[[Turonian]] and [[Coniacian]] rockss are not common across most of the nonvolcanic area (80 Ma; [[:file:St58OverviewFG30.JPG|Figure 10]]). They are present to the north in the Cayo Coco area, to the south in the Seibabo area in central Cuba, and in a few units of the southern and northern Rosario belts in western Cuba. The [[strata]] above and below the missing interval all have deep-water characteristics, and no evidence of subaerial [[erosion]] exists to explain the lack of the Turonian and Coniacian sediments across such a large area. Either there was no deposition, or the section was eroded because of changes in current patterns or [[submarine slide]]s. Local erosion is unlikely because a [[hiatus]] of the same age has been found in many of the holes drilled by the [http://www.deepseadrilling.org/ Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)] in the southern Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. Toward the north, in the platform to deep-water province, whatever sediments remain show that sedimentation continued under [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pelagic pelagic] conditions and was essentially calcareous, with subordinate [[chert]]s. | [[Turonian]] and [[Coniacian]] rockss are not common across most of the nonvolcanic area (80 Ma; [[:file:St58OverviewFG30.JPG|Figure 10]]). They are present to the north in the Cayo Coco area, to the south in the Seibabo area in central Cuba, and in a few units of the southern and northern Rosario belts in western Cuba. The [[strata]] above and below the missing interval all have deep-water characteristics, and no evidence of subaerial [[erosion]] exists to explain the lack of the Turonian and Coniacian sediments across such a large area. Either there was no deposition, or the section was eroded because of changes in current patterns or [[submarine slide]]s. Local erosion is unlikely because a [[hiatus]] of the same age has been found in many of the holes drilled by the [http://www.deepseadrilling.org/ Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)] in the southern Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. Toward the north, in the platform to deep-water province, whatever sediments remain show that sedimentation continued under [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pelagic pelagic] conditions and was essentially calcareous, with subordinate [[chert]]s. |