The late Maastrichtian to early Danian at Mishor Rotem, Israel, was
examined based on geochemistry, bulk rock and clay mineralogies,
biostratigraphy and lithology. This section contains four red clay
layers of suspect impact or volcanic origin interbedded in chalk and
marly chalks. PGE anomalies indicate that only the K/T boundary red
layer has an Ir dominated PGE anomaly indicative of an impact source.
The late Maastrichtian red clays have Pd dominated PGE anomalies which
coincide with increased trace elements of terrigenous and volcanogenic
origins. Deccan or Syrian-Turkey arc volcanism is the likely source of
volcanism in these clay layers. Glauconite, goethite and translucent
amber spherules are present in the clay layers, but the Si-rich
spherules reported by Rosenfeld et al. [1989] could not be confirmed.
The absence of Cheto smectite indicates that no altered impact glass has
been present. The red layers represent condensed sedimentation on
topographic highs during sea level highstands. In the Negev area, during
the late Maastrichtian, the climate ranged from seasonally wet to more
arid conditions during zones CF3 and CF2, with more humid wet conditions
in the latest Maastrichtian zone CF1 and in the early Danian, probably
linked to greenhouse conditions. Planktic foraminifera experienced
relatively high stress conditions during this time as indicated by the
low species richness and low abundance of globotruncanids. Times of
intensified stress are indicated by the disaster opportunist
Guembelitria blooms, which can be correlated to central Egypt and also
to Indian Ocean localities associated with mantle plume volcanism.
Marine plankton thus support the mineralogical and geochemical
observations of volcanic influx and reveal the detrimental biotic
effects of intense volcanism.