A high-resolution relative time scale for the Visean Stage (Carboniferous) of the Kulm Basin (Rhenish Mountains, Germany)

The Visean (Carboniferous) sedimentary succession of the basinal Kulm facies (Rhenish Mountains) was investigated in detail in order to achieve a high-resolution stratigraphic subdivision and correlation. Additionally, the ranges of fossil index taxa (ammonoids), fossil marker beds, volcaniclastic horizons and sedimentary features (e.g. colour changes) were integrated in the correlation. As a result, a comprehensive database was compiled, which contains 190 stratigraphic events of the Visean interval of this area. Several sections are almost completely composed of shales, which are regarded to represent a slow but constant basinal background sedimentation of the Kulm facies. The thickness of lithological homogeneous sections thus indicates an approximately linear record of time and the average thicknesses of biozones and positions of stratigraphic events can easily be calculated from the compiled database. The result is an approximately time-linear biostratigraphic scale for the Visean Stage of the Kulm Basin. Given a numerical length of the Visean Stage of ca. 19 Ma, 190 stratigraphic events give a mean resolution of 100000 years. This is unique in Palaeozoic stratigraphy. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.