Middle Triassic)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GSSP of base of Ladinian The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Base of the LADINIAN STAGE (Middle Triassic) A proposal for the GSSP at the base of the curionii zone in the Bagolino section (Southern Alps, Northern Italy) Peter Brack1, Hans Rieber2, Alda Nicora3 1Departement Erdwissenschaften, ETH-Zentrum, CH-8092 Zürich 2Paläontologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zürich 3Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133 Milano ABSTRACT the South Alpine Buchenstein Beds and siliceous The Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point limestones of Bakony (Hungary). Because (GSSP) for the Base of the LADINIAN STAGE Mojsisovics erroneously equated this interval with (Middle Triassic) is defined at the top of a distinctive parts of the ammonoid-rich Hallstatt-limestones, 20-cm-thick groove (= “Chiesense groove”) of he used the term “Norian” as the stage name. limestone nodules in a shaley matrix, located about “Norian” refers to the Norian Alps around Hallstatt 5 m above the base of the Buchenstein Beds in the near Salzburg (Austria). Later, the Hallstatt- Caffaro river bed (45°49ʼ09.5ʼʼN, 10°28ʼ15.5ʼʼE), ammonoids turned out to be much younger. Bittner south of the village of Bagolino (Province of (1892) therefore proposed the term “ladinisch” Brescia, northern Italy). The lower surface of (Ladinian) as a new label of the stratigraphic the overlying thick limestone bed has the lowest interval of South Alpine Buchenstein and Wengen occurrence of the ammonoid Eoprotrachyceras Beds. Although not accepted by Mojsisovics et al. curionii (base of the E. curionii zone; onset of the (1895), “Ladinian” was subsequently a generally Trachyceratidae ammonoid family). Secondary adopted stage name (e.g., Arthaber, 1906). global markers in the uppermost Anisian include In the time of Mojsisovics, knowledge of ammonoid the lowest occurrence of conodont Neogondolella successions in the Anisian/Ladinian boundary praehungarica and a brief normal-polarity interval was still fragmentary and correlations magnetic zone. The GSSP level is bracketed by were rather speculative. For instance, the South U-Pb single zircon age data, indicating that the Alpine Buchenstein Beds and siliceous limestones boundary age is ~ 240 to 242 Ma. in Bakony were considered age equivalents and both attributed to the R. reitzi zone. However, STRATIGRAPHIC RANK OF BOUNDARY recent biostratigraphic results on ammonoids, Base of the Ladinian Stage in the Middle Triassic conodonts and radiolaria (see further on) clearly Series. document that the main ammonoid bearing interval of Mojsisovicsʼ “yellow siliceous limestones of Relation of the GSSP to historical usage Bakony” slightly predates and overlaps in age with The long history of concepts regarding the Anisian/ only the lowermost South Alpine Buchenstein Ladinian boundary is summarized and illustrated Beds. Moreover the base of the Buchenstein Beds in Brack & Rieber (1994). These views have been is diachronous and the lower part of this unit has further discussed by Kozur (1995). sometimes also been considered Anisian. In the The first formal recognition of a stratigraphic light of a modern definition of the base of the interval comprising what is now called Ladinian Ladinian Stage, the original concepts and historical goes back to the subdivisions of the Triassic usage of the Anisian/Ladinian boundary provide System proposed by E.v.Mojsisovics. Ammonoids no unambiguous basis for the positioning of the served as the main biostratigraphic tool for these GSSP. What still may be considered of particular divisions. By 1874 and with later modifications relevance in this context is that in his introduction (e.g., 1882), Mojsisovics used the name “Norian” of the term “ladinisch” (Ladinian), Bittner (1892) for a stratigraphic interval including, at its base, specifically referred to stratigraphic successions - 1 - GSSP of base of Ladinian 1 M. Re di Castello Schilpario 2 Concarena M. Corona Stabol Fresco 3 C.naS.Fermo Ch Breno M. Frerone iese e i Contrada Gobbia r a Prezzo 4 c Dezzo a Cimego i c d i o r u n a f f i o a 5 C G m l o i e gl a O d i C e l l l l l a a V a 6 V V Bagolino ia mp 7 o Dosso Alto o Tr r al d V I ' d N o g P.Aiale a L 10 km 8 M.Guglielmo Pèrtica 7˚E A 13˚E CH 46˚N se 9 ie Brozzo h C Brescia Marcheno Milano Venezia F ITALY 44˚N 10 Figure 1: Geological sketch map of the area with classical localities of Middle Triassic stratigraphy in eastern Lombardy and Giudicarie (Trentino). 