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Qipar-Jorquera” (in the Intermediate Units), were also investigated. The echinoid assem- Cretaceous oceanic red bed deposition, a blages of the red beds occurring within the two above-mentioned formations are quite tool for paleoenvironmental changes— different. The association of echinoids of Capas Rojas Formation contains common Rispolia subtrigonata, Homoeaster auberti, Workshop of IGCP 463 & 494 Ovulaster gauthieri, O. zignoanus, O. obtusus, Stenonaster tuberculata and Infu- Bucharest, Romania, August 15–18, 2004 laster sp. The calcareous nannofosils identi- fied in samples collected together with these faunas range from the upper Lower Conia- Members of IGCP 463, Cretaceous Oceanic ian, Campanian, and Maastrichtian stages. In cian-lower Upper Coniacian interval (UC10 Red Beds (CORBs), held the third workshop Austria, at Tiefenbach, CORBs were Nannofossil Zone) at Las Vallongas up to the in Romania. In addition to scientific sessions, deposited during a brief interval in the Early upper-most Coniacian/lowermost Santonian discussions of results and future plans, the Santonian. However, in the North Pieniny (UC11c Nannofossil Zone) at Topares. participants examined exposures of Upper Belt of the Carpathians, CORBs apparently The localities of the Quípar-Jorquera Cretaceous Red Beds of the Romanian were sedimented in the late Cenomanian and Fm. where echinoids have been identified Carpathians characterized both by pelagic/ the process continued until the late Campan- include: Castell de Guadalest and the close hemipelagic and turbiditic facies. ian, except during the OAE2. In the Czech village of Benimantell, El Sacarest (between Mihaela Carmen Melinte with the Republic and in the Caucasus, pelagic marine Sella and Finestrat), Orxeta, El Cabrafic Alt National Institute of Marine Geology and red beds were deposited during brief inter- (between Aigües de Busot and Busot), Estret Geoecology (GEOECOMAR Bucharest) vals. In Tibet, deposition of the classic de Busot and the area of La Torre de les organized the Workshop of IGCP 463 & 494, pelagic red beds of the Chuangde Formation Maçanes. The echinoid associations usually which was chaired by project leaders Cheng- persisted during much of the Campanian. To include Stegaster novoi, S. bouillei and shan Wang (China) and Robert Scott (USA), determine the significance of these very pre- Homoeaster evaristei. In horizons below and Xiumian Hu (China), respectively. The liminary results, numerous sections having those providing H. evaristei but not red in workshop was co-sponsored by UNESCO/ integrated biostratigraphy are required both colour, Coraster vilanovae is present. The IUGS Programme, as well as by the National within the basins and in additional basins. nannofosil zones recognised in samples col- Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology Detailed bed-by-bed sections of CORB inter- lected aside of these faunas range from UC18 (GEOECOMAR Bucharest) and by the vals need to be sampled. (Lower Maastrichtian) at Estret de Busot to Romanian Ministry of Education and In Spain, the so-called “Formación UC20 (Lower/Upper Maastrichtian bound- Research. Twenty-three participants from ten Capas Rojas” (= Red Bed Formation) widely ary) at El Cabrafic Alt. countries: Austria, Bulgaria, China, Czech crops out in the Subbetic (External Zones of Xiumian Hu (China) and Lilian S˘vában- Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania, the Betic Ranges). Jaume Gallemi (Spain) ická (Czech Republic) presented the stratig- Spain, Turkey and USA attended the meeting and Mihaela Carmen Melinte (Romania) pre- raphy of the Rio Fardes section (NE and the following field trip. sented the echinoids and calcareous nan- Granada, Spain), located in the deep basinal The objective of this workshop was to nofloras identified in the “Formación Capas Middle Subbetic domain. Members II and III review the progress and new data on studies Rojas” (Red Bed Formation), coming from of the exposed Fardes Formation contain of Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds, as well as several localities: Las Vallongas and Pantà (hemi)pelagic sediments, which appear their significance for paleoclimatical, paleo- d’Elx (Alicante province), Cieza and Car- together with turbidites and olistostromes. environmental and paleoceanographical avaca (Murcia province), Topares (Almería Two brands of red beds were found, one in changes. province), Mancha Real and Cas-tillo de Member II, and the other in Member III. The