GSSP, could serve as the global Danian stratotype.

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