Benthic foraminifera and environmental changes in the Quaternary of the western Mediterranean coast: the core of Xeraco, Valencia, Spain

Abstract

The evolution of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages from a 60 m core drilled in the Quaternary lagoon of Xeraco (Valencia, Spain) is studied. Two moments of warm climate, high sea-level and maximal marine infl uence in the lagoon have been identifi ed. The fi rst one at the base of the core, punctuated by highly frequent changes during the Upper Pleistocene, and the other one in the upper end of the series during the Holocene. The presence of a middle core section with low diversity and a nearly total absence of marine foraminifers is interpreted as a regressive interval of cold climate conditions linked to a glacial stage.

Maximum flood area during MIS 1 in the Almenara marshland (Western Mediterranean): Benthic foraminifera and sedimentary record

“…The mixed assemblage of open marine and brackish water species suggests a lagoon with a strong marine communication, as confirmed by its use as a port during Iberian and Roman times. In addition, Usera et al (2017) analyzed a borehole in the ancient littoral lagoon of Xeraco whose micropaleontological content indicates a lagoonal environment with alternating periods of isolation and strong marine influence, thus reflecting the varying proximity of the shoreline. Although most of the studied section is Pleistocene, an incomplete Holocene record at the uppermost part of the borehole signaled the increasing marine influence during the Holocene transgression with an assemblage containing lagoonal ( C. excavatum ) together with transitional ( A. beccarii and Haynesina depressula (Walker and Jacob) and strictly marine foraminifera (mainly Rosalina spp.…”