Palaeoenvironmental Evolution During the Upper Carboniferous and the Permian in the Schulter- Trogkofel Area (Carnic Alps, Northern Italy)
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ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Jahrbuch der Geologischen Bundesanstalt Jahr/Year: 1983 Band/Volume: 126 Autor(en)/Author(s): Buttersack Eva, Böckelmann Klaus Artikel/Article: Palaeoenviromental Evolution during the Upper Carbonferous and the Permian in the Schulter-Trogkofel Area (Carnic Alps, Northern Italy) 349 ©Geol. Bundesanstalt, Wien; download unter www.geologie.ac.at Jb. Geol. B.-A. ISSN 0016-7800 Band 126 Heft 3 S.349-358 Wien, Jänner 1984 Palaeoenvironmental Evolution during the Upper Carboniferous and the Permian in the Schulter- Trogkofel Area (Carnic Alps, Northern Italy) B~Y-EVA BUTTERSACK & KLAUS BOECKELMANN*) With 11 figures and 3 tables Karnische Alpen Paläozoikum Oberkarbon Perm Österreichische KarteI: 50.000 Paläogeographie Blatt 198 Sedimentationsentwicklung Zusammenfassung and was transported into a shallow subtidal sedimentation Im Gebiet zwischen Trogkofel und Schulter (Karnische Al- area, where it was rapidly deposited with transient and high pen) wird die Sedimentationsentwicklung während des Jung- sedimentation rates during times of intense subsidence of the paläozoikums diskutiert. basin. During times lacking or of low clastic influx the con- Über den devonischen Flachwasserkalken, die die SW-Be- struction of algal-mud mounds was possible, forming isolated grenzung des Untersuchungsgebietes bilden, folgen die vor- carbonate lenses. An "Auernig Rhythm" (sensu KAHLER,1955) wiegend klastisch ausgebildeten Auernig Schichten (Oberkar- cannot be confirmed. bon). Das terrigene Material stammt aus einem im SW liegen- These proceedings of sedimentation are to be persued du- den Liefergebiet und wurde in einen flachen, subtidalen Sedi- ring the Lowermost Permian, in the chiefly calcareous Lower mentationsraum transportiert, wo es mit kurzzeitig auftreten- Pseudoschwagerina Formation and the predominantly clastic den, hohen Sedimentationsraten, die auf zeitweise starke Ab- Grenzland Formation. During the sedimentation of the Upper senkung des Beckens zurückgeführt werden, zur Ablagerung Pseudoschwagerina Formation (Uppermost Asselian) and the kam. Während geringer oder fehlender klastischer Schüttung Trogkofel Formation (Sakmarian) clastic influx decreased and konnten sich Stillwasserbiotherme entwickeln, die in Form iso- the sedimentation area moved seawards. The Trogkofel For- lierter Kalklinsen vorliegen. Ein "Auernig Rhythmus" (sensu mation is constructed by encrusting algae, forming a stratigra- KAHLER,1955) kann nicht bestätigt werden. phic reef, which was situated on the shelf edge. An increase of Diese Sedimentationsbedingungen dauern während der Ab- thickness to the NE can be observed, which is also present in lagerung der größtenteils kalkigen Unteren Pseudoschwagerin- the Lower Pseudoschwagerina Formation. gen Schichten und der vorwiegend klastischen Grenzland Bän- The Tarvis Breccia (uppermost Lower Permian) overlies the ke des untersten Perm an. Während der Ablagerung der Obe- Trogkofel Formation in the NE and the Auernig Group in the ren Pseudoschwagerinen Schichten (oberes Assel) und des SW. This stratigraphic lacuna in the SW has been attributed to Trogkofelkalks (Sakmar) verschob sich der Sedimentations- erosion during the "Saalian phase". However, considering the raum in küstenfernere Bereiche des Schelfs, der klastische preceding sedimentary evolution, the missing sediments can Einfluß ist gering. Der Trogkofelkalk wird als stratigraphisches be referred to a decrease of subsidence in SW' direction and Riff am Schelfrand interpretiert, die Mächtigkeit nimmt, wie lacking or reduced sedimentation during the latest Palaeozoic. auch bei den Unteren Pseudoschwagerinen Schichten nach The "Saalian phase" is believed only to cause a brief regres- NE hin zu. sion with moderate erosion. Die Tarviser Breccie (oberstes Unterperm) überlagert im NE den Trogkofelkalk, während sie im SW über den Auernig Schichten folgt. Diese Schichtlücke wurde auf Erosion wäh- 1. Introduction rend der "Saalischen Phase" zurückgeführt. Bei Betrachtung der vorausgehenden Sedimentationsvorgänge muß die In the Carnic Alps a nonmetamorphic succession, be- Schichtlücke jedoch zurückgeführt werden auf fehlende oder reduzierte Sedimentation aufgrund geringer~r Absenkung des ginning with the Middle Ordovician documents the Ablagerungsraumes im SW. Die "Saalische Phase" bewirkte Palaeozoic evolution of the Southern Alps. In the north somit vermutlich nur eine kurze Regression, die mit mäßiger the Palaeozoic series are limited by the Gailtal line, in Erosion verbunden war. the south they are covered by younger deposits. The investigated area (Fig. 1) is located