Geochemical fingerprints and hydrocarbon potential of Paleocene mudrocks in the Tano Basin, Ghana: insights from biomarkers and stable carbon isotopes

The Paleocene mudrocks in Ghana’s Tano Basin have received limited attention despite ongoing efforts to explore hydrocarbon resources.A thorough geochemical analysis is imperative to assess these mudrocks’petroleum generation potential and formulate effective exploration strategies.In this study,a comprehensive geochemical analysis was carried out on ten Paleocene rock cuttings extracted from TP-1,a discovery well within the Tano Basin.Various analytical techniques,including total organic carbon(TOC)analysis,Rock–Eval pyrolysis,gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,and isotope ratio-mass spectrometry,were employed to elucidate their hydrocar-bon potential and organic facies.Thefindings in this study were subsequently compared to existing geochemical data on Paleocene source rocks in the South Atlantic marginal basins.The results indicated that the Paleocene samples have TOC content ranging from 0.68 to 2.93 wt%.The prevalent kerogen types identified in these samples were Type Ⅱ and Type Ⅲ.Molecular and isotope data suggest that the organic matter found in the Paleocene mudrocks can be traced back to land plants and lower aquatic organisms.These mudrocks were deposited in a transi-tional environment withfluctuating water salinity,charac-terized by sub-oxic redox conditions.Maturity indices,both bulk and molecular,indicated a spectrum of maturity levels within the Paleocene mudrocks,spanning from immature to marginally mature,with increasing maturity observed with greater depth.In comparison,the organic composition and depositional environments of Paleocene source rocks in the Tano Basin closely resemble those found in the Niger Delta Basin,Douala,and Kribi-Campo Basins,the Kwanza Formation in Angola,and certain Brazilian marginal basins.However,it is worth noting that Paleocene source rocks in some of the basins,such as the Niger Delta and Brazilian marginal basins,exhibit rela-tively higher thermal maturity levels compared to those observed in the current Paleocene samples from the Tano Basin.In conclusion,the comprehensive geochemical analysis of Paleocene mudrocks within Ghana’s Tano Basin has unveiled their marginal hydrocarbon generation potential.The shared geochemical characteristics between the Paleocene mudrocks in the Tano Basin and those in the nearby South Atlantic marginal basins offer valuable insights into source rock quality,which is crucial for shaping future strategies in petroleum exploration in this region.

First Asian Paleocene pantolambdid pantodont(Mammalia)and its implications to intercontinental faunal exchange

Pantodonta was one of the first groups of eutherians to evolve at the beginning of Cenozoic era,including the largest herbivores at that time.Pantodonta shows considerable diversity during the Paleocene and Eocene,with most of the species having been discovered in Asia and North America.Here,we report on a new pantodont,represented by lower jaws with well-preserved dentition,discovered from the Middle Paleocene Nongshan Formation of the Nanxiong Basin,Guangdong Province,China.Its unique dental and mandibular characteristics distinguish it well from any known Asian pantodont,but are quite consistent with North American taxa,especially Pantolambda and Titanoides.The new specimen is identified as Nanxiongilambda yei gen.et sp.nov.,characterized by the combination of the following morphological features:thick and robust mandible with a conspicuous anteroexternal flange,high positioned condyloid process,posteriorly protruding angular process,robust but not elongated lower canines,double-rooted p1,small but distinct talonids on posterior lower premolars,talonids nearly as wide as trigonids on lower molars,and m3 with a well-developed hypoconulid and a distinct entoconid.The new discovery marks the first record of a pantolambdid pantodont outside of North America,suggesting a broader geographical distribution and intercontinental dispersal of this clade during the Paleocene.Considering the more primitive Pantolambda only found from Torrejonian to early Tiffanian NALMA(equivalent to middle-late Shanghuan to early Nongshanian ALMA),which is slightly earlier than Nanxiongilambda(early Nongshanian ALMA),pantolambdids have likely undergone a particular wave of migration from North America to Asia during the Early-Middle Paleocene.Previous researches have suggested that pantodonts had dispersed only from Asia to North America during the Early Paleocene,but our new specimen indicates the biotic dispersal may have occurred in the opposite direction.The new specimen also contributes to the renewal of the evolutionary history of pantodonts and provides further insights into the migration and dispersal of Paleocene mammals.

