Geochronology of basalts from the Valley of Lakes, Mongolia,...

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 4, NO. 5, PAGES 389–397, doi:10.2205/2002ES000100, 2002

Geochronology of basalts from the Valley of Lakes, Mongolia, and their correlation with the Cenozoic sedimentary sequence

E. V. Devyatkin

Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

K. Balogh

Institute of Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,, Hungaria

A. Dudich

Geological Institute of Hungary, Budapest, Hungaria

Abstract

[1] The Valley of Lakes, Mongolia, is a key region in which to elaborate the geochronology of biostratigraphic horizons of the continental Paleogene and Neogene. Here, basaltic volcanism is developed widely. Basalt flow units are found alternating with and overlying sedimentary strata, while dikes and bosses cut through Paleocene, Oligocene, and Miocene faunal horizons. Analyzing biostratigraphic material in combination with K-Ar dating affords upgrading the biogeochronological subdivision and correlating some of the horizons with the mammalian zonation of Europe. The Valley of Lakes thus becomes the stratotype locality for Cenozoic continental sections in Inner Asia.

Received 23 August 2002; published 29 August 2002.

Keywords: Cenozoic, stratigraphy, geochronology, basalts, radiometric dating, fauna.

Citation: Devyatkin, E. V., K. Balogh, and A. Dudich (2002), Geochronology of basalts from the Valley of Lakes, Mongolia, and their correlation with the Cenozoic sedimentary sequence, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 4, No.5, 389-397, doi:10.2205/2002ES000100.