Searching for the Ordovician–Silurian boundary in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Abstract

The present study focuses on determining the position of the lower boundary of the Silurian System in the eastern Baltic region. To achieve this, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of stable isotopic curves, combined with previously published data on the graptolite record. Our isotopic correlations are primarily based on the δ13Corg curve of the Dob’s Linn section, the GSSP of the Silurian System, and the δ13Ccarb curve of the Monitor Range section in Nevada. Our results provide robust evidence for correlating the basal Varbola Formation, the lower part of the Õhne Formation and the Stačiūnai Formation, and suggest their latest Ordovician age. The integration of stable isotopic data and graptolite records allows for a more accurate characterisation of the Ordovician–Silurian boundary in this region.

Keywords

• ordovician–silurian boundary
• baltica
• ostracods
• carbon isotopes
• chemostratigraphy