The Carnian Humid Episode of the late Triassic: a review

From 1989 to 1994 a series of papers outlined evidence for a brief episode of climate change from arid to humid, and then back to arid, during the Carnian Stage of the late Triassic Epoch. This time of climate change was compared to marine and terrestrial biotic changes, mainly extinction and then radiation of flora and fauna. Subsequently termed, albeit incorrectly, the Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE) by successive authors, interest in this episode of climatic change has increased steadily, with new evidence being published as well as several challenges to the theory. The exact nature of this humid episode, whether reflecting widespread precipitation or more local effects, as well as its ultimate cause, remains equivocal. Bed-by-bed sampling of the Carnian in the Southern Alps (Dolomites) shows the episode began with a negative carbon isotope excursion that lasted for only part of one ammonoid zone (A. austriacum). However, that the Carnian Humid Episode represents a significantly longer period, both environmentally and biotically, is irrefutable. The evidence is strongest in the European, Middle Eastern, Himalayan, North American and Japanese successions, but not always so clear in South America, Antarctica and Australia. The eruption of the Wrangellia Large Igneous Province and global warming (causing increased evaporation in the Tethyan and Panthalassic oceans) are suggested as causes for the humid episode

Impact of the environmental stress on the Late Permian palynoflora from Poland

Analizując materiał pochodzący z utworów cechsztynu Polski, zaobserwowano pojawienie się zmienionych morfologicznie ziaren pyłku z gatunku Lueckisporites virkkiae Potonié et Klaus, stanowiącego główny składnik późnopermskich zespołów mikroflorystycznych. Zmiany te już wcześniej odnotował Visscher w zachodniej Europie (1971, 1972), nazywając zmienione formy normami. Dotyczyły one zwiększenia lub redukcji liczby worków powietrznych, zmiany ich kształtu i wielkości, pogrubienia egzyny ciałka centralnego i zagęszczenia jej struktury. Przyczyną powstania zmienionych form najprawdopodobniej był stres środowiskowy wywołany katastroficznymi zmianami klimatu w późnym permie, będącymi następstwem wzmożonej działalności wulkanicznej (Foster, Afonin, 2005).The abnormal pollen grains of the Lueckisporites virkkiae Potonié et Klaus species were recorded in the Late Permian microfloristic assemblages from Poland. These morphologically mutated miospores were already described by Visscher in the Permian succession of Western Europe and became interpreted as evolutional forms called norms (1971, 1972). The most probable reason of such aberration was the environmental stress accompanied the catastrophic climatic changes in the Late Permian resulted from the high volcanic activity (Foster, Afonin, 2005)

Palynostratigraphy, palaeoecology and palaeoclimate of the late Permian and Triassic of the Nida Basin

Praca stanowi pierwsze kompleksowe opracowanie biostratygrafii utworów permu górnego i triasu niecki Nidy. Wyróżniono dziesięć poziomów palinologicznych. Wyniki badań mikroflorystycznych potwierdziły problematyczną dotychczas obecność utworów późnego anizyku i wczesnego ladynu. Pozwoliły także na sprecyzowanie granic między indem i olenkiem oraz norykiem i retykiem. Wyniki zastosowanych w badaniach palinologicznych analiz paleośrodowiskowej i paleoklimatycznej wykazały dominację form sucholubnych w zespołach miosporowych. Wskazują również na przewagę klimatu suchego w późnym permie i triasie na badanym obszarze. Zwiększoną ilość mikroflory wilgotnolubnej obserwuje się w olenku, ladynie, noryku i retyku. Przeważająca w późnym permie i triasie kontynentalna sedymentacja w środowiskach rzecznych, jeziornych, playi i sebki była przerywana przez transgresje morskie, które miały miejsce w późnym wuchiapingu, wczesnym indzie, anizyku i ladynie.Ten miospore zones are identified in the Upper Permian and Triassic succession of the Nida Basin. This is the first complete biostratigraphical study of these sediments. The palynological investigation confirmed the presence of the late Anisian and early Ladinian. In addition, they allowed determining more precisely the boundaries between Induan and Olenekian as well as Norian and Rhaetian. Xeromorphic elements dominate the Upper Permian and Triassic palynomorph spectra from the Nida Basin and reflect a mainly dry palaeoclimate. Significant numbers of hygromorphic elements indicating temporarily humid phases, occur in the Olenekian, Ladinian, Norian and Rhaetian. Continental sedimentation in fluvial, lacustrine, coastal, playa and sabkha environments prevailed during most of the Late Permian and Triassic but was interrupted by marine transgressions in the late Wuchiapingian, early Induan, Anisian as well as Ladinian

A record of climatic changes in the Triassic palynological spectra from Poland

Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of the Triassic miospores assemblages from different regions of Poland climatic changes have been documented. Analyzed material came from the published and archival works of Orłowska-Zwolińska and author and comprised ten palynological zones distinguished in the Triassic of Poland. Two different palynological methods were applied in this study – PPC model and SEG model – to obtain palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmetal data. Xerophytic elements (spores and pollen grains of xerophytic plants), reflecting mainly dry climate conditions, dominated in the palynomorph spectra of the Triassic deposits from Poland. Significant numbers of hygrophytic elements indicating temporary more humid phases occurred in the late Olenekian, Ladinian, the middle Carnian, late Norian and the Rhaetian

