Palynology of the Permian Succession of Spitsbergen, Svalb Ar D
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Palynology of the Permian succession of Spitsbergen, Svalbar d G. MANGERUD and R. M. KONIECZNY Mangerud, G. & Konieczny, R. M. 1993: Palynology of the Permian succession of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Polar Research I2 (I), 65-93. Palynological investigations of 16 sections from Spitsbergen. Svalbard, covering the uppermost Carbon- iferous, Permian and lowermost Triassic succession have been carried out. Because of general poor preservation and barrenness of the majority of the samples, it was not possible to establish a formal zonation for the Permian succession. The study resulted, however, in the recognition of three Permian palynological assemblages, restricted downwards by a Carboniferous assemblage and upwards by an earliest Triassic (Griesbachian) assemblage. The dating of these assemblages is based on palynological correlation with similar palynofloras elsewhere in the present Arctic region as well as dating by marine faunas, which in general give better stratigraphic resolution. The Permian assemblages recognised include (1) the Viftatina assemblage of late Gzhelian to early Asselian age recorded in the lower parts of the Tyrrellfjellet Member (Nordenskioldbreen Formation), (2) the Hamiapollenites rractiferinus assemblage of late Asselian to Artinskian age recorded in the upper parts of the Tyrrellfjellet Member and in the Gipshuken Formation and (3) the youngest Permian Kraeuselkporites assemblage of late Artinskian to ?earliest Tatarian age recorded in the Kapp Starostin Formation. G. Mangerud and R. M. Konieczny', IKU Petroleum Research, N-7034 Trondheim, Norway Introduction study is based was collected by R. M. Konieczny in 1985 and 1986. Permian lithostratigraphy of Spitsbergen, Sval- The purpose of this paper is to present paly- bard, was described by Cutbill & Challinor nological data and age discussions for the Permian (1965), who also presented data on fusulinid succession of Spitsbergen based on several out- zonation. Several papers concerning various fossil crop sections, mainly from the Isfjorden area groups have been published subsequently, includ- (Fig. 1). Due to few productive samples and the ing Sosipatrova (1967), Ustritskii (1967, 1979), generally poor preservation of the palynomorphs, Czarniecki (1969), Federowski (1967, 1986), no formal zonation has been established on Spits- Szaniawski & Malkowski (1979), Morozova & bergen. From the Barents Shelf, however, well- Kruchinina (1986), Nakamura et al. (1987,1992), preserved assemblages have proven valuable in Nakrem (1991a, b), Sakagami (1992), Ezaki & dating the Permian succession (IKU in-house Kawamura (1992) and Igo & Okimura (1992). data). Except for one paper dealing with the palynology of Nordaustlandet (Mangerud & Konieczny 1991) and one paper giving a general overview of the Geological framework biostratigraphy of the Permian succession of Sval- bard (Nakrem et al. 1992), no work has been On Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard published on the palynology of the Permian in archipelago, Permian rocks are exposed in an this region. area around Isfjorden, along the Tertiary fold- For several years IKU Petroleum Research car- belt on the western coast and in the Lomfjord ried out work in Svalbard through the IKU Arctic area on the north-eastern coast (Fig. 1). The Geoprogram. The disciplines involved included Carboniferous and Permian lithostratigraphy sedimentology, organic geochemistry and published by Cutbill & Challinor (1965) divides paleontology. The material on which the present the Permian into three formations in the study area (Fig. 2): The Nordenskioldbreen Formation * Present address: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (Middle Carboniferous to Lower Permian), the (NIVA), P.O. Box 69 Korsvoll, N-0808 Oslo 8, Norway. Gipshuken Formation (Lower Permian), and the 66 G. Mangerud and R. M. Konieczny E km 50 ‘\U,b &S@rkapp0ya a ;AMPLE LOCALITIES STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS . Kolosseum 10. Rejrnyrefjellet !. Trollfuglfjella 11. Sveltihel A. Ssrkapp-Hornsund High 1. Bertilryggen 12. Stenriofjellet 8. Central Trough 1. Kapp Warn 13. Festningen C. Nordfjorden High i. Kapp Wijk 14. Aksel0ya D. Billefjorden Trough i. Skansen 15. Reinodden E - F. Stable Platform Area 1. H@pkulefjellet 16. Treskelen a - f. Fault Zones I. Gipsvika =Carboniferous - Permian B. Sindballefjellet deposits Fig. 1. Regional map of the central part of the Svalbard archipelago showing Carboniferous-Permian outcrops and sample localities. Base map from Steel & Worsley (1984). Palynology of the Permian succession of Spitsbergen, Svalbard 67 Palynological :pochI Stage UNITS, SPITSBERGEN assemblages discussed VARDEBUKTA OELTADALEN Densmwk Griesbachian FORMATION MEMBER nelburpr, Changxingian .g (Dorashamian) !? 