Micropaleontological observations on the Lower Cretaceous iron ore-related formations of the Mecsek Mts. (Upper Valanginian–Lower Hauterivian, South Hungary)

The Late Valanginian–Early Hauterivian iron ore deposit and related formations at Zengővárkony (Mecsek Mts., South Hungary) provided a relatively rich microfauna of foraminifera, crustacean microcoprolites, and sponge spicules. Benthic foraminifera are recognized in decreasing abundance: Glomospira cf. gordialis (Jones and Parker 1860), Lenticulina sp., Spirillina sp., Nodosaria sp., Epistomina sp., and Trocholina sp. A Hedbergella sp. indicates the presence of planktonic foraminifera around the ore deposit. Besides this microfauna, sponge spicules (diactine-type criccorhabds and anactine-type rhax forms) are first recorded from this environment. Rock-forming quantities of various ichnospecies of crustacean microcoprolites are recorded. Favreina hexaochetarius, Palaxius tetraochetarius, and Palaxius decaochetarius isp. provided statistically evaluated quantities in thin sections, which point to a complete crustacean ichnofauna from juveniles to adults. Four different microfossil assemblages are recognized from the Apátvarasd Limestone Fm: (a) Glomospira-dominated foraminifer assemblage, (b) diverse crustacean microcoprolite assemblage dominated by Palaxius, (c) monotypic Favreina assemblage, and (d) diverse sponge-dominated assemblage. These assemblages are similar to that of the Recent Aegean Sea hydrothermal field communities. The remains of an undetermined crinoid from dissolved rock sample may indicate a vivid sea-bottom environment

Development and Implementation of an Action Research-Based Blended Learning In-Service Teachers' and Trainers' Course

ISIT ("Implementation Strategies for Innovations in Teachers' Professional Development") builds on a well-evaluated programme for teacher professional development (BaCuLit) with six training modules which all serve the literacy development in the subject area classrooms of secondary schools: Content Area Literacy (CAL). The acronym BaCulLit stands for "Basic Curriculum in Teachers" In-Service Training in Content Area Literacy in Secondary Schools." Within this program an instructional framework for professional development was developed in cooperation with renowned Content Area Literacy-experts and institutions of teacher Professional development from the USA and 7 European countries. This framework consists of 6 modules, closely connecting theory and practice. This programme was translated into 6 national languages (German, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Hungarian), put to the test in 7 teacher training institutes (one of them is Kecskemét College Teacher Training Faculty) for the target group, evaluated (formatively) and eventually edited in an optimized final version. The participants have become qualified as certified BaCuLit trainers through a 3-month blended-learning course and a 1-week international summer school licensing them to offer professional development programmes based on the BaCulLit materials. They commit themselves to document and reflect this "implementation process" of CAL-elements (or entire BaCuLit courses) in their institution by means of a semi-structured research logbook. An action-research approach will provide the methods to be followed

Early Cretaceous foraminifera from atoll environment (Márévár Valley, Mecsek Mountains, Hungary)

This paper presents the microfaunal examination of the Márévár (Eastern Mecsek) occurrence of the Hidasivölgy Marl Formation. The foraminifera-dominated microfauna clearly indicates the type of palaeoenvironment. The foraminiferal assemblage is composed of 35 taxa (frequent genera: Trocholina, Neotrocholina, Lenticulina, Dentalina, Nodosaria, Spirillina). The benthic foraminifera fauna is divided into four (A, B, C, D) morphogroups in relation to microhabitat depth in the sediments. Morphogroup A: epifaunal foraminifera (Neotrocholina, Trocholina, Patellina, Spirillina, Ammodiscus) live in up to 1 cm depth in the sediment. Morphogroup B: shallow infaunal foraminifera (Dentalina, Nodosaria, Pseudonodosaria) live in depth of less than 5 cm. Morphogroup C: shallow to deep infaunal foraminifers (Dorothia, Tritaxia, Reophax) live deeper than 5 cm depth in the sediments. Morphogroup D: epifaunal to deep infaunal foraminifers (lenticulinids) distribute within a wide range of depths in the substrate. The foraminifera assemblage of the Márévár occurrence can be characterized with low diversity and abundance but with significant ratio of morphogroup A (dominance of the trocholinids, neotrocholinids). The results of the microfauna and macrofauna observations indicate normal salinity, warm water, shallow marine environment in lagoon region. In addition, an input of large amount of volcanic material could be reconstructed for the time. Involving these facts into the presently accepted formation model, the Márévár occurrence of the Hidasivölgy Marl represents an outer part of the lagoon in between the basalt volcano and the atoll situated at the rim of the volcanic build-up during the Early Valanginian. Because of repeated volcanic activity, it is most probable that the lagoon filled up and mixture of volcanic material and sediments redeposited into the deeper slope around the volcanic cone

