A Potential Lower–Middle Pleistocene GSSP with Excellent Magnetostratigraphy Along the West Pacific Margin

Abstract

The Chiba section in Japan represents a potential global boundary stratotype section and point (GSSP) for the Lower–Middle Pleistocene Subseries/Subepoch. The proposed GSSP is placed at the base of the Byakubi ash bed, a regional marker directly correlated to the Matuyama–Brunhes magnetic reversal, which is the primary guide for the Lower–Middle Pleistocene boundary. The Byakubi ash bed occurs within the 2000-m-thick Kazusa Group, which was deposited in bathyal to shelf palaeoenvironments during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. In addition to the numerous marine stratigraphies already studied, this section offers potential correlation to Chinese loess stratigraphy. Show more