The Mersin Melange underlies the intact Mersin Ophiolite and its metamorphic sole to the south of the Mesozoic Tauride Carbonate Platform in southern Turkey. The Melange varies from chaotic melange to broken formation, in which some stratigraphic continuity can be recognized. Based on study of the broken formation, four lithological associations are recognized: (1) shallow-water platform association, dominated by Upper Palaeozoic–Lower Cretaceous neritic carbonates; (2) rift-related volcanogenic–terrigenous–pelagic association, mainly Upper Triassic andesitic–acidic volcanogenic rocks, siliciclastic gravity flows, basinal carbonates and radiolarites; (3) within-plate-type basalt–radiolarite–pelagic limestone association, interpreted as Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous seamounts with associated radiolarian sediments and Upper Cretaceous pelagic carbonates; (4) ophiolite-derived association, including fragments of the Upper Cretaceous Mersin Ophiolite and its metamorphic sole. Locally, the ophiolitic melange includes granite that yielded a K/Ar radiometric age of 375.7±10.5 Ma (Late Devonian). This granite appears to be subduction influenced based on ‘immobile’ element composition.

The Mersin Melange documents the following history: (1) Triassic rifting of the Tauride continent; (2) Jurassic–Cretaceous passive margin subsidence; (3) oceanic seamount genesis; (4) Cretaceous supra-subduction zone ophiolite genesis; (5) Late Cretaceous intra-oceanic convergence-metamorphic sole formation, and (6) latest Cretaceous emplacement onto the Tauride microcontinent and related backthrusting.

Regional comparisons show that the restored Mersin Melange is similar to the Beyşehir–Hoyran Nappes further northwest and a northerly origin best fits the regional geological picture. These remnants of a North-Neotethys (Inner Tauride Ocean) were formed and emplaced to the north of the Tauride Carbonate Platform. They are dissimilar to melanges and related units in northern Syria, western Cyprus and southwestern Turkey, which are interpreted as remnants of a South-Neotethys. Early high-temperature ductile transport lineations within amphibolites of the metamorphic sole of the Mersin ophiolite are generally orientated E–W, possibly resulting from vertical-axis rotation of the ophiolite while still in an oceanic setting. By contrast, the commonly northward-facing later stage brittle structures are explained by backthrusting of the ophiolite and melange related to exhumation of the partially subducted northern leading edge of the Tauride continent.

The interpretation of the lithofacies and basin evolution of the early Ordovician of southern Bolivia is based on a number of sections on an E–W transect. Lithostratigraphic units are extremely diachronous and only the available data on the graptolite biostratigraphy enabled an interpretation of the basin evolution. The newly proposed graptolite biozonation includes the biozones of Rhabdinopora flabelliformis, Adelograptus sp., Araneograptus murrayi, Hunnegraptus copiosus, Tetragraptus phyllograptoides, Expansograptus protobalticus, Expansograptus holmi, Baltograptus minutus, Azygograptus lapworthi and Isograptus victoriae. Isograptus victoriae is the first isograptid identified from Gondwanan South America. The early Ordovician succession of southern Bolivia is the most complete one documented from South America and can be used as a standard for this continent. The faunas are most easily correlated with the faunal succession of Scandinavia and without doubt belong to the Atlantic graptolite faunal province. They show distinct differences from coeval faunas of the Argentine Precordillera, referable to the Pacific faunal province.

Dolerite dykes in the East Finnmark Scandinavian Caledonides form three geochemical suites: Digermulhalvøya–Magerøya – WNW–ESE-trending, c. 337–332 Ma, possibly also c. 293 Ma, continental within-plate; East Varangerhalvøya – NE–SW and N–S, c. 376 Ma, continental plate-margin; Styret – NE–SW, also c. 376 Ma, chemically intermediate to the other two groups. New K–Ar data from metadolerites on Varangerhalvøya give a 7-point ‘lower envelope’ isochron of 577 ± 14 Ma (MSWD 1.04). This is concordant with a published upper intercept U–Pb zircon age (567+30−23 Ma) from an East Varangerhalvøya dolerite, here re-interpreted to reflect Neoproterozoic basement fracturing contemporaneous with the emplacement of the metadolerites. Intrusion of the younger dolerites at c. 376 Ma reactivated this trend, and may be responsible for the published zircon lower intercept age of 392+25−36 Ma. Clarification of the intrusion and structural chronology, integrated with extensive new geochemical data, enables a better understanding of the evolution of this part of the Scandinavian Caledonides.

Fossil wood from the poorly dated (Jurassic–Cretaceous?) continental sediments of the Khorat Group, northeastern Thailand (Isan) is described. The Khorat Group is widely distributed (Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) and, despite its poorly known age, stratigraphy and palaeoecology, is of importance in understanding the Sibumasu–Indochina collision. The systematics of wood assemblage and palaeobiogeographical analysis reveal strong relationships with Indochina, especially Vietnam, and suggest an age in the range Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. According to wood taphonomy, the corresponding trees grew alongside streams under a rather arid climate, although this became wetter during the deposition of the upper formations of the Khorat Group.

