The mid-Cretaceous succession of Orphan Knoll (northwest Atlantic): micropalaeontology and palaeo-oceanographic implications

Abstract

Micropalaeontological investigation of the mid-Cretaceous succession (Albian–Cenomanian) of Orphan Knoll (northwest Atlantic Ocean) has allowed direct stratigraphic comparison with successions of a similar age elsewhere in the area of the North Atlantic Ocean. The microfaunal evidence presently available suggests a major world-wide eustatic change in the mid-Cenomanian, together with associated changes in the surface water circulation of the Cretaceous North Atlantic Ocean.