Lithostratigraphy and Characterisation of Paleocene Limestones for Optimal Exploitation (Senegal, West Africa): Comparative Study of the Bandia and Popenguine Quarries

Limestones of different facies in the Senegal basin are most commonly used as aggregates, regardless of their petrographic properties. These differences may influence their behaviour. The aim of this paper is to study the stratigraphy and characterise the limestones of the Bandia and Popenguine quarries. Sampling and geochemical and geotechnical characterisation were carried out on these limestones. The results show the presence of several very different facies in the Paleocene formation. The geochemical study shows that the Bandia limestones (Bd2) have the highest CaCO3 percentages (98.54%) and the highest SiO2 percentages were recorded in the Popenguine limestones (Pop2). The study also gives MDE values of 22.38 and LA of 22, which are acceptable for use in road construction. It is important to carry out a complete study in order to select the right materials for optimal use.

Paleocene Wuyun Flora in Northeast China: Ulmus furcinervis of Ulmaceae

Ulmus furcinervis (Borsuk) Ablaev is first recognized and described in the Paleocene Wuyun flora from Heilongjiang Province, China. The combination of key characteristics for identification of these leaf specimens is that they have craspedodromous secondary veins forked near the leaf marginal, tertiary veins percurrent and marginal teeth convex. Specimens formerly described as leaves of Planera cf. microphylla auct. non Newberry and Sorbaria wuyunensis Tao et Xiong in Wuyun flora are reexamined and assigned to U. furcinervis.

Paleocene Wuyun Flora in Northeast China: Amersinia and Beringiaphyllum of Cornaceae sensu

Specimens of Amersinia obtrullata and Beringiaphyllum pseudoantiquum in Paleocene Wuyun flora, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China, were described and assigned to Cornaceae sensu. Infructescences formally allocated in Trochodendron sp. were reviewed and assigned to Amersinia obtrullata. Leaves described as Populus carneosa, Celastrophyllum subprotophyllum, Viburnum antiquum, V. asperum, Viburniphyllum finale, Protophyllum wuyunense, P. cf. haydenii, P. ovatifolium, Credneria inordinata were also restudied and assigned to Beringiaphyllum pseudoantiquum.

Structural and Chronological Evidence for the India-Eurasia Collision of the Early Paleocene in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, Namjagbarwa

The eastern Himalayan syntaxis in Namjagbarwa is a high-grade metamorphicterrain formed by the India-Eurasia collision and northward indentation of the Indian continent intoAsia. Right- and left-lateral slip zones were formed by the indentation on the eastern and westernboundaries of the syntaxis respectively. The Dongjug-Mainling fault zone is the main shear zone onthe western boundary. This fault zone is a left-lateral slip belt with a large component ofthrusting. The kinematics of the fault is consistent with the shortening within the syntaxis, andthe slipping history along it represents the indenting process of the syntaxis. The Ar-Archronological study shows that the age of the early deformation in the Dongjug-Mainling fault zoneranges from 62 to 59 Ma. This evidences that the India-Eurasia collision occurred in the earlyPaleocene in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis.

Geochemistry of the Paleocene Clastic Rocks in Lishui Sag, East China Sea Shelf Basin： Implications for Tectonic Background and Provenance

The Lishui Sag, in the East China Sea Shelf Basin, is rich in hydrocarbons, with the major hydrocarbon-bearing layers being the Paleocene Mingyuefeng clastic rocks. Analysis of the implicit geologic background information of these Paleocene clastic rocks using petrological and geochemical methods has significant practical importance. These Paleocene sandstones are mainly lithic arenite, lithic arkose and greywacke, composed of K-feldspar, plagioclase, authigenic clays, silica and carbonates. As continental deposits, Yueguifeng clastic rocks have high aluminosilicate and mafic detritus contents, while the Lingfeng and Mingyuefeng Formations are rich in silica due to an oscillating coastal marine depositional environment. The major element contents of these Paleocene sandstones are low and have a concentrated distribution, indicating that the geochemical composition is non-epigenetic, transformed by sedimentary processes and diagenesis. The Yueguifeng detritus comprises recycled sediments, controlled by moderate weathering and erosion, while the Lingfeng and Mingyuefeng detritus is interpreted as primarily first-cycle materials due to low chemical weathering. In the Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene, the Pacific Plate began subducting under the Eurasian Plate, causing an orogeny by plate collision and magma eruption due to the melting of subducted oceanic crust. This resulted in the dual tectonic settings of ＂active margin＂ and ＂continental island arc＂ in the East China Sea Shelf Basin. During the Late Paleocene, the Pacific Plate margin migrated eastward along with development of the Philippine Ocean Plate, and the tectonic setting of the Lishui Sag gradually turned into a passive continental margin. Detrital sources included both orogenic continental blocks and continental island arcs, and the parent rocks are primarily felsic volcanic rocks and granites.

