Yerbilimleri, 22 (2000), 183-192

Çukurova Üniversitesi, Mühendislik- Mimarlık Fakültesi, Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bölümü, 01330 Balcalı-ADANA

In this study; the geological events of the late Miocene-Pliocene units in the Adana Basin have been investigated by using the sedimentological and paleontological data. The Upper Miocene-Pliocene units of the Adana Basin have geological records of a catastrophic event known as "Messinian Salinity Crisis". These events, controlled by tectonics, affected all the sedimentary basins around the Mediterranean. "Messinian Salinity Crisis" occurred as a result of designation of Mediterranean approximately 6 million years ago. This unusual environmental change negatively affected the biota. In the study area, species were numerous particularly during Tortonian, but it was determined that species either decreased or disappeared at the boundary of the late Miocene and Pliocene. Globorotalia suterae Catalona and Sprovieri from planktic foraminifera were recognized within the clastic units at the boundary of Tortonian-Messinian. This form indicated that the study area had been entered in a crisis time. At the Messinian, the study area was a lagoonal-fluvial environment. There was no biological events observed during this time interval. The Pliocene units of the study area start with channellised fluvial conglomerates and passes up into shallow marine sandstone-mudstone intercalations. Some levels of these fine-grained units are rich in planktic foraminifera. Early Pliocene aged Sphaeroidenellopsis seminulina (Schwager) and S. dehiscens (Parker and Jones) planktic foraminifers which represent Globorotalia margarita margarita Zone of Atlantic province have been identified among these fossils.

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