A DEBATE PELAGIC PALEOCENE SEQUENCE IN BIGA PENINSULA: BALLIKAYA (BALIKKAYA) FORMATION

Abstract

An olistostromal unit, composed of andesite, basalt, sandstone and conglomerate, and limestone blocks within red-wine colored mudstone matrix is cropped out in surrounding areas of Balıkkaya hill, Havdan and Sansuvat villages 500 to the west of Biga township (Çanakkale). The existence and age of this unit is under discussion as it is accepted in Thanetian-Danian (Paleocene) age based on foraminiferas found in mudstone and named as Ballıkaya formation. In this area, the limestone blocks are in Malm-Early Cretaceous age and the matrix to these blocks, however is rarely exposed and contains red, bordeaux, thin-bedded limestone which is Late Maastrichtian in age based on foraminferas identified as Globotruncanella havanensis (Voorwijk), Globotruncanella citae (Bolli), Abathomphalussp.