Completing the Neogene geological time scale between 8.5 and 12.5 Ma

A much improved high-resolution magnetostratigraphy is presented for the interval between 8.5 and 12.5 Ma in the deep marine astronomically tuned Monte dei Corvi Beach section in northern Italy. This section contains the formally designated boundary between the Middle and Upper Miocene defined by the Tortonian GSSP. The natural remanent magnetization is carried by an unusual low-temperature component of primary origin. According to interpretations of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition curves, the palaeomagnetic signal is most probably carried by iron sulphides, such as greigite or pyrrhotite. The resultant magnetostratigraphy is reliable and can be straightforwardly calibrated to the Astronomically Tuned Neogene Time Scale (ATNTS2004) showing that the section ranges from Chron C5An.2n up to C4.2r-1. The inferred correlation of the Tortonian GSSP to the older part of Chron C5r.2n is confirmed, thereby guaranteeing global correlation potential. In addition, the Monte dei Corvi Beach section has been re-tuned to the new numerical solution La2004 for the interval between 8.5 and 12.9 Ma. This exercise shows that the characteristic cycle patterns are not consistent with a single solution with fixed values for dynamical ellipticity and tidal dissipation. For the younger part of the section, sedimentary cycles show an excellent fit with intricate details of precession/obliquity interference in the nominal La2004(1,1) solution. However, this solution produces serious mismatches between the sedimentary cycles and the precession/obliquity interference in the interval older than ∼ 10.2 Ma. For this interval changes in tidal dissipation value (while keeping dynamical ellipticity constant at its present-day value) are necessary to maintain a perfect fit. A detailed visual comparison reveals a very good to excellent fit with La2004(1,1.2) and, to lesser extent, with La2004(1,0.5). However, La2004(1,1.2) is the preferred tuning target for the moment in the interval older than 10.2 Ma. The astronomical (re)tuning on precessional scale to La2004(1,1) yielded slightly different astronomical ages for each basic cycle and, hence, also for the calcareous plankton events and magnetic reversal boundaries with uncertainties ranging within a few thousand years. The age of the Tortonian GSSP turns into 11.625 Ma instead of the previously published 11.608 Ma. Our ages should replace existing ages in the Astronomically Tuned Neogene Time Scale (ATNTS2004).