The Non-Marine Cretaceous Stratigraphy in Ne China and Its Correlation with Marine Cretaceous

Marine-non-marine stratigraphic correlation constitutes a key bottleneck in deep-time Earth system science. Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs, commonly referred to as “golden spikes”) are predominantly defined in marine strata, which leaves terrestrial sequences lacking high-precision correlation benchmarks for direct integration into the global marine stratigraphic framework. The non-marine Cretaceous strata in Northeast (NE) China provide an ideal study interval to address this challenge, particularly focusing on three critical stage boundaries (Barremian/Aptian, Cenomanian/Turonian, and Santonian/Campanian) and their corresponding marine-non-marine correlation. The northern Hebei and western Liaoning regions preserve well-exposed Lower Cretaceous strata, while the Songliao Basin boasts well-preserved Middle-Upper Cretaceous strata. A high-resolution comprehensive non-marine stratigraphic framework has been established for the northern Hebei, western Liaoning, and Songliao Basin areas, along with a robust correlation system for the non-marine Cretaceous in this region, as well as its correlation with marine strata. This study is expected to provide a reproducible paradigm for global marine-non-marine stratigraphic correlation and establish a precise temporal framework for understanding Cretaceous Earth system evolution.