Planktonic Foraminifera and Calcareous Nannoplankton Bio stratigraphy of the Lower and Middle Miocene Sequence in Wadi Gharandal, Southwest Sinai, Egypt

The Lower and Middle Miocene succession has been sampled from southwest Sinai at Wadi Gharandal area. It was studied biostratigraphicaly on the basis of its planktonic foraminiferal and calcareous nannoplankton content. The examination of this content has led to the identification of thirty planktonic foraminiferal and forty three calcareous nannoplankton species. The study of the stratigraphic distribution of this faunal assemblage has led to the recognition of five planktonic foraminiferal and six calcareous nannoplankton bio zones. The correlation of these bio zones with those known from the Gulf of Suez region and from other parts of the world confirms that the present zonation has strong relationships with those recognized in the Mediterranean region. The lower/Middle Miocene boundary is defined and discussed. It is placed at the top of the planktonic foraminiferal Globigerinoides trilobus Zone (N7) and that of the calcareous nannoplankton Helicosphera ampliaperta Zone (NN4).