Jurassic paleogeography of the Pieniny and Outer Carpathian basins

The Jurassic history of the Pieniny/Outer Carpathian basins reflects the evolution of the Circum-Tethyan area, especially its Alpine Tethys part. The Alpine Tethys that is Ligurian, Penninic Oceans and Pieniny/Magura Basin constitute the extension of the Central Atlantic system. The synrift stage lasted in the Pieniny/Magura Basin from late Early Jurassic to Tithonian (the Magura Unit constitutes the southernmost part of the Outer Flysch Carpathians). The Pieniny rift opened during Pliensbachian - Aalenian. The central Atlantic and Alpine Tethys went into a drifting stage during the Middle Jurassic. The Late Jurassic (Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian) history of the Pieniny/Magura Basin reflects strongest facial differentiation within sedimentary basin where mixed siliceous-carbonate sedimentation took place. Greatest deepening effect is indicated by widespread Oxfordian radiolarites, which occur in the all basinal successions, whereas the shallowest zone is completely devoid of siliceous intercalations at that time (sedimentation from Ammonitico Rosso facies up to coral reef limestone). The southern part of the North European Platform, north from the Pieniny/Magura realm, started to be rifted during Late Jurassic time and Silesian Basin in the Outer Western Carpathians and Sinaia Basin in the Eastern Carpathians, with black, mainly redeposited marls have been created. The outer sub-basins were differentiated during the latest (Hauterivian-Barremian) phase of basinal development. The connection of Silesian Basin with Sinaia and Southern Carpathian Severin areas suggests the NW-SE direction of the basinal axis while the orientation of the Pieniny Klippen Belt/Magura Basin was SW-NE so, two Outer Carpathian perpendicular directions are possible within the basins. Major reorganization happened during the Tithonian-Berriasian time. It was reflected by both paleoceanographical and paleoclimatical changes. The Neo-Cimmerian tectonic events as well as main phase of the Outer Carpathian basins opening is connected with this reorganization

Upwelling regime in the Carpathian Tethys : a Jurassic-Cretaceous palaeogeographic and paleoclimatic perspective

Jurassic and Cretaceous global palaeogeographic reconstructions show a changing configuration of mountains, land, shallow seas and deep ocean basins, and these are used as input for paleoclimatic modelling. We have generated Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian, Tithonian-Berriasian and Barremian-Hauterivian paleoclimatic maps, showing air pressure, wind directions, humidity zones and areas favourable to upwelling conditions, modelled by the PALEOCLIMATE program and plotted on the palaeogeographic background. Paleoclimate modelling suggests that prevailing Jurassic-Cretaceous winds in the northern Tethys area came from south-south-west, and may have been parallel to the Czorsztyn Ridge, uplifted as a result of extension during the Jurassic supercontinental breakup. Upwelling may have been induced at the southeastern margin of the ridge. The model is consistent with the rock records within the earliest Cretaceous deposits. The presence of phosphates and a palaeoenvironmental analysis of benthic fauna support the upwelling model

An olistolith interpretation for the Paleocene Szydłowiec sandstones in the stratotype area (Outer Carpathians, Poland)

The thick-bedded complex of the Szydłowiec sandstones belongs to the lithological succession of the Subsilesian sedimentary area in the Polish Outer Carpathians. These sandstones contain abundant carbonate biogenic fragments, redeposited from shallower parts of the basin. Their Paleocene age is documented by autochthonous assemblages of agglutinated foraminifera as well as by the microflora occurring within the limestone clasts. The Szydłowiec sandstones in its type locality (locus typicus) at Szydłowiec in the vicinity of Wadowice forms, together with the Gorzeń sandstones, an isolated block surrounded by deformed flysch of the Oligocene-Miocene Krosno Formation, and contains shale clasts of older deposits. According to our results this block represents an olistolith which slided into the Skole part of the Menilite-Krosno basin during the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene deformational phase linked to the development of the Carpathian accretionary prism

Geodynamic evolution of the orogen : the West Carpathian and Ouachitas case study

Twelve time interval maps have been presented which depict the plate tectonic configuration, paleogeography and lithofacies for the circum-arpathian area from the Late Carboniferous through Neogene and for the circum-Ouachita region from Late Cambrian through Early Permian. The following geodynamic evolutionary stages can be distinguished in these two orogens: Stage I - rifting of terranes off the major continent, forming oceanic basins (Triassic-Early Cretaceous in the Carpathian region, Cambrian-Devonian in the Ouachita region); Stage II - formation of subduction zones along the active margin, partial closing of oceanic basin, development of deep-water flysch basin associate with this rifting on the platform (passive margin) with the attenuated continental crust (Late Cretaceous-Paleocene in the Carpathian region, Early Carboniferous in the Ouachitas); Stage III - collision, perhaps terrane-continent, with the accompanying conver- gence of two large continents, development of accretionary prisms, Eocene-Early Miocene time in the Carpathian region, Late Carboniferous in the Ouachitas; and Stage IV - postcollisional, (Miocene-Present-future? in the Carpathians, Permian-Triassic in the Ouachitas). Both, Carpathians and Ouachitas are accretionary prisms formed in response to terrane-continent and continent-continent collision. The paleogeographic approach we have taken shows how these mountain belts were constructed through the orogenic cycle, which reflects complex plate tectonic processes. Carpathians and Ouachitas record complete and homologous Wilson cycle

Geological history of the Pieniny Klippen Belt and Middle Jurassic black shales as one of the oldest deposits of this region – stratigraphical position and palaeoenvironmental significance

The main aim of this paper is presentation both general history of the Pieniny Klippen Belt and two famous sites in this region: Dunajec River Gorge and Homole Gorge. According to such general introduction the authors explain also palaeogeographical position of the Pieniny Klippen Belt Basin within Mesozoic Tethyan Ocean, and especially stratigraphical position and palaeoenvironmental conditions of Middle Jurassic black shales and their significance in geodynamic reconstruction of this basin. Both the Dunajec River Gorge, one of the most popular geotouristic object within Pieniny Mts, and Homole Gorge, one of the best place to geological study of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, are most attractive natural phenomena of this geological region.//Głównym celem niniejszej pracy jest prezentacja zarówno generalnej historii pienińskiego pasa skałkowego jak i dwóch słynnych miejsc tego regionu: przełomu Dunajca i wąwozu Homole. W nawiązaniu do takiego generalnego wprowadzenia autorzy przedstawiają również paleogeograficzną pozycję basenu pienińskiego pasa skałkowego w obrębie mezozoicznego oceanu Tetydy, a szczególnie stratygraficzną pozycję i paleośrodowiskowe warunki powstawania środkowojurajskich czarnych łupków oraz ich znaczenie w geodynamicznych rekonstrukcjach tego basenu. Zarówno spływ Dunajcem, jeden z najbardziej popularnych obiektów geoturystycznych w Pieninach, jak i wąwóz Homole, jedno z najlepszych miejsc do studiowania geologii pienińskiej, są najbardziej atrakcyjnymi obiektami przyrodniczymi w tym regionie geologicznym

Paleocene sedimentary record of ridge geodynamics in Outer Carpathian basins (Subsilesian Unit)

The stratigraphic position of the Goryczkowiec Sandstone reflects the Paleocene ridge geodynamics in the Outer Carpathian basins. The Goryczkowiec Sandstone was deposited on the slope of a ridge, known as the Subsilesian Sedimentary Area that originated during reorganization of the Outer Carpathian realm. A Paleocene age of this sand- stone, documented clearly by autochthonous foraminiferal and algal assemblages indicates the time of the final forma- tion of the Subsilesian Ridge. Abundant calcareous material of biogenic origin was transported by turbidity currents into deeper zones. This material includes fragments of carbonate buildups represented by algae, bryozoans and other organisms growing in the shallower part of the ridge. The Goryczkowiec Sandstone, previously known as the Szydłowiec Sandstone, is here redefined as a new lithostratigraphic unit within the Subsilesian Sedimentary Area in the marginal Outer Carpathians in Poland. The new name clarifies the ambivalence in the lithostratigraphic nomenclature

Type locality of the Mutne Sandstone Member of the Jaworzynka Formation, Western Outer Carpathians, Poland

The Mutne Sandstone Member occurs within the Jaworzynka Formation of the Magura Nappe deposits, typical for the western marginal Siary subunit. In the area north of Jeleśnia it is represented by the thick sandstone complex. Typical and complete profile of this division is located in Mutne village next to Jeleśnia, on the slope of Janikowa Grapa Mt. This locality represents the type section for the Mutne Sandstone Member, while three others: Jaworzynka, Rychwałdek and Kuków-Rzyczki serve as reference sections. The age of the Mutne Sandstone Member was determined as Maastrichtian-Palaeocene; but only Maastrichtian is documented by foraminiferal assemblages. The Palaeocene age comes however from the superposition of this lithosom within the Magura Nappe profile. The Campanian/Maastrichtian-Palaeocene complex of Siary Subunit deposits provides the perfect example for application of supersequences to the Western Flysch Carpathian basin. It fits the Upper Zuni IV supersequence and global time slice. The Mutne type locality is also a prime geotourist attraction and object of inanimated nature proposed for protection