'C5 'j Longtanian (Djulfian) KAPP 5 STAROSTIN Capitanian - FORMATION .-m C ,2 Kraeuselisporites z1 Wordian assemblage Ufimian (Roadian) Kungurian , - - -3- - - V0RlNGEN MBR. - - - - - - - , -- - -- - Artinskian GIPSHUKEN FORMATION Hamiapollenites - - - - - -- - -__--- tractiferinus a assemblage TYRRELL- Fig. 2. Stratigraphic scheme NORDEN- for the Permian succession FJELLET SKI~LDBREEN of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, MEMBER FORMATION including the position the Asselian of Vinafina described palynological I1 assemblage assemblages. Ages based on Harland et al. (1989). Gre I Noginskian I ~~CAOELMBF [)en~masssmbo Kapp Starostin Formation (upper Lower Permian Lower Permian succession (Steel & Worsley to Upper Permian). 1984). A regressive trend is reflected in the lower During the Late Paleozoic, the Svalbard Plat- parts of the Gipshuken Formation with sabkhas form was part of a sedimentary basin covering developing eastwards to the eastern margin of the most of the present day Barents Shelf. It was also Nordfjorden High (Steel & Worsley 1984). In the connected westward to North Greenland and the upper parts a more open marine environment is Sverdrup Basin in the Canadian Arctic, and east- recognised (Keilen 1992). ward to the Timan Pechora Basin in Russia. Dur- Sometime during the mid-Permian the general ing the Carboniferous, sedimentation was northwards drift led to a colder climate in the controlled by the Nordfjorden High (Fig. 1) giving area, and carbonate deposition gradually rise to a distinct block-and-basinal deposition on decreased. Transition to stable platform environ- Spitsbergen. The Nordfjorden High acted as a ment was accompanied by a major transgression barrier until it was transgressed during the latest establishing new seaways also down to East Carboniferous/earliest Permian time period. Greenland (Dor&1991). No evidence of syn-sedi- More open marine conditions were gradually mentary faulting is seen in the upper Permian established during the period Asselian to Art- succession on central Spitsbergen, while to the inskian, as seen in this carbonate dominated SUC- southwest the S~rkapp-HornsundHigh (Fig. 1) cession. Gypsum/anhydrite units reflect the arid acts as a positive structure. The basal bioclastic climate during this period (Steel & Worsley 1984). limestone (V~ringenMember) of the Kapp Sta- Shoals and bioherms seem to have been devel- rostin Formation deposited in central parts of oped mainly along the earlier blocks, although no Spitsbergen represents shoreface deposits. These significant thickness variation can be seen in the were formed by the transgression that took place 68 G. Mangerud and R. M. Konieczny KOLOSSEUM TROLLFUGLFJELLA SKANSEN REJMYREFJELLET A X i! B B 130 1w X \ /. \ \ \ \ 0 / \ \ B / \a \' 0 x \ \ \,O \ \ , I ,I Palynology of the Permian succession of Spitsbergen, Sualbard 69 across the restricted marine platform represented huken Formation and 225 from the Kapp Sta- by the underlying Gipshuken Formation strata rostin Formation. The samples were given (Steel & Worsley 1984). There is a gradual devel- standard palynological treatment, and a large opment into the siliceous shales and siltstones number proved to be barren. The preservation of derived from sponge spicules, which form the the palynomorphs is in general poor. The paly- most characteristic feature of the Kapp Starostin nomorphs are thin-walled, corroded and often Formation. Abundant trace fossils such as folded, a phenomenon commonly seen in car- Zoophycus indicate low energy, but oxygenated, bonate and evaporite sequences. The paly- bottom environments, while organic sponge nomorphs do not show much sign of pyrite buildups are concentrated along the platform growth, not even in samples from the deeper margins (Steel & Worsley 1984). In the Late basinal facies within the upper part of the Kapp Permian a cold water fauna replaced the Early Starostin Formation. They seem to be extensively Permian warm water fauna in the Spitsbergen oxidised, but are in general not highly mature. area (Keilen 1992), contemporaneous with a Maturity indexes fall within the oil window, giving change to a temperate, humid climate that per- TAI values (on a fire-scale) between 2+ and 3 in sisted as the entire platform moved northwards the Isfjorden area, and around 4 in the south- during the Mesozoic. western area. It is therefore difficult to evaluate why the preservation is so poor in the low maturity area and why a majority of the horizons are barren. The poor preservation in the highly sil- Material icified shales developed from sponge spicules in Palynological samples were collected from 16 sec- the Kapp Starostin Formation can be related to tions, 4 sections (13-16, Fig. 1) in the western oxidation or perhaps microbial degradation in this fold belt and 12 sections (1-12, Fig. 1) located depositional