The regionally significant 0.5–2 km thick Høybakken detachment in central Norway bounds the southern margin of the Central Norway Basement Window and exhibits a well-developed top-to-the-WSW fabric characteristic of late Scandian, Devonian ductile extension. 40Ar–39Ar data obtained from hornblende, mica and K-feldspar mineral separates of rocks collected in a transect through the Høybakken detachment yield well-defined plateau and isochron mineral ages. Early Devonian exhumation and cooling of the Høybakken detachment footwall is recorded by hornblende ages of ∼ 400 Ma and mica ages of ∼ 390 Ma. The mylonitic fabric overlying the footwall records younger Middle Devonian mica crystallization ages of 384–381 Ma that are among the youngest extensional ductile fabrics dated in the Caledonides and suggest prolonged extensional activity on the Høybakken detachment. After inferred cessation of ductile extension at 381 Ma, the rate of uplift and cooling was reduced, and the footwall records Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous K-feldspar ages of 371–356 Ma. Prolonged extensional activity at Høybakken is compatible with recent U–Pb ages of deformed titanite crystals and established Rb–Sr ages of white mica in shear-related pegmatites, both from the southwestern part of the Fosen Peninsula, and 40Ar–39Ar ages of syn-tectonic mica overgrowth from the adjacent Hitra–Snåsa Fault. Together, these ages suggest the onset of ductile extension soon after ∼ 401 Ma, and with the Middle Devonian crystallization ages determined here, suggest that ductile extension on the Høybakken detachment had a duration of 11–20 Ma. The youngest age of 320 Ma was obtained from a K-feldspar in a cataclastic granite of the Høybakken detachment's hangingwall and is considered to date a phase of post-Scandian brittle deformation that overprinted the mylonitic shear fabric.

A simple flexural model is used to explore the relationship between magmatic underplating and denudation. First, we show how denudation can be calculated as a function of underplating. The distribution and density of underplate are obviously important parameters in determining the wavelength and amplitude of denudation. However, the denudational pattern can be considerably modulated by the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere. Several other parameters also play a significant role. For example, we show how variations in pre-existing bathymetry and in present-day topography affect denudational calculations. We have applied our simple algorithm to the problem of Paleogene underplating beneath the British Isles. Forward and inverse modelling of travel-time data from a wide-angle seismic experiment which traversed the British Isles suggests that a large pod of high velocity material occurs at Moho depths beneath the Irish Sea. The shape and inferred density of this pod are used to calculate the amplitude and wavelength of denudation for different flexural rigidities. We compare our predictions with the observed pattern of Paleogene denudation and conclude that the bulk of the observed denudation can be accounted for by magmatic underplating associated in a general way with the Iceland Plume. Notwithstanding this agreement, there is compelling evidence for additional mild uplift events especially during the Neogene. These mild events may reflect fluctuating dynamic topography associated with the Iceland Plume.

Dinoflagellate cysts and other palynomorphs from the Pliocene Kattendijk and Lillo formations, exposed in two temporary outcrops in northern Belgium, provide new information on the biostratigraphic position and sequence stratigraphic interpretation of these units. Dinoflagellate cysts from the Kattendijk Formation indicate an age between about 5.0 Ma and 4.7–4.4 Ma (early Early Pliocene) in our sections, confirming a correlation with standard sequence 3.4 and implying a slightly greater age than the Ramsholt Member of the Coralline Crag Formation of eastern England. The unconformity at the base of the Kattendijk Formation was not seen, but presumably correlates with sequence boundary Me2 at 5.73 Ma. The overlying Lillo Formation is late Early Pliocene or early Late Pliocene (c. 4.2–2.6 Ma) in age, and the unconformity at its base may be correlated with sequence boundary Za2 at 4.04 Ma or Pia1 at 3.21 Ma. The Oorderen Sands and superjacent Kruisschans Sands members (Lillo Formation) are both part of the same depositional cycle. They were probably deposited before 2.74 Ma, and certainly before the onset of Northern Hemisphere cooling at c. 2.6 Ma. Evidence from dinoflagellate cysts indicates that both a shelly unit at the base of the Lillo Formation and the lower part of the overlying Oorderen Sands were deposited during a conspicuously cool climatic phase, with warmer temperatures returning during later deposition of the Oorderen Sands and Kruisschans Sands members. Many dinoflagellate cyst and acritarch species are reported here for the first time from the southern North Sea Basin. Selenopemphix conspicua (de Verteuil & Norris, 1992) stat. nov. is proposed.

The aim of this study is to describe the biostratigraphic, chronostratigraphic and ecostratigraphic relationships of the Neogene sequence in the Adana Basin. The Adana Basin is located in southern Turkey, and bordered by the Tauride Orogenic Belt to the north, the Amanos Mountains to the east, the Mediterranean coast to the south and the Ecemiş Fault Zone to the west. From base to top, the Neogene sequence consists of the Gildirli Formation (continental redbeds), the shallow marine Kaplankaya Formation, the reefal limestones of the Karaisalı Formation, the shales of the Güvenç Formation (slope to deep marine), a thick submarine fan complex (Cingöz Formation), the shallow marine and fluvio-deltaic Kuzgun Formation and the shallow marine lagoonal–continental Handere Formation. The planktonic foraminiferal biozones identified within the Neogene sequence of the Adana Basin are Globigerinoides trilobus and Praeorbulina glomerosa curva (Burdigalian), Globorotalia fohsi peripheroronda/Orbulina suturalis (Langhian), and Globorotalia mayeri (Serravallian). The Late Tortonian is characterized by the first occurrence of Globorotalia suterae. There are no planktonic foraminiferal zones in the Messinian, but this level may be correlated with a non-distinctive zone in the Mediterranean region. The Pliocene is represented by the Sphaeroidinellopsis Acme Zone.