Biostratigraphy of a Paleocene-Eocene Foreland Basin boundary in southern Tibet

This study of the Paleocene--Eocene boundary within a foreland basin of southern Tibet, which was dominated by a carbonate ramp depositional environment, documents more complex environmental conditions than can be derived from studies of the deep oceanic environment. Extinction rates for larger foraminiferal species in the Zongpu-1 Section apply to up to 46% of the larger foraminiferal taxa. The extinction rate in southern Tibet is similar to rates elsewhere in the world, but it shows that the Paleocene fauna disappeared stepwise through the Late Paleocene, with Eocene taxa appearing abruptly above the boundary. A foraminifera turnover was identified between Members 3 and 4 of the Zongpu Formation-from the Miscellanea--Daviesina assemblage to an Orbitolites-Alveolina assemblage. The Paleocene and Eocene boundary is between the SBZ 4 and SBZ 5, where it is marked by the extinction of Miscellanea miscella and the first appearance of Alveolina ellipsodalis and a large number of Orbitolites. Chemostratigraphically, the δ^13C values from both the Zongpu-1 and Zongpu-2 Sections show three negative excursions in the transitional strata, one in Late Paleocene, one at the boundary, and one in the early Eocene. The second negative excursion of δ^13C, which is located at the P-E boundary, coincides with larger foraminifera overturn. These faunal changes and the observed δ^13C negative excursions provide new evidence on environmental changes across the Paleocene--Eocene boundary in Tibet.

Calcareous nannofossil changes linked to climate deterioration during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum in Tarim Basin,NW China

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum(PETM) event was a dramatic global warming w55.93 Ma ago that resulted in biological extinction events, lithological changes, and major deviations in σ13 C and σ18 O.The southwestern Tarim Basin of China exposes successive Paleogene strata as a result of Tethys evolution and is considered an ideal region for PETM research.Based on calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy, we also used stable isotopes and XRD to analyse the Paleocene-Eocene transition in the Tarim Basin. At the Bashibulake Section, the PETM interval is characterized by(1) an abrupt negative shifts in σ13 C_(org), σ13 C_(carb) and σ18 O(-3%, -4.5% and -3%respectively);(2) an obvious negative correlation between the K-mode(Discoaster, Fasciculithus, Ericsonia, Sphenolithus and Rhomboaster) and r-mode(Biscutum, Chiasmolithus, Toweius) nannofossil taxa coincident with a robust Rhomboaster-Discoaster assemblage; and(3) a significant increase in the percentage of detrital input along with an increase in gypsum content. In the upper part of the Qimugen Formation Micrantholithus and Braarudosphaera are commonly found right up to the top where most of the nannofloras suffer a sharp decrease. In the overlying Gaijitage Formation, calcareous nannofossils disappear completely. These events indicate that the southwestern Tarim Basin was a warm shallow continental shelf during the deposition of the Qimugen Formation. From the early Eocene, the environment changed conspicuously. Evaporation increased and sea level fell, which led to an acid climate.This climate mode continued within the youngest unit studied, the Gaijitage Formation, characterized by the deposition of thick evaporates. Consequently, most of the marine plankton, i.e. calcareous nannoplankton, became disappear, because of the significant climate shift.