to the south Summary of the Italian-Austrian border and extends from the The sedimentary evolution of the Late Palaeozoic of the Schulter (2091 m) in the west to the Trogkofel (Creta di Trogkofel and Schulter area (Carnic Alps) is discussed. Aip, 2279 m) in the east. It comprises the S' part of a The stratigraphic succession begins with the predominantly NW-SE striking, about 2-4 km wide sector composed quartzose Auernig Group (Upper Carboniferious), which fol- lows to the Devonian shallow water limestones at the extreme of Late Palaeozoic series (Tab. 1) which is wedged bet- west of the investigated area. The clastic material of the Auer- ween Devonian and Lower Carboniferious sediments. nig Group was derived from a source area situated in the SW In the following, the sedimentary evolution during the Late Palaeozoic is discussed. A complete stratigraphic succession is developed in the NE of the investigated *) Anschriften der Verfasser: Dipl.-Geol. EVA BUTTERSACK,In- area. It extends from the Upper Carboniferious (Auernig stitut und Museum für Geologie und Paläontologie der Univer- sität, Sigwartstraße 10, 0-7400 Tübingen; Dipl.-Geol. KLAUS Group) to the uppermost Lower Permian (Tarvis Brec- BOECKELMANN,Lehrgebiet Geologie und Paläontologie der Uni- cia). In the SW the stratigraphic succession begins with versität, Lochnerstraße 4/20, 0-5100 Aachen. the Upper Carboniferious, too and reaches to the Upper 349 ©Geol. Bundesanstalt, Wien; download unter www.geologie.ac.at Rattendorf Group E ~ u.. E Q) u.. 'E to to 0 e:~ .~ .0 Q) Q) Q. C Cl E Cl ::J ...: .!!! to u.. to Ul ~ ~ ~ ...J -::J to .J:. '0 .J:. Cl to U C U C -I Ul Ul to c to -Q) 0 0 .~ ~'O N ~'O e: Ul .~ Q) ::J e: Q) ::J E 0 ~ Q) Q.Q) ~ Q) Q) > ::J Ul > Q.Ul ~ o Ul ::J Q) to -::J ::JQ. Cl ...Ja. <I: 0 - ~ <I: \ .\ mmlffiTIITillR \ \ I l[[] _llillliillo \ \ I e: .2 e: 0 iö c E .2 :; E 0 iö to ai u.. E 'ü Ci Q) u u.. (ij c 0 Q) ~ 0 u.. to .J:. '0 C Q. Iii ~ Q) e: 0 Q) Ul iii 4i ~ '0 ~ i;j .!! :0 '> Cl .21 ::J Gi ~ :a 0 U; 0 III Cl I- .= Q) > .S o c Q) ~.Q~C1 C~. -E D ~io B Ö a. tU E E )( Q) 0 0 '0 0 .S ... '0 r::: tU a. tU E () '0, 0 Ci Q) C) 0 Cl ü: 350 ©Geol. Bundesanstalt, Wien; download unter www.geologie.ac.at Table 1: Correlation table; time units after FLÜGEL(1981) and VAl et al. (1980). UPPER PERMIAN Tatarian Bellerophon Formation Kasanian MIDDLE PERMIAN Ufimskian Gröden Formation Kungurian Cisjanskian Tarvis Breccia Artinskian Trogkofel Group Lacuna Sakmarian Trogkofel Formation LOWER PERMIAN Upper Pseudoschwagerina Formation Asselian Rattendorf Group Grenzland Formation Lower Pseudoschwagerina Formation Orenburghian UPPER Gzhelian s. I. Auernig Group CARBONIFEROUS Kasimovian Permian (Bellerophon Formation), however, uppermost Carboniferious and Lower Permian deposits are mis- sing. This lacuna was first recognized by HERITSCH (1936). He considered this region to be a topographic high during this period. A controversial interpretation was given by KAHLER(1980), who considered this lacu- na to have been caused only by erosion attributed to the "Saalian phase" (uppermost Lower Permian). 2. Stratigraphy 2.1. Devonian shallow water limestones In the extreme SW of the investigated area massive, light grey bioclastic detrital limestones, Givetian to Frasnian in age, are exposed. They are composed of floatstones and wackstones, rich in stromatoporids (Am- phipora sp.), calcisphaeres, corals and stromatolitic algal crusts. The sedimentation area corresponds to a re- stricted back-reef environment. 2.2. Auernig Group (Gruppo dell'Auernig) The Auernig Group, Stefanian A-C (REMY,1969), re- spectively Upper Moscovian-Orenburghian (VAl et aI., 1980) in age, is composed of argillites, siltstones, sand- stones and conglomerates with intercalated calcareous lenses. According to HERITSCHet al. (1934) and SELL! (1963), the Auernig Group can be subdivided by the frequency of the occurrence of calcareous lenses (Tab. 2). In the investigated area the "untere kalkarme Schichtgruppe" is predominating. The total thickness of the Auernig Group is about 700 meters, although a complete succession doesn't exist anywhere. The thin bedded dark argillites are locally several me- ters thick and often include floated plant detritus or bio- clasts, e. g. crinoidal stems up to 10 cm in length, co- rals, brachiopods (productids, spiriferids) and occas- ionally trilobits, enriched in several horizons. Table 2: Subdivision of the Auernig Group according to HERITSCHet al. (1934). HERITSCHet al. (1934) SELL!(1963) Obere kalkarme Schichtgruppe Formazione dei M. Carnizza Obere kalkreiche Schichtgruppe Formazione deli' Auernig Mittlere kalkarme Schichtgruppe Formazione dei Corona Fig. 2: Auernig Group; thin section photomicrograph of silt- Untere kalkreiche Schichtgruppe Formazione dei Pizzul stone layers with well rounded quartz pebbles