On the age of the Mangyshlakian deposits of the northern Caspian Sea

Abstract

The distribution, sedimentology, and age of early Holocene Mangyshlakian deposits beneath the northern Caspian Sea are studied. Analyses and interpretations derive from high-resolution sub-bottom profiling, lithological analysis of core sections and boreholes, biostratigraphic analysis of mollusc shells, and radiocarbon dating. We show that the Mangyshlakian deposits overlie Upper Pleistocene Khvalynian deposits, filling valleys and depressions that formed during lower water levels, similar to present lacustrine water bodies (ilmeni) of the Volga Delta. Transgressive marine Holocene Neo-Caspian sediments that are filling facies overlie the Mangyshlakian deposits. The deposits are composed of both organogenous and terrigenous materials. The flora and fauna in the sediment indicate deposition into freshwater, differing from marine biota in the underlying and overlying sediments. Eighteen radiocarbon ages indicate that the Mangyshlakian deposits accumulated between 9 and 12 ka.