Chinese Continental Paleocene-Eocene Boundary and Its Correlation

Recent paleontological, paleomagnetic and carbon isotopic investigations have provided new evidence supporting placement of the Chinese terrestrial Paleocene-Eocene boundary at the base of the Lingcha Formation in the Hengyang Basin, Hunan Province, and within the upper part of the Nomogen Formation in the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia. Based on mammalian and ostracod biostratigraphic data, the boundary can also be roughly correlated with the contacts between the Baoyue and Huayong formations in the Sanshui Basin of Guangdong, the Qingjiang and Xinyu formations of Jiangxi, the Fourth Formation of the Funing Group and the Dainan Formation in northern Jiangsu, and the Dabu and Shisanjianfang formations in the Turfan Basin of Xinjiang.

Boundary Between Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleocene in the Zagros Mountain Ranges of Southwestern Iran

In the present study, over 3000 m of Upper Cretaceous sediments （Tarbur Formation） in seven stratigraphic, columnar sections were studied. The area is located in the Zagros mountain ranges of southwestern Iran, attributed to the converging continental Arabian Shield, and is interpreted as the result of subduction and collision. Based on foraminiferal studies of the Tarbur Formation in the sections, we have established many new biozones in the stratigraphic sections. However, investigations of the biozones indicate that there is no lithostratigraphic variation between the Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleocene sediments in some of the studied sections. The concept of widespread formations and lithologic correlations is not applicable in this area, probably as a result of the tectonic unrest at that time. The biostratigraphic boundary between the Cretaceous and the Lower Paleocene is nevertheless well defined by the intraformational boundary in the sections.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene Intrusions in East Gangdese,Lhasa,Tibet and Their Tectonic Significances

In this study, we determined the granite ages in the middle to east Gangdese batholith. Zircon ages from these granites are 57.6-68.7 Ma, indicating that intrusions were formed in the Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene. The large-ion lithophile elements are highly enriched, whereas some high-field-strength elements are depleted. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic characteristics are similar to those of the Dianzhong volcanics in the Linzhou Basin, indicating the same origin and tectonic environment. The samples show positive εHf（t） values that are slightly lower than the values for the Linzizong volcanics, the Quxu intrusion, and other intrusions in middle Gangdese. We conclude that our samples, the Linzizong volcanics, and most main-collisional intrusions are derived from the same source with different ratios of crust and mantle input. On the basis of geological, geochemical, geochronological, and isotopic information, we conclude that the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene evolution of Gangdese can be divided into three stages. First, the collision began at 70-60 Ma, the same time as rollback of the Tethys Ocean slab. Second, during 60-50 Ma, slab breakoff triggered upwelling of the asthenosphere. Third, after 50 Ma, the Tethys Ocean slab＇s effect disappeared and the interaction between Indian and Asian crusts began influencing magmatism in Gangdese.

Cretaceous-Paleocene Foraminiferal Communities from the Western Tarim Basin and Their Environmental Significance

Foraminifera is one of the most important fossil faunas of the marine Cretaceous and Paleocene in the Western Tarim Basin, which can be divided into 9 communities. This paper deals mainly with the changes of environments in which the foraminiferal communities existed,especially with the changes of temperature and salinity revealed by analyses of test composition and trace elements in the tests , and by statistic studies of species density, richness , diversity ,equitability and dominance .

Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Paleocene Coal from the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel Coalfields of Pakistan

Pakistan is rich in coal resources,which amount to around 186 billion tons.The Paleocene Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coalfields are located in the Central Salt Range Punjab Province and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,Pakistan,respectively.Padhrar coal has not been studied in detail and the Darra Adam Khel coalfields are newlydiscovered,so no research has been done,due to security considerations.In this study,an attempt has been made to study the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coals,in order to learn about the coal quality,element enrichment mechanism,sedimentary medium conditions and potentially valuable elements for coal utilization.The Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coals are low to medium ash,low moisture content,high in volatiles and high total sulfur coal.The vitrinite reflectance in Darra Adam Khel coal is higher than in Padhrar coal,indicating either a greater burial depth or the effects of Himalayan tectonism.The vitrinite content is dominant in the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coals,followed by inertinite and liptinite,the major minerals including quartz,clay minerals,calcite and pyrite.The trace elements Ni,As,Be Zn,Ge,Mo,Ta,W,Co and Nb,Sn,Hf,Ta,Pb,Th,Cd,In,Be,V,Cr,Zr,Ag,Li,W and Co are concentrated in some of the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coal samples,respectively.The Padhrar coal shows positive Ce,Eu and Gd anomalies,with most of the Darra Adam Khel coal showing negative Ce,Eu and positive Gd anomalies with high LREE.The Al2O3/TiO2 values indicate that the sediment source of the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coals is mostly related to intermediate igneous rocks.The Sr/Ba,SiO2+Al2O3,Fe2O3+CaO+MgO/SiO2+Al2O3 and high sulfur content in the Padhrar and Darra Adam Khel coals indicate epithermal and marine water influence with a tidal flat,coal-forming environment and a deltaic coal-forming environment,respectively.