Locubín (Jaén). Other Upper Cretaceous red red beds sequence consists of thick reddish Meeting brief beds, belonging to the so-called “Formación clays alternating with gray, variegated, On the first day of the workshop, twenty- three participants presented results of their current research on CORBs at the meeting held in Bucharest, in the Museum of Geol- ogy. At the beginning of the workship, Nico- lae Panin, Director of the GEOECOMAR, welcomed the participants. Theodor Neagu also saluted everyone, on behalf of the Romanian Academy. Robert Scott (USA) presented an integrated chronostratigraphic chart of CORBs, indicating that this type of sediments were deposited during each of the Late Cretaceous epochs, when oxygenated conditions developed in deep marine basins. However, it is not known whether the timing of this process was synchronous globally, or whether it was a local phenomenon. CORB examples were biostratigraphically dated in sections in the Apennines, the Austrian Alps, the Polish, Czech, and Romanian Carpathi- ans, in the Caucasus, and in Tibet. Nannofos- sils, planktic foraminifers, and dinoflagel- lates in these sections define zones in the Cenomanian, Turonian, Coniacian, Santon- First day of the field trip — Upper Maastrichtian red beds in the Prahova Valley.

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Ewa Malata presented agglutinated foramin- ifera of the CORB of the Polish Outer Carpathians and their biostratigraphic signif- icance. The oldest index species characteris- tic of the CORB sediments in this area is Bul- bobaculites problematicus, ranging within the Cenomanian–Early Coniacian interval. The presence of this agglutinated foraminif- eral taxon indicates the earliest appearance of CORB deposits in the Subsilesian basin, which was situated on the submarine eleva- tions. In the Magura, Fore-Magura, Silesian and Skole units, the Turonian part of the Uvigerinammina jankoi Zone marks the development of the red beds. At that time, red clays were accumulated beneath the CCD in all sub-basins, and the maximum paleo- depth of the Carpathian basins was reached during that time. Exclusively agglutinated foraminifera are characteristic of the younger part of the red beds in the Magura and Sile- sian units, while in the Subsilesian and Fore- Magura the amount of calcareous taxa increased. Miroslav Bubik (Czech Republic) Participants sample the CORB in the Covasna Valley during the second day of the field trip. gave a presentation on the biostratigraphy and paleoecology across the CORB in the sometimes black, clays and calcareous clays. ation, showing increasing occurrence of Silesian Unit (Moravia, Czech Republic). Based on calcareous nannofossil investiga- oceanic red-to-brown sediments from subor- The quantitative structure of benthic tion, the red beds of Member II were dated as dinate in the Mid-Cretaceous to dominant in foraminifer communities and foraminifer Lower Turonian (the uppermost part) (UC7 the late Late Cretaceous and Paleocene, abundance were plotted to estimate the pale- Nannofossil Zone). The red beds of Member questions the exact controlling mechanisms oenvironmental trends during the red bed III are, according to their nannofossil con- of these facies. While this sedimentological deposition. The results indicate a change to a tent, Middle Coniacian (UC10 Nannofossil change may indicate influences associated more oligotrophic condition higher in the Zone) to Middle-Upper Coniacian boundary with paleoclimatic forcing mechanisms on CORB. The deposition of black bands, (UC10/?UC11 Nannofossil Zones) in age. the oxygen level of the water column, the accompanied by abundant ichnofossils may Ines Wendler (Germany) presented a occurrence of red sediments related to oxic indicate eutrophic events and possibly modern view of the CORBs topic, taking into conditions may also indicate arid climatic hypoxic conditions. Lack of carbonates and account the influence of bottom oxygen con- conditions that increased the input of terrige- calcareous fossils indicates clearly deposi- tent on the preservation of organic matter nous material into the oceans. In the opinion tion below the CCD. Mihaela Carmen and calcium carbonate at the seafloor. The of the above-mentioned authors, the variety Melinte (Romania) reported the time deposi- content of oxygen in bottom waters of the of these coeval facies implies that local phys- tion of the CORBs in the Romanian ocean is not only controlling the oxidation iography of the basin and related conditions Carpathians. The base of