Annual Report 2008 of the Working Group on Paleogene Stratigraphy of the North Pacific

A meeting on the Sakhalin-Kamchatka Paleogene was held in Moscow, March 2008 to consider new materials and to outline plans of works for 2009-2010. The works include, particularly, a special project on geological evolution of the North Pacific shelf zones during the Paleogene (biotic changes, sedimentational features, tectono-magmatic activity, paleogeographic rearrangements, climatic fluctuations, etc.).
Some publications on the North Pacific Paleogene have been prepared as contributions to the proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Pacific Cenozoic Stratigraphy (Tsukuba, Japan, October 2007). The Congress was attended by specialists from Japan, USA, Russia and other countries (K. Ogasawara, A. Oleinik, A. Gladenkov and others). The discussions dealt particularly with problems of Paleogene correlations between subtropical and boreal regions. A special attention was paid to paleobiogeographic reconstructions.
At the time of the 33 IGC (Oslo, Norway, August 2008) the Seminar “Oligocene Series: A time of change in Earth and life history” (conveners N. Vandenberghe, Yu. Gladenkov) was held. The Seminar raised a great interest: 20 presentations discussed different Oligocene problems including stage and zonal subdivision, elaboration of regional refined schemes, reconstruction of paleogeographic and paleoclimatic events.
The study of planktonic and benthic foraminifers from the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary beds of Sakhalin has been completed. Planktonic foraminifers were found there for the first time. A special publication is under preparation.
A monographic treatment of Paleocene and Ipresian of Kamchatka is continued. The Ipresian fauna reflecting the known climatic optimum is unique for these latitudes.

Report by Yu. B. Gladenkov, Chairman