From continental platform towards rifting of the Tisza Unit in the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous

The Upper Triassic-Lower Cretaceous successions of the Transdanubian part of the Mecsek and Villany-Bihor Zones of the Tisza Unit have been studied from the lithological, lithostratigraphical, sedimentological, microfossil and microfacies points of view in order to correlate and interpret the significant differences between them and to draw a conclusion about their geological and paleogeographical history. After an overview of the paleogeographical reconstructions of the broader area, the succession of the Mecsek and Villany-Bihor Zones and the debated Mariakemend-Bar Range are introduced. Until the end of the Middle Triassic the study area acted as an entity. The first fundamental difference between the two zones can be recognized in the Late Triassic when marine carbonates were replaced by thick fluvial siliciclastics in the Mecsek Zone, while it is represented only by small, local lenses with a few and thin dolostone intercalations in the Villany Zone. The Mecsek Zone is bordered southward by one of the large listric faults to the north of which very thick siliciclastics developed in the Early to Middle Jurassic, whereas it is highly lacunose in the larger western part of the Villany-Bihor Zone. The break at the base is subaerial, higher in the succession it is shallow submarine. The sediment is silty, occasionally sandy crinoidal limestone of late Early Jurassic or even Middle Jurassic in age. The Upper Jurassic in the Mecsek Zone is composed of deep-water cherty limestone while in the Villany Zone it became a thick, shallowing pelagic limestone with reworked patch reef fragments. It is clear evidence that the Mecsek Zone had a thinned continental crust thanks to the nearby rift zone while in the Villany Zone the crust remained thick. The actualized version of the Plasienka's paleogeographical model (Plasienka 2000) is introduced

Albian Foraminifera from Vértessomló Vst-8 borehole, Vértes Mountains (Hungary)

The subject of this research is a rich and well-preserved foraminifera fauna of Albian age from Vértessomló Vst-8 borehole of Vértes Foreland (Transdanubian Range, Hungary). A fifty-meter section of the sequence contains a quantity of this diversified microfauna within the ~100 m thick Vértessomló Siltstone excavated by the borehole. The microfauna is dominated by foraminifera. The samples were dissolved in hydrogene peroxide and concentrated acetic acid. The fauna indicates Albian age but most of the species have wide stratigraphical distribution. Tritaxia, Gavelinella, Favusella are the dominant genera. Determination of 40 taxa, their statistical evaluation and their classification into morphogroups are given. The investigated sequence can be divided into three parts according to the ratio of calcareous/agglutinated forms, planktonic/benthic forms, inbenthic/ epibenthic forms and diversity. The lower part of the sequence was deposited in a weakly dysaerobic off-shore marine environment which contains Orbitolina redeposited from the platform of the Környe Limestone. The middle part of the sequence was formed in a planktonic foraminifera-rich (Hedbergella, Favusella), low energy offshore environment with limited amount of nutrient and low/moderate degree of oxygen depletion (dysaerobic environment). On these results the upper part of the sequence can be described as a formation sedimented in a nutrient-rich dysaerobic (moderate degree of oxygen depletion) environment