Buntsandstein-Muschelkalk magnetostratigraphy from Central Germany: detailed correlation with the Middle Triassic geomagnetic polarity timescale

There exist many magnetostratigraphic studies across the boundary of the Lower and Middle Triassic from both marine and non-marine section, providing a detailed magnetic record for the Anisian (Middle Triassic) that is age-constrained by conodont and ammonoid zonations from Tethyan sections. In the classic Germanic Triassic, the Anisian sedimentary succession, i.e. the Upper Buntsandstein to Lower Muschelkalk displays a change from mainly terrestrial red beds and marine to hypersaline evaporites and carbonates of the Upper Buntsandstein to marine limestones and marlstones of the overlying Lower Muschelkalk (so-called Muschelkalk transgression). In Central Germany, the about 100 m thick Lower Muschelkalk is dominated by micritic limestones and marlstones, and interbedded bioclastic and oolitic limestones. Overall, the Lower Muschelkalk sedimentary succession is indicated by a pronounced cyclicity, forming a robust high-resolution cyclostratigraphic framework. Furthermore, it is supported by several well-known marker beds, which can be traced over large parts of the intracratonic Central European Basin. In order to well extend the recently established magnetic polarity record of the Buntsandstein into the overlying Muschelkalk, about 150 paleomagnetic samples have been collected from two outcrops from Central Germany. The demagnetization revealed magnetite as main carrier of primary remanence in most of the samples, allowing the construction of a well-documented magnetic record. The Anisian ammonoids Beneckeia tenuis, Beneckeia buchi, and Balatonites ottonis and the conodont Nicoraella kockeli, which occur in the Upper Buntsandstein and Lower Muschelkalk, provide reliable biostratigraphic ties to the marine Middle Triassic.