Biostratigraphy of the Emsian to Eifelian in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

The paper give a biostratigraphic interpretation of the Emsian to Eifelian in the Łysogóry and Kielce regions of the Holy Cross Mountains, based on the different groups of microfossils: miospores, conodonts, ostracods and foraminifers. Four miospore zones were identified in the uppermost Pragian, Emsian and lowermost Eifelian: Verrucosisporites polygonalis-Dibolisporites wetteldorfensis (PW), Emphanisporites annulatus-Brochotriletes bellatulus (AB), Emphanisporites foveolatus-Verruciretusispora dubia (FD) and Acinosporites apiculatus-Grandispora protea (AP). In the Łysogóry region, the Emsian and lowermost Eifelian comprises four cono-dont zones: serotinus,patulus,partitus and costatus, three ostracod assemblages and several foraminifer assemblages. In the Kielce region, deposits from the Emsian/Eifelian boundary interval yield conodonts from the patulus and partitus zones, two ostracod assemblages and assemblages of agglutinated foraminifers. The joint biostratigraphic analysis allows a tentative correlation of the lithostratigraphic units from both areas. It also provides independent control/calibration on the different biostratigraphical systems. The Pragian/Emsian boundary is located in the lower part of the Barcza Formation and in the lower part of the Haliszka Formation, whereas the Emsian/Eifelian boundary lies in the upper part of the Grzegorzowice Formation and in the upper part of the Winna Formation

Age of the Lower Devonian tuffite horizon from Barcza (Holy Cross Mountains, S Poland)

Results of palynological studies of the Lower Devonian siliciclastic deposits of the Barcza Beds (Upper Pragian-Lower Emsian) from two abandoned quarries at Barcza in the Holy Cross Mts. is presented. Based on miospores, the biostratigraphic position of the tuffite horizon from the Barcza profile was defined as the early Emsian AB (annulatus-bellatulus) palynological Zone

Building stones in architecture of the church and monastery complex on the Karczówka Hill in Kielce (Holy Cross Mts., south-central Poland)

The baroque church and monastery from the 17/18th century, located atop the picturesque Karczówka Hill in SW Kielce (capital of the Holy Cross Mts. region), document a variety of local building stones dominating in architecture of that place by the middle of the 20th century. They were used here also in renovation and modernization works in the 21th century. The high altar and portal of decorative Bolechowice limestones (Upper Devonian) incrusted with Zelejowa ’rose-like’calcite (Upper Permian-Lower Triassic) was built in the early flourishing period of application of these stones. They also include portals made of Kunów sandstones and Szydłowiec sandstones (Lower Jurassic), as well as doorframes, stairs, balustrades and daises composed of Doły Biskupie sandstones and Wąchock sandstones (Lower Triassic) showing high resistance to weathering processes. They were also used in various minor stone details (figures, stoups, candleholders, inscription tables). Stone-floors composed of local stones and Sudetic marbles document reconstruction works in the second half of the 20 century

Paleosols in the sedimentary record of the Siod³a Formation in the Holy Cross Mountains (Upper Permian–Lower Triassic)

The uppermost Permian in the NWHoly Cross Mountains is represented by red mudstones with sandstone and conglomerate interbeds, forming the PZt cyclothem (dated by miospores of the Lueckisporites virkkiae Bc Zone), which grade upwards into the Siodta Formation. This succession is overlain by sandstones and mudstones of the Jaworzna Formation yielding the lowermost Triassic spore-pollen assemblage of the Lundbladispora obsoleta- Protohaploxypinus pantii Zone. Mudstones of the Siodta Formation reveal mottling structure with numerous root traces, rhizobreciation, as well as nodular and bedded calcretes. The root -Mader structures are represented by calcite tubules and root moulds, the latter filled with dark red calcareous mudstones. The presence of root traces in the Siodta Formation clearly indicates an increase of substrate moisture in contrast to the underlying PZt cyclothem. The mottled red mudstones were deposited in the playa-lacustrine depositional system and lost their primary structure due to rooting and other pedogenic processes. Carbonate nodules and thin indurated calcretes are related to periods of lower sediment accumulation rate or even non-deposition periods favouring development of continental carbonates. A relatively rapid switch to the alluvial depositional system represented by the Jaworzna Formation appears to be coeval to the increased sediment flux in terrestrial setting, postulated by Newell et al. (2010) at the Permo-Triassic boundary, driven by a devegetation event of upland catchments

Valorization of geosites in the projected Łysogóry Geopark in the Holy Cross Mountains

The paper presents results of valorization of geosites in the Łysogóry Region of the Holy Cross Mountains, which warrant creation of the Łysogóry Geopark. Numerous geosites of different Paleozoic rocks offer a great educational potential, combining many fields of knowledge, such as geology, geomorphology, paleontology, paleoecology, ancient metallurgy industry and historical monuments. Geodiveristy makes this area very attractive for geotourism