Selected Geosites of Cretaceous Deposits in Central and Eastern Poland

Polish Geological Institute Special Papers, 2: 71 - 76 (1999)

Selected geosites of Cretaceous deposits in Central and Eastern Poland

Ireneusz WALASZCZYK*, Stefan CIESLINSKI", Hubert SYLWESTRