Upper Devonian microfauna (conodonts, foraminifera) and environments in northwestern Algerian Sahara

Une étude des faunes de conodontes du Dévonien supérieur (Frasnien) a été réalisée sur deux coupes algériennes de la plate-forme occidentale du Sahara, Marhouma sud (bassin de l'Ougarta) et Ben Zireg (bassin de Béchar). Dans la coupe de Marhouma le Frasnien apparaît complet, tandis qu'une lacune du Frasnien inférieur est enregistrée à Ben Zireg. La limite entre les étages Frasnien et Famennien a été précisément localisée.Les corrélations entre ces coupes montrent une forte condensation des dépôts au Frasnien moyen à Ben Zireg, alors qu'au même moment d'épaisses séries argilo-carbonatées s'accumulent dans l'Ougarta. Au cours du Frasnien supérieur un changement de la structuration des bassins est constaté avec l'homogénéisation du taux d'accumulation dans les deux secteurs.Afin de reconstituer les environnements de dépôt du Frasnien, nous avons mené une étude multidisciplinaire basée sur la sédimentologie des faciès, la susceptibilité magnétique, les biofaciès à conodontes et les morphogroupes de foraminifères agglutinés. La combinaison de ces outils révèle qu'au cours du Frasnien, la plate-forme saharienne algérienne était assimilable à un domaine de rampe externe, carbonatée, de faible pente, avec des zones proximales dominées essentiellement par des communautés pélagiques, passant à des zones distales dominées par des faciès boueux et nodulaires à rares faunes. L'essentiel des dépôts était situé sous/ ou en limite de/ l'action des vagues de tempêtes.La coupe de Marhouma représente une coupe de référence pour l'étude des dépôts anoxiques du Frasnien. Certains de ces niveaux ont pu être rapportés à des événements anoxiques globaux tels que le Middlesex et le Rhinestreet, datés du Frasnien moyen, et le Kellwasser supérieur dans le Frasnien supérieur. Pour la coupe de Ben Zireg, seul le facies relatif aux Kellwasser inférieur et supérieur a été identifié.L'évolution temporelle de ces différents paramètres a permis également de proposer une courbe de variations du niveau marin pour la partie nord du Gondwana. À long terme, le Frasnien est caractérisé par une tendance transgressive entrecoupée de tendances régressives mineures. La fin du Frasnien est marquée une régression majeure lors de l'événement Kellwasser, avant la transgression du Famennien inférieur.A study of the conodont faunas from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) has been realised in two sections located on the Algerian Sahara platform: south Mahrouma (Ougarta basin) and Ben Zireg (Bechar Basin). At Mahrouma, the Frasnian seems to be complete, but the lower Frasnian is absent in Ben Zireg. The boundary between the Frasnian and the Famennian has been precisely located.The correlations between the two sections show a strong condensation of deposits during the middle Frasnian in Ben Zireg, whereas thick series of argilites and carbonates accumulated in the Ougarta basin. During the Upper Frasnian a change in dynamic basin structure is observed when accumulation rates become homogeneous in the two areas.In order to reconstitute Frasnian depositional environments, a multidisciplinary study based on sedimentology of the facies, magnetic susceptibility, conodont biofacies and morphogroup analysis of agglutinated foraminifera has been undertaken. The combination of these tools indicates that during the Frasnian, the algerian platform took part of a slightly inclined outer carbonated ramp domain. The proximal areas were essentially dominated by pelagic communities, the distal areas being dominated by muddy and nodular facies with rare faunas. The major part of the deposits was located under or at the limit of tempest wave action.The Mahrouma section represents a reference for investigations on Frasnian anoxic deposits. Some of its levels could have been related to global anoxic events such as the Middlesex and the Rhinestreet that are dated Middle Frasnian, as well as the Upper Kellwasser at the top of the Frasnian. In the Ben Zireg section, only the facies related to both the Lower and Upper Kellwasser events were identified.The temporal evolution of these different proxies allows in addition to propose a sea-level curve for the northern part of Gondwana. In the long term, the Frasnian is characterized by a transgressive trend interrupted by intermittent minor regressive trends. The end of the Frasnian is marked by a major regression during the Upper Kellwasser event, just before the Lower Famennian transgression

Late Devonian conodonts and event stratigraphy in northwestern Algerian Sahara

International audienceConodonts recovered from the Late Devonian South Marhouma section comprise 5 genera with 31 species (3 undetermined). The fauna establishes the presence of MN Zones 5, undifferentiated 6/7, 8/10 for the Middle Frasnian, the MN Zones 11, 12, 13 for the Upper Frasnian as well as the Early through Late triangularis Zones in the basal Famennian. The outcropping lithological succession is one of mostly nodular calcilutites alternating with numerous marly and shaly deposits, which, in the lower and upper part, comprise several dysoxic dark shale intervals. Among these the Upper Kellwasser horizon can be precisely dated and as such the presence of the terminal Frasnian Kellwasser Event is recognized for the first time in Algeria. Both the Middlesex and Rhinestreet Events cannot yet be precisely located, but supposedly occur among the dark shale horizons in the lower part of the section. However, their assignment to a precise level has so far not been established. Though poor in conodont abundance the South Marhouma section provides first evidence of the presence of several Montagne Noire conodont zones within the so far widely unstudied Frasnian of the Ougarta Chain. As such it is considered representative for the northwestern Algerian Saoura region

New Late Devonian phacopid trilobites from Marhouma, SW Algerian Sahara

International audienceLate Devonian phacopid trilobites of the SW Algerian Sahara are recognised as being the most diversified in cratonic North Gondwana. The first trilobites in the Frasnian of Algeria were discovered in the Marhouma S section near Beni Abbes: the new genus Chlupacops with two species Ch. laticeps gen. et sp. nov. and Ch. aff. cryphoides (Richter&Richter) are described from the uppermost part of the Cheffar el Ahmar Formation of mid-Frasnian age. The latter taxon is compared with the type material of Ch. cryphoides (Richter&Richter) from Sessacker (Rhenish Slate Mts). New occurrences of lower Famennian phacopids in the “Argiles de Marhouma” Formation comprise the new genus Enigmapyge with its type species E. marhoumensis gen. et sp. nov., two species of Trimerocephalus: T. mahboubii sp. nov. and T. caecus (Gürich), two species of Trifoliops: Tr. cronierae sp. nov. and Tr. trifolius (Osmólska). In the middle Famennian, pygidia of Dianops cf. algeriensis Crônier were discovered. With the exception of the latter all taxa of the Marhouma S section can be assigned to conodont zones. The Algerian Late Devonian phacopids comprise predominantly blind or reduced-eyed taxa of basinal offshore environment. They are closely related to contemporaneous occurrences on the epicontinental margins of Laurussia as well as in Gondwana derived terranes and as such bear witness of the absence of oceanic barriers

Frasnian (Upper Devonian) integrated facies analysis, magnetic susceptibility and sea-level fluctuations in the NW Algerian Sahara

International audienceChanges in the palaeoenvironment are investigated in two representative Frasnian sections of the NW Algerian Sahara, integrating sedimentology and magnetic susceptibility (MS). The Ben Zireg section is characterized by condensed and ferruginous calcareous deposits; in the South Marhouma section the sedimentation rate is high, dominated by muddy nodular limestones with several hypoxic shale intervals. In both sections, sediments were mostly emplaced on pelagic outer ramps below the limit of storm wave-base, evolving through time from proximal to distal setting. Investigations of the temporal evolution of facies and MS data permit a first estimate of the local sea-level trends in NW Algeria. These trends match the overall long-term rise of sea level recognized worldwide from Frasnian Zone 5 upwards. Noteable positive excursions of the sea-level curve related to the semichatovae transgression, as well as to the late Frasnian transgression prior to the late Kellwasser event, can be established in this area. Although the sharp regression of sea level at the upper Kellwasser level can be confirmed from our data, no particular trend is depicted at the transition of conodont zones (Frasnian Zones 12–13) where the presence of the lower Kellwasser level has not yet been clearly recognized

Frasnian (Late Devonian) conodonts and environment at the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara platform: the Ben Zireg section

International audienceThe Ben Zireg anticline NW of Bechar yields the currently most-important Frasnian succession on the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara. It represents 26.5 m of calcilutites which are attributed to the middle–late Frasnian. As the early Frasnian is not represented, the succession rests conformably on undifferentiated, probably late Givetian, substrate. Fine-scaled conodont biostratigraphy reveals a continuous sequence of Montagne Noire Zones 5–13, superseded by the earliest Famennian Lower triangularis Zone. The deposits are organized into 15 sedimentary cycles that are initially condensed and become dilated upwards. Conodont biofacies indicate an overall deepening towards the top of the section with an episode of slight shallowing at the MN11/12 transition marked by an increase of ancyrodellids, which is also seen in the Marhouma section of the Ougarta region (SW Algeria). Homogeneous calcareous microfacies with only a few shaly intercalations determine a predominantly oxygenated depositional environment on an outer platform, submarine rise or ramp setting. This is also indicated by relatively low sedimentation rates which are similar in selected sections from the Tafilalt platform, and contrast with those from the Marhouma trough and the Maider basin. Unlike other Frasnian successions south of the Atlas Fault, but similar to the Moroccan Meseta, the Upper Kellwasser horizon is clearly discriminated at Ben Zireg by an outstanding occurrence of black shales on top of the oxygenated latest Frasnian deposits