INTEGRATED STRATIGRAPHY OF THE NORIAN GSSP CANDIDATE PIZZO MONDELLO SECTION (SICANI MOUNTAINS, SICILY)

is one of the best localities in the world for the definition of the Carnian/Norian boundary. This site shows an unusual combination of features that fulfil most of the requirements of the “perfect ” GSSP candidate section (SALVADOR, 1994). At Pizzo Mondello a 450 m-thick Upper Carnian to Upper Norian pelagic-hemipelagic limestone succession is well exposed and very easily accessible. The succession belongs to the Calcari con selce (Halobia Limestone auctorum; Cherty Limestone, MUTTONI et al, 2001; 2004) and is known since the XIX century for the rich ammonoid and bivalve record (GEMMELLARO, 1882, 1904). The Carnian /Norian (C/N) boundary interval is included into the lower 140 m of the section, that consists of a monotonous succession of well-bedded white-yellow calcilutites with black chert nodules. Pizzo Mondello section is well known for the good primary magnetostratigraphic record and stable carbon isotope variations (MUTTONI et al, 2001, 2004) which became de facto the standard Tethyan marine reference for the Newark astrochronological polarity time scale (KENT et al., 1999; MUTTONI et al., 2004). The biostratigraphic calibration of th