1: Pre-Permian basement; 2: Permian to Lower Triassic including lowermost Anisian units; 3: Mainly lower/middle Anisian units (Angolo Lst.; Dosso dei Morti - Camorelli Lst.); 4: Upper Anisian - Ladinian pelagic successions (Prezzo Lst., Buchenstein- and Wengen Beds); 5: Ladinian / Carnian platform carbonates and age-equivalent intra platform deposits (Pratotondo Lst., Lozio Shales); 6: Ladinian - Carnian shallow intrusive rocks; 7: Norian - Rhaetian shallow water carbonates and basinal equivalents; 8: Jurassic - Cretaceous units; 9: Tertiary Adamello plutonics; 10: major tectonic lines (faults and thrusts). in the Southern Alps, with the Buchenstein Beds boundary succession is well exposed at three sites as the oldest unit. The lower part of the South in the bed of the river Caffaro, in the surroundings Alpine Buchenstein Beds is thus an appropriate of the Romanterra bridge, south of the village of stratigraphic interval for establising the GSSP for Bagolino (Sites A - C; see Fig.2). The GSSP-Site the base of the Ladinian Stage. is situated close to eastern end of Site B and its coordinates are 614.276 / 5075.118 (UTM-grid) PROPOSED GSSP - GEOGRAPHIC AND and Long./Lat. 45°49ʼ09.5ʼʼN, 10°28ʼ15.5ʼʼE PHYSICAL GEOLOGY respectively. Bagolino can be reached by car or by public Geographic location transport from Brescia. A bus station is located at The GSSP-candidate at Bagolino (Province of short distance from the Romanterra bridge. The Brescia, Northern Italy) is located in the Brescian bridge can also be reached by car and its coordinates Prealps portion of the Southern Alps, and more are 45°49ʼ11.1ʼʼN, 10°28ʼ8.6ʼʼE and the altitude precisely, in Valle del Caffaro between Val Camonica is 646m. From this point the main exposures lie and Valli Giudicarie (Fig.1). The Anisian/Ladinian within walking distance along the banks and in the - 2 - GSSP of base of Ladinian 500 m C 800 a f f BAGOLINO a r o R i v 700 e r e eston lo Lim Ango B stone Lime A C ezzo Pr ds n Be nstei o m uche R a n B t e 5075 eds r gen B r Wen a 0 0 0 0 GSSP-Site 3 2 00 1 1 14 0 0 1 1 ol. Lst./D 700 Esino 0 0 8 D 9 00 0 0 0 1 900 ipale Princ 3 4 omia 1 1 Dol 6 6 Figure 2: Geological sketch map of the vertical to slightly overturned Middle Triassic succession in the surroundings of Bagolino. The main sites (A - D) with exposures of the Anisian/Ladinian boundary interval are indicated. The stratigraphic ranges of the intervals exposed at each site are shown in Fig.3. A continuous succession ranging from the uppermost Angolo Limestone to the Wengen Beds is exposed at Site A. The frame at Site B outlines the area of a detailed map of this outcrop as illustrated in fig.4 of Brack & Rieber (1986). Coordinates of GSSP-Site: Long./Lat. N 45°49’09.5’’, E 10°28’15.5’’. bed of the Caffaro river. The GSSP-Site (= Site B) Bagolino (Fig.1), including the classical locality at is situated approximately 150m ESE of the bridge. Dosso Alto and important complementary sections Site B lies downstream of a dam deviating the river at Pèrtica, Brozzo and Marcheno. To the north waters. Parts of the outcrops may be submerged of Bagolino, Middle Triassic pelagic sediments during high river waters in spring or after heavy occur along the southern margin of the Adamello showers. The other sites are inaccessible only with intrusives. This area hosts important sections in extreme winter conditions. Giudicarie (Prezzo, at the eastern termination of Val di Daone; Monte Corona - Stabol Fresco) and Geological setting in Val Camonica (e.g., Contrada Gobbia). The Middle Triassic succession at Bagolino is At Bagolino, the pelagic succession consists part of a thick sediment prism comprising Lower from bottom to top of the Prezzo Limestone, the to Upper Triassic strata, which are turned upright Buchenstein Beds and the Wengen Beds. The in front of an uplifted portion of the Brescian succession is well exposed at different places in Prealps. The latter area is situated to the north of the Caffaro river bed at Romanterra (Fig.2). The a bounding fault (Val Trompia Line) and consists same lithologies occur in scattered outcrops on the of pre-Permian metamorphic basement and Lower southern slopes of M. Pizza (Site D). Additional Permian - Triassic cover rocks. Alpine deformation exposures of these strata are also accessible along of the Middle-Upper Triassic rocks south of the the Rio Ricomassimo creek around 3km east- Val Trompia Line was the result of south-directed northeast of Romanterra. tectonic transport of basement and cover rocks The stratigraphic succession at Romanterra, as which occurred in two phases, prior and after the documented in Figure 3, starts in the uppermost emplacement of the Eocene-Oligocene Adamello Angolo Limestone with a distinct brachiopod intrusives respectively. lumachella at its top. The pelagic Prezzo Pelagic successions of Middle Triassic age are Limestone consists of limestone-shale alternations also exposed at various places south and west of with nodular to wavy bedding in the lower and - 3 - GSSP of base of Ladinian ' s Exposed stratigraphic Important Macrofossils d (Ammonoids, Daonella) F.regoledanus e intervals at sites A-D: zone B Frankites 100 n e g D.