The Gargasian (Middle Aptian) of La Marcouline section at Cassis-La Bédoule (SE France): Stable isotope record and orbital cyclicity

Bulk rock stable isotope analysis of La Marcouline section (Cassis-La Bédoule area, SE France) revealed a general trend of decreasing δ13C and δ18O values from the bottom to the top of the section. The decrease in δ13C values reflects a global trend in Middle Aptian times, namely a return to pre-excursion values of δ13C values following a major, positive excursion in the Early Aptian, which is a reflection of the Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 1a.Power spectra of the bedding rhythms suggest that precessional and long eccentricity cycles of the Milankovitch band controlled the deposition of marl-limestone bundles. This can be interpreted as the result of a forcing by insolation at low latitudes which resulted in a monsoon-controlled precipitation pattern, that in turn induced the deposition of clay-rich beds. Conversely, limestone beds were formed in periods of dryer climate. Higher sea-surface productivity during wet periods may have been caused by an increase in continental runoff and a consequent enhancement in the delivery of nutrients to epicontinental basins.An orbital cyclicity in the sedimentary patterns in La Marcouline section provides the opportunity to calibrate the duration of the well-established G. ferreolensis foraminiferal Zone with that of orbital chronology. The G. ferreolensis Zone at Cassis-La Bédoule spans 33 precessional cycles and its duration is thus estimated to be approximately 760 ka. This length of time is significantly shorter than the estimates of published timescales for this zone and thus may be an argument for proposing that the Gargasian substage is significantly shorter than its currently accepted range.