Magnetostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous strata in South Sakhalin, Russian Far East

A stratigraphic sequence of magnetic polarity reversals consisting of 13 magnetozones is recognized in Upper Cretaceous sedimentary strata in the Naiba area of South Sakhalin, Russian Far East. Combined with local biostratigraphic age assignments using ammonites and other molluscs that apparently range from Coniacian to Maastrichtian, the geomagnetic polarity sequence can be correlated with polarity chrons from C34n, the Cretaceous long normal interval, through C30n in the upper Maastrichtian. The recognition of these polarity chrons and their correlation with regional faunal assemblages that commonly occur in Japan and other areas in the Far East provide an integrated reference that should be of value for linking local biostratigraphic zonations in the North Pacific and serve as another basis for calibration in the quest to establish a global definition of Upper Cretaceous stage boundaries. (C) 2000 Academic Press.