Contribution to the Numerical Geological Mapping of the Paleocene in the Western Part of Thiès (Senegal)

The locality of Thiès has significant mining and hydrogeological resources that are of major economic interest and necessitates a sustainable management. Most of these resources are contained in the Paleocene. For a better assessment of Paleocene, we elaborated a spatial model using available seismic lines, oil and hydraulic drills. The data were integrated using interpolation, mainly natural neighbor method. The obtained model should make it possible to understand the variation of the lithostratigraphic parameters of the Paleocene. The extraction from the model of the upper and the lower limits showed that the Paleocene is shallow and is outcropping to subout-cropping in the area of Thiès. The model was validated using previously available geological map. Also, a crosscorrelation of the predicted and the observed data showed that the model is accurate.

GEOLOGICAL EVENT ACROSS THE BOUNDARY OF THE LATEST PALEOCENE TO EARLIEST EOCENE IN TINGRI, SOUTHERN TIBET

The marine early\|middle Early Paleogene in the northern Tethys Himalayas was found in southern Tibet in mid 1980s (Hao and Wan, 1985), and the bio\|, litho\|, and chrono\| stratigraphy were patterned by then (Hao and Wan, 1985; Willems et al., 1993, 1996). It seems that there is not an abrupt boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene (P/E) because they are composed of carbonate rocks. This similarity is widespread in the world. They are well examined in many ocean DSDP and ODP logs in similar continuous sediments. But in fact, it is sure that there is a geologic event between the Paleocene and Eocene around the world. Foraminifer extinction, stable isotope record, clay mineral changes, etc. verify the geologic event existence at the latest Paleocene. Unlike the K/T boundary, there is at present little direct or indirect evidence of such catastrophes coincident with the transition (Zachos et al., 1993). This work first shows that there could be also a geologic event across the boundary of latest Paleocene to earliest Eocene exposed on land, certainly in China territory.The P/E transitional sediment is exposed and remeasured at Gongzha, northwestern flank of the Zhepure Shan Syncline, west to Tingri. Here the P/E transitional stratum is approximately equivalent to the upper Member IV and the entire Member V (Willems et al., 1993, 1996). The exact boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene, i.e. between the Unit 16 and Unit 17, is determined by benthic foraminiferal zonations. The fossil zone Alveolina beginning at Unit 17 is just above the boundary that is partly different from Willems et al (1993, 1996).

PALEOCENE—MIDDLE EOCENE DEXTRAL STRIKE-SLIP DEFORMATION AND ITS TECTONIC IMPLICATION IN THE WESTERN YUNNAN, CHINA

The Western Yunnan located at the southeast margin of east Himalaya\|Burman syntaxis. A great number of small basins filled with lacustrine developed in the Indochina block during the Paleocene\|middle Eocene. Occurrence of basins as en chelon arrangement suggests that they were formed under tectonic setting of right\|lateral strike\|slip. The north termination of main faults controlling basins deposition and evolution, meet the Red River fault as an acute angle. The Lanping basin, one representative of all basins, is chosen to study its formation mechanism. Facts of rapid lateral phase change, sediment offset from their source and lateral migration of alluvial fan, indicate that the Lanping basin is a strike\|slip basin and its boundary main fault is syndepositional left\|lateral strike\|slip normal fault. Basin formation was controlled by mechanism of strike\|slip and pull\|apart, the Lanping basin belongs to extension strike\|slip basin. The nature of the Lanping basin and infill suggest that the boundary fault controlling basin deposit was formed during right\|lateral strike\|slip deformation of the Red River fault. Whether formation mechanism of single basin or occurrence of basins supported that the Red River fault was a right\|lateral strike\|slip fault during the Paleocene\|middle Eocene.

