Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy of two Early Cretaceous condensed sections from the Barents Sea NILS ARHUS, SIMON R. A. KELLY, JOE S. H. COLLINS AND MICHAEL R. SANDY hus, N., Kelly, S. R. A,, Collins, J. S. H. & Sandy, M. R. 1990 Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy of two Early Cretaceous condensed sections from the Barents Sea. Polar Research 8, 165- 194. Bivalve, brachiopod and cirripede faunas from the latest Jurassic and Early Crctaceous Barents Sea boreholes 7320/3-U-1 and 7425/9-U-l are systematically described and illustrated. Microfossils have also been studied and the cores are dated on the basis of the fossil recovery. The bivalve Rirchia whose zonal sequence has been used for correlation of boreal marine sections is the most important hiostratigrdphic marker group in the condensed Boreal Berriasian-Hautcrivian intervals of these cores. A new species of cirripede Zeugmatolepas? borealis Collins sp. nov. and dinoflagellate cyst Muderongia uequicurnus &hub sp. nov. are described. The Late Jurassic fine-grained clastics of core 7320/3-U-1 are overlain by about 3 m of grey dolomitic limestone of Valanginian and Hauterivian age. The lowermost part of 7425/9-U-l is represented by a latest Volgian-earliest Berriasian fossiliferous greyish green marl. It is followed by a reddish brown fossiliferous claystone of Berriasian and perhaps partly Valanginian age. Core 7425/9-U-l also contains a mainly Valanginian greyish green marly limestone which changes into a dark grcy ((1 black limestone of Early Barremian age in its upper part. The sedimentological change from condensation to dark grey clay deposition took place in the middle Barremian H. rude-fissicosfarurn ammonite Zone in 7425/9-U-l and probably slightly earlier in 7320/3-U-1. This was commenced at abut the same time as deposition of the inaccurately and only indirectly dated fluvio-deltaic Festningen Sandstone Member on Spitsbergen. The dark claystone may thus be a distal equivalent to this sandstone unit. Nils Arhus, IKU. N-7034 Trondheim, Norway; Simon R. A. Kelly. 47 Oyster Row. Cumbridge CB.5 8LJ. England; Joe S. H. Collins. 63 Oakhursr Grooe, E. Dulwich. London SE22 YA H, England; Michael R. Sandy, Deparrment of Geology, Unioersiry of Davron. Dayron. Ohio 45469. U.S.A.;January 1990 Irecjised A uglrsf I W). In large parts of the Barents Sea the Jurassic/ stage names. Until the Jurassic-Cretaceous Cretaceous boundary is represented by an uncon- Boundary Working Group (IGCP) makes precise formity with Lower Cretaceous sediments pro- correlation between the regions, the terms Vol- grading on older strata, often on Volgian black gian and Boreal Berriasian (rather than Ryaz- shales. The two coreholes studied here (732013- anian) are recommended. U-1 and 7425/9-U-l, see Fig. 1) were drilled by Parts of these condensed sections are equiv- the drilling ship ‘Bucentaur’ in 1985 as part of alent to a 15 m thick white sandy bioclastic lime- the Norwegian Continental Shelf and Petroleum stone consisting mainly of bivalve debris in the Technology Research Institute’s (IKU’s) Barents lower part of the Tordenskjoldberget Member (as Sea Mapping Program. 7425/9-U-1 located on defined by Smith et al. (1976) in section D 833 on the structurally high Bjarmeland Platform (see Tordenskjoldberget on Kongscziya, Kong Gabrielsen et al. 1990) and on such highs the Karls Land), whereas thicker siliciclastics occur Boreal Berriasian to early Barremian is con- on Spitsbergen and in wells in the basins of the densed and incomplete. The cores both produced southwestern Barents Sea. This shows that macrofossils and the fauna and microflora are tectonics played an important role in facies described here together with a presentation of the distribution, but nevertheless the occurrence of lithological logs and a biostratigraphic inter- Valanginian and Hauterivian limestones on struc- pretation where also foraminifera data are taken tural highs both in the Barents Sea and further into consideration. south on the Norwegian shelf seems to be the Because of the Boreal nature of the fauna it is result of a sea-level rise. The transition from the not possible to use directly the standard Tethyan condensed interval to the overlying claystones 166 N. hhus et al. -~ Boundaries of highs or basins LLLJa Faults affecting Cretaceous /Tertiary strata - Faults affecting Jurassic strata u Faults affecting Permo -Triassic strata on the Loppa High -A Reverse faults Tags point downslope Fig. I. Locations of thc two studicd corcholcs. Map modified after Gahriclscn el al. (1990) will be dealt with in a separate paper where data those from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, from additional shallow cores are included. from the Barents Sea floor are very limited. Nagy (1973) described but did not illustrate mollusca, including buchiid bivalves, belemnites and ony- Macrofossil studies of Barents Shelf and chitids from grab samples taken on Svalbard- adjacent areas (S.R.A.K) banken. However, in