CALCAREOUS NANNOPLANKTON FROM THE SEOGUIPO FORMATIN OF CHEJU ISLAND, KOREA AND ITS PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS

Twenty species of calcareous nannofossils belonging to 11 genera are identified from the Seoguipo Formation in Cheju island, Korea. On the basis of the marker species, the Seoguipo Formation is biostratigraphically assigned to the Pseudoemiliania lacunosa Zone (NNl9), which corresponds to the combined zones of Emiliania annula - Emiliania ovata (CN13a-CN14a) of latest Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. Generally, cold-water species is dominant in the lower part, whereas warm-water one in the upper part. This is interpreted the palaeoceanographic condition has changed from cooling to warm phase. The change in floral composition and abundance of specific species allows the recognition of 4 ecostaratigraphic units in the Seoguipo Formation and the migration of oceanographic frontal boundary. According to nannofossil distribution in the study area, the position of an oceanographic boundary between warmer water and cooler water appeared to have oscillated north-south over the Korea Strait and Cheju island in response to glacial and interglacial cycles. The geologic time of the interpreted paleoceanographical changes determined by nannofossil biochronology is well agreed with the results obtained from the Japan Sea (East Sea) and Japan-Sea side of Japan.