The purpose of this study is to investigate the Upper Tournaisian substage within the Carboniferous carbonate deposits of the Aladag Unit in the Hadim region (Central Taurides) based on foraminiferal diversity and to study the meter scale cyclicity in order to explain the sequence stratigraphic evolution of the carbonate succession. In this study, a 27.01 m thick stratigraphic section consisting of limestones and shales was measured and 89 samples, collected along this section, were analyzed. Micropaleontological analyses are based on benthic foraminifera. According to the benthic foraminiferal assemblages, two biozones were identified as Zone Ut1 and Zone Ut2 within the Upper Tournaisian. Zone Ut1 is characterized by a poor foraminiferal assemblage while the Zone Ut2 consists of a diverse Upper Tournaisian foraminiferal fauna. In order to construct a sequence stratigraphic framework and appreciate depositional environmental changes, microfacies studies were carried out. Seven microfacies types were recognized and depending on the stacking patterns of these microfacies types, two fundamental types of cycles, A and B, were identified. Through the measured section, twenty-five shallowing-upward meter scale cycles and two sequence boundaries were determined. Quantitative analysis of benthic foraminifera was used to demonstrate the biological response to cyclicity. Since foraminifers are very sensitive to sea level changes, the abundance of benthic foraminifera displays a good response to sedimentary cyclicity. In order to apply a worldwide sequence stratigraphic correlation, the sequence boundaries and the meter scale cycles of this study were compared with those described in South China and Western European platform and the Moscow Syneclise. An Early Tournaisian transgression was followed by a major fall in relative sea level during the Late Tournaisian. Two sequence boundaries recognized in the measured section correspond to global sea level falls in the Late Tournaisian.

This study aims to enlighten microfacies evolution and micropaleontological properties of the Tournaisian &amp / #8211 / Visean boundary in Aladag Unit (Central Taurides, Turkey). Two sections comprising dark shale and dark limestone alternations, including a fairly dolomitized part towards their top are measured. The microfacies analysis suggests a subtidal depositional environment. Foraminiferal assemblages were distinguished at Section AP and biozonation was documented. The biozonation separates the measured section into three zones, described as A, B and C. Zone A is scarce foraminifera fauna, and mainly contains Earlandia sp. Zone B is defined by appearance of a diversified foraminifera fauna and the first appearance of Lugtonia monilis (Malakhova, 1955) with Eoparastaffella sp. (morphotype 1). Zone C is defined according to the first appearance of Eoparastaffella simplex (Vdovenko, 1964) (morphotype 2) and foraminifers Laxaendothyra ex. gr. laxa. Tournaisian &amp / #8211 / Visean boundary is defined at the 60th sample, due to appearance of Eoparastaffella simplex (Vdovenko, 1964) (morphotype 2). Seven microfacies types in section AP, and six microfacies types in section PA are identified and, the intensely sampled part of the measured section AP is separated into 13 shallowing upward meter-scale cycles. These cycles, showing subtidal character are detected by both repetitions of microfacies and changes in abundance of foraminifers. A contrasting evaluation of the Tournaisian &amp / #8211 / Visean boundary of Taurides with Guangxi, South China and Dinant, Belgium is presented. The Chinese stratotype contains a diverse, more complete fauna of Tournaisian - Visean foraminifera, while the Belgium and Turkish sections are scarcer and most probably facies controlled.

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