the oldest known state of iron and other elements, but is also of adjacent landmasses led to factors that CORB is situated within the uppermost crucial to oxidation of the organic matter in could overprint the effects of global oceanic Albian (just below the base of the Stoliczkaia the sediments. The study of recent surface conditions. dispar Ammonite Zone). Described as “Var- sediments in the highly productive north- Several presentations focussed on iegated Shales”, the red beds, occurring in all eastern Arabian Sea revealed a significant CORBs occurring in the Carpathian area. the nappes of the Outer Flysch Zone of the relationship between oxygen exposure and the preservation of carbonate particles in the sediments. Stephanie Neuhuber and Michael Wagreich (Austria) presented the Upper San- tonian section of the Rehkogelgraben profile in the Northern Calcareous Alps, consisting of red and white to light grey marls, which alternate regularly. The authors concluded that the red layers represent time periods with higher terrigenous input where a suffi- cient oxygen supply resulted in a complete oxidation of organic matter within the water column. More nutrients and nutrient-like trace metals (P, Ba, Cu, Zn) reached the ocean floor. The white layers represent sub- oxic conditions with less terrigenous input but higher organic matter respiration within the lower water column or postdepositional in the carbonaceous ooze. Camilo Ponton (USA) and Florentin All the participants of the Romanian Workshop of IGCP Projects 463 & 494, at the end of Maurrasse (USA) indicated that overall vari- the field trip in the Romanian Carpathians.

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East Carpathians, overlie the Black Shale M.C. Melinte, T. Brustur, D. Jipa and of Red Shales (with the base situated within Formation (Valanginian?–Albian in age). S. Szobotka prepared a detailed field guide- the UC6a Nannofossil Zone and the top I˙smail Ömer Yilmaz (Turkey) gave an book, including the geology of the Romanian within the UC9b Nannofossil Zone) were interpretation of anoxoic-oxic changes, Carpathians, focussed on the East Carpathian investigated. The last outcrop seen during the related to the cyclic record of Barremian- Flysch Zone and on the description of red last day was the CORB belonging to the sed- Aptian pelagic carbonate successions from beds cropping out in this area. imentary cover of the Audia Nappe. The red NW Turkey. Two detailed stratigraphic sec- On the first day, the participants left beds crop out as narrow strips, overlying the tions, dominated by pelagic carbonates con- Bucharest, travelling along the Prahova Val- Black Shale Formation, specifically the sisting of an alternation of pelagic limestones ley. On the way, at the Nistoresti locality, Upper Member of it (the Glauconitic Sand- with marl/black shale lithologies and form- Upper Campanian–Maastrichtian red pelagic/ stone, lithsotratigraphic unit similar to the ing couplets throughout the succession, were hemipelagic sediments were examined and Lgota Beds of the Polish Carpathians). The measured, and almost 200 samples were sampled for geochemical investiations. The CORB are uppermost Albian–lower Conia- recovered. The couplets are interpreted as field trip continued in the Lalomita Valley, cian in age, according to their calcareous obliquity cycles of Milankovitch band. The where Campanian–Lower Paleocene red nannofossil content (from UC0 up to UC10 duration per cycle in the sections ranges cherry marls of the Gura Beliei Formation Nannofossil Zones). Locally, the red shales between 34 ka and 57 ka. Change in the nan- were examined. This type of red sediments (described also as Bota-Botita Formation) noconid/coccolith ratio between the marl/ occurred only in the southern end of the East- contain, within their lower part, bentonites. black shale and the limestone was promi- ern Carpathians, representing the post- In places, breccias with granodiorite ele- nently observed. Abundance of nannoconids tectonic cover of nappes involved in Creta- ments (proceeding from a cordilliera, which in marl/black shale facies with respect to the ceous and Miocene tectonic movements. was active only during the Late Cretaceous limestone facies and the enrichment of coc- Gura Beliei Marls contain diversified cal- interval) could be observed. coliths within limestones reflect nutrient and careous nannofossil and planktonic foramin- paleoproductivity variations during deposi- iferal assemblages, as well as scarce macro- Future programme tion. These