Paleocene–early Eocene post-subduction magmatism in Sikhote-Alin (Far East Russia): New constraints for the tectonic history of the Izanagi-Pacific ridge and the East Asian continental margin

New isotopic,geochemical and geochronological data justify the widespread occurrence of middle Paleocene to early Eocene(60–53 Ma)post-subduction felsic magmatism across the entire Sikhote-Alin territory(southeastern Russia),conform with previous observations in Northeast China,the southern Korean Peninsula,and the Inner Zone of Japan.This igneous activity in East Asia coincided with the reactivation(after tectonic quiescence between~93–60Ma)of left-lateral strike-slip displacements along the Tan-Lu and Central Sikhote-Alin faults and with the post-60 Ma cessation of subduction/accretion recorded in the Shimanto belt of SW Japan.The Sikhote-Alin post-subduction igneous A-type rocks present diverse mineralogical and geochemical features that suggest interactions of the subducting plate with anhydrous mantle upwelling through slab tears in the continental margin.The middle Paleocene–early Eocene magmatismis not related to subduction but is synchronous with strikeslip tectonics and the termination of accretionary prism development,suggesting a shift in tectonic regime from oceanic plate subduction at a convergent margin to parallel sliding and initiation of a transformcontinental margin.These new observations are inconsistent with the current tectonic model of 60–50 Ma Izanagi-Pacific ridge subduction beneath East Asian continental margin.

Base level changes based on Basin Filling Modelling:a case study from the Paleocene Lishui Sag,East China Sea Basin

Estimation of base level changes in geological records is an important topic for petroleum geologists.Taking the Paleocene Upper Lingfeng Member of Lishui Sag as an example,this paper conducted a base level reconstruction based on Basin Filling Modelling(BFM).The reconstruction was processed on the ground of a previously interpreted seismic stratigraphic framework with several assumptions and simplification.The BFM is implemented with a nonlinear diffusion equation solver written in R coding that excels in shallow marine stratigraphic simulation.The modeled results fit the original stratigraphy very well.The BFM is a powerful tool for reconstructing the base level,and is an effective way to check the reasonableness of previous interpretations.Although simulation solutions may not be unique,the BFM still provides us a chance to gain some insights into the mechanism and dynamic details of the stratigraphy of sedimentary basins.

Late Maastrichtian–Paleocene chronostratigraphy from Seymour Island,James Ross Basin,Antarctic Peninsula:Eustatic controls on sedimentation

The Paleocene(66–56 Ma)was a critical time interval for understanding the geological history in high palaeolatitudes after the end of Cretaceous event(recovery from mass extinction,palaeoclimate,global sea level changes,among others).The sedimentary succession from Seymour Island(Antarctic Peninsula)provides key reference material from this important phase of the early Cenozoic.A detailed age model is proposed for the López de Bertodano Formation(LBF),Sobral Formation(SF)and Cross Valley–Wiman Formation(CVWF)based on a new magnetostratigraphic section which integrates previous dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy,Iridium anomaly(K-Pg boundary),U-Pb zircon dating(airfall tuff)and strontium isotope values from macrofossils.The new composite magnetostratigraphic section,which includes the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary,has been correlated to the GPTS from C29r up to C24r.The top of the LBF is confirmed as latest Maastrichtian to earliest Danian(~65.4 Ma)in age.The overlying SF is mostly Danian in age(~65.2–~63 Ma)and CVWF is Selandian–Thatenian(~61.3–56.9 Ma).LBF,SF and CVWF are unconformity-bounded units(alloformations)that record the geological evolution of the James Ross Basin during a period of relative decreasing tectonism but coeval with volcanic activity.Unconformity based internal units have been recognized,dividing each formation into allomembers(LBF:Molluscan and Cenozoic;SF:A,B and C;CVWF:Díaz,Ara?ado,Bahía Pingüino).The new age model allows correlation of base-level changes with eustatic sea-level fluctuations.The bases of the SF and CVWF are correlated with the 65.3 and 61.5 Ma sea level lowstands.