A high-resolution timescale for the Miocene Shanwang diatomaceous shale lagerstätte (China): development of Wavelet Scale Series Analysis for cyclostratigraphy

The Miocene aged Shanwang Formation from the Shanwang National Geopark in China represents a succession of lacustrine diatomaceous shales containing an abundant and diverse biota with lagerstätte fossilization of soft tissues. To date, the Shanwang Formation has not been investigated for cyclostratigraphy nor has it been dated with high precision methods. Now we use thorium data as a paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic proxy to conduct a detailed cyclostratigraphic analysis. A new and simple cyclostratigraphic method, Wavelet Scale Series Analysis (WSSA) is developed to recognize Milankovitch cycles. A total of three short eccentricity and fifteen precession cycles are identified; obliquity cycles are not apparent. In the sedimentary succession, the corresponding precession and short eccentricity cycles are 1.17 m and 4.98 m thick respectively, with this verified by Correlation Coefficient (COCO) analysis and Multitaper-Method (MTM) spectral analysis. We estimate the studied interval was deposited over a duration of 0.3 Myr with a depositional rate of c. 5.7 cm/kyr. Paleomagnetic and radio isotope dating data shows that the diatomaceous shale was deposited during Chron C5En, which places it at approximately 18.5 Ma during the Burdigalian stage of the Early Miocene, rather than in the Middle Miocene as previously thought. The Shanwang lagerstätte biota therefore predates the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO) and did not form within it. The geological time scale with a high resolution of 20 kyr was set accordingly.