nutrient and paleoproductivity faunas, mainly represented by the Belem- A session of IGCP 463 & 494 dealing with fluctuations could be in relation with sea nitella genus. CORB deposition, as well as implications for level change, affected by change in orbital At the end of the first day we saw green paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic parameters and reflected in facies changes. and red jaspers, and radiolarian green and red changes, was proposed by the delegates to be Kag˘an Tekin and Okan Tüysüz rocks of the Azuga Facies, interbedded held at the 7th Cretaceous Symposium (Turkey) presented the late Cretaceous syn- within the calcareous turbidites of the (Neuchâtel, September 2005). A field trip to tectonic oceanic red beds deposited on an Tithonian-Barremian Sinaia Formation. Spain is also being considered, with the active continental margin. Main branch of The aim of the second day of the field objective of examinaing pelagic red beds of the Neo-Tethys, the I˙zmir-Ankara-Erzincan trip was to present the oldest Cretaceous red the Betic/Subbetic Cordillieras. Ocean, was consumed by northward subduc- beds of the East Carpathians, representing Details about the next year's programme tion of its floor below the Pontide continental the sedimentary of the inner napes of the Fly- will be circulated at a later date. fragment during the Cenomanian-Maas- sch Zone. In the Cernatu-Dalnic and Cov- trichtian interval. In response to this subduc- asna areas, the red beds (the so-called Varie- tion, an ensialic arc on the Pontides and an gated Shale Formation) conformably overlay Mihaela Carmen Melinte active continental margin along the south the Lower Cretaceous Black Shales. The National Institute of Marine Geology and facing border of the Pontides have been above-mentioned red beds are mainly com- Geoecology established. The age identified based on radi- posed of red and green shales, with radiolar- 024053 Bucharest ROMANIA olarian assemblages indicates that the imbri- ian chert intercalations. Based on the pres- cation of the active margin was produced ence of the ammonites Stoliczkaia dispar and Robert Scott during the middle Albian–late Cenomanian. S. notha, the base on the variegated shales Tulsa University Polina Pavlishina (Bulgaria) gave a pre- was dated as uppermost Albian. The benthic Cleveland, 7420 sentation about the Santonian-Campanian foraminifera, the dinoflagellates and the radi- USA red beds exposed in the central part of olarian assemblages indicated that the depo- Srednogorie area (Bulgaria). The study pro- sition of the CORB in the region was contin- Chengshan WANG vides field revisions and palynological data uous during the Cenomanian–Coniacian China University of Geology aiming at age determination of the Upper interval. CHINA Cretaceous sediments, in general, and of red During the third (and last) day of the Xiumian HU beds, in particular. The sedimentary rocks of field trip, the participants travelled from the Nanjing University the Mirkovo Formation (reddish limestones Bras¸ov town to the Buza˘u river basin, to see 210093 Nanjing and marls), and the overlain turbiditic the red beds of the sedimentary cover of CHINA deposits of the Chugovo Formation were Outer Dacidian and Inner Moldavidian investigated. Samples originating from the Nappes of the Eastern Carpathians. The Chugovo Formation and above the reddish pelagic red beds of the Dumbra˘vioara For- limestones of the Mirkovo Formation mation were examined in the Poiana Florilor- yielded palynoflora comprising dinoflagel- Teliu area. All the three members of this late cysts and Normapolles species in equal lithostratigraphical unit: the uppermost quantities. The identified taxa suggest a Late Albian–lowermost Cenomanian Lower Campanian–Early Maastrichtian age for the Member of Red Shales (containing Neohibo- samples, and thus a preliminary Santonian– lites ultimus and microfaunal assemblages Early Campanian age of the red bed with Rotalipora appenninica), the Lower deposited below. Cenomanian–Lower Turonian Middle Mem- ber made up from black and grey shales (con- Field trip in Romanian Carpathians taining macrofaunal assemblages with For three days following the meeting in Puzosia planulata, Romaniceras spp., Bucharest, participants examined several Hamites spp., Acanthoceras rhotomagense, localities of red beds cropping out in the Inoceramus aff. hercynicus and I. crippsi) as nappes of the Romanian Carpathians. well as the Lower Turonian Upper Member

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