adjacent Svalbard the Early Cretaceous macrofossil data, including sequence has been fairly well documented. The Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy 167 most important illustrated systematic studies The Buchia zonal sequence in comparison to relating to the present study have been by Stolley ammonite zones in Svalbard is being assessed (1912), Frebold (1930), Frebold & Stoll (1937) currently by the author. The distribution of and Sokolov & Bodylevsky (1931), mainly in the Buchia species in comparison to ammonite zones Isfjorden region, Birkenmajer & Pugaczewska in Svalbard has been given by Yershova (1983). (1975) in Torell Land, Frebold (1929) and Bir- She divided the genus into more species than used kenmajer et al. (1982) in Sabine Land, Bliithgen by Zakharov (1981) and all species recognized in (1936) on Kong Karls Land and Yershova (1983) the present work have also been identified by her in the Svalbard Archipelago. South of the Barents from Svalbard. Sea there is only limited exposure of Jurassic- Buchia okensis has been recommended by Zak- Lower Cretaceous strata on Andoya (Birkelund harov (1087) as the best bivalve for the rec- et al. 1978; Zakharov et al. 1981). The bio- ognition of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in stratigraphy has been slightly revised by Aarhus Boreal regions. Its association on the Russian et al. (1986). To the east of the Barents Sea Platform, North and West Siberia and East Sokolov (1908) has described buchias from Tim- Greenland with the ammonite Hectoroceras kochi an-Pechora and Spitsbergen; Tullberg (1881) provides an important correlation event of the initially described the rich loose block fauna of Boreal Berriasian. Zakharov (1981) regarded the Novaya Zemlya whose stratigraphy has been most B. okensis Zone as appearing in mid-Chetaites recently revised by Cherkesov & Burdykina sibericus Zone and lasting until the middle of the (1981). The Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary sec- succeeding H. kochi Zone. Hoedemaeker (1987), tions on Frans Josef Land do not provide com- however, correlated the B. okensis Zone with parable faunas. To the west, in the Wandel Sea only the upper part of the H. kochi Zone and the Basin, HBkansson et al. (1981) have described lower part of the Tethyan Berriasella para- the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary strata of Peary mimouna Subzone. He regarded the base of the Land, North Greenland. In East Greenland the Cretaceous as somewhat below (three zones) this Buchia sequence was illustrated by Surlyk & Zak- level at the boundary between the Pseudo- harov (1982). Further south the Boreal bivalve subplmites grandis and the Subthurmannia sub- faunas of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in alpina Subzones. Zakharov’s broader concept of eastern England have been described by Kelly the B. okensis Zone commences only half a zone (1984). Kelly (1990) has also reviewed the Buchia above Hoedemaeker’s concept of the base of the sequence in Europe. Berriasian in the Boreal Realm at the base of the Chetaites SibiricuslPraetollia maynci Zone. Buchia and the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary (S.R.A.K.) Description of core 732013-U-1 (205500.8E 735115.2N). - See Fig. 2 (N.A. on the basis of By far the most significant macrofossil relating to data from colleagues at IKU). the present study is the bivalve Buchia which has been the subject of a major monographic revision 36.2-33.3 m and stratigraphic assessment by Zakharov (1981), The lowermost 2.9 m of the core consist of a grey on whose work this article relies heavily. Zak- clayey and sandy siltstone with wood fragments harov (1981, table 3) proposed a full sequence of and numerous 1-5 mm thick horizontal fine sand eight Buchia biozones for the Russian Platform, and silt laminations. Some mainly horizontal bur- but only recorded four of them for the Early rows l-3mm in diameter occur. Faecal pellets Cretaceous of the arctic islands around the Bar- 0.24.5 mm in diameter are commonly pyritized ents Sea. A revised version of the table was given and/or sideritized, probably during early dia- by Surlyk & Zakharov (1982, table 3). The Buchia genesis, and a larger siderite nodule was also zones that are confirmed from the Barents Sea penetrated. boreholes are the B. okensis and B. keyserlingi Glauconite occurs as a few 0.2-0.5 mm green zones. The B. uolgensis, B. unschensis and B. grains and possibly replaces faecal pellets. Chert sublaevis zones are only provisionally identified. is observed in a few laminations and in concretions The Barents Sea Buchia zonal sequence is com- up to 3 mm in diameter. pared to that of northern Siberia in Fig. 5. For The unit is fairly homogeneous with respect to comparison with other regions see the tables of natural y-radiation except for positive K and U Zakharov (1981) and Surlyk & Zakharov (1982). anomalies in the uppermost decimetres of the 732013-u - 1 m Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy 169 unit.