The project focuses on the spatial and temporal distribution of Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) in the Romanian Carpathians and their correlation with similar-aged successions containing OAEs in the Tethys Domain. To realize this project, representative successions covering the Baremian-Turonian interval in the Romanian Carpathians will be investigated. The main objective is to identify EAO1a (at the Barremian-Aptian boundary) and EAO2 (at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary). The successions will also be investigated to identify the existence of oceanic anoxic sub-events, EAO1b, EAO1c and EAO1d, distributed in the Aptian-Albian interval. To realize this project, field investigations will be carried out in order to select representative successions and their lithologic/sedimentologic description. The successions will be thoroughly sampled and analyzed from the chemostratigraphic (d13C and d18O isotopes), micropalaeontologic, mineralogic point of view and in terms of paleomagnetism. These studies will highlight the spatial distribution of EOA in the Romanian Carpathians. In order to analyze the temporal distribution, cyclostratigraphic analyses will be carried out, allowing thus the highlight of the temporal distribution of the EOA in the Eastern and Southern Carpathians. The final objective of this project is to correlate the Oceanic Anoxic Events identified in the Romanian Carpathians with those in other regions of the Tethys Domain (in particular the Carpathian and Alpine areas).

PHASE 1 (04.01.2021 – 22.12.2021) – Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Middle Cretaceous Anoxic Oceanic Events in the Eastern Carpathians: carrying out a synthesis of the previous studies describing anoxic events in the Middle Cretaceous of the Eastern Carpathian Middle Cretaceous in order to select the working areas; identifying the representative sections of the Middle Cretaceous of the Eastern Carpathians, positioning and description of these sections; laboratory analysis of the geochemical, mineralogical, petrographical, sedimentological and micropalaeontological (calcareous nannofossils) samples collected from the Eastern Carpathians; interpretation of the obtained data and initiation of a database containing all the data obtained in the first year of this project for the studied sections in the Eastern Carpathians.

PHASE 2 (23.12.2021 – 28.12.2022) – Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Mid-Cretaceous Anoxic Oceanic Events in the Southern Carpathians:
analysis of published and in house papers on global anoxic events of the Middle Cretaceous of the Southern Carpathians to select the working areas; identification of the representative sections of the Middle Cretaceous of the Southern Carpathians, positioning and description of these sections; laboratory analysis of the samples collected from the Southern Carpathians; interpretation of the obtained data and completion of the database with all the data obtained in the second year of this project for the studied sections in the Southern Carpathians.

PHASE 3 (29.12.2022 – 28.12.2023) – Correlation of Global Anoxic Events in the Middle Cretaceous of Romania with other Tethysian areas:spatial and temporal analysis of the various global oceanic anoxic anoxic events and sub-events in the Romanian Carpathians identified in this project and comparisons with other Tethysian areas; results dissemination.