INTEGRATED STRATIGRAPHIC, PALEONTOLOGICAL, AND GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE UPPERMOST HAUTERIVIAN FARAONI LEVEL IN THE FIUME-BOSSO SECTION, UMBRIA-MARCHE APENNINES, ITALY

An integrated stratigraphic, palaeontological, and geochemical study h as been carried out across the uppermost Hauterivian Faraoni Level of the Flume Bosso section in the Umbria-Marche Apennines, Italy. This le vel represents a first, prominent sign of the global changes that led to the widespread deposition of mid-Cretaceous organic-rich facies. Ma rkec changes in the organic geochemical record and microfloral and mic ro- and macrofaunal assemblages occur within the interval. They are ch aracteristic for short-term deposition in strongly dysoxic bottom cond itions. Such changes probably reflect climatic variation which, in rum , induced variations in the palaeoceanographic regime. (C) 1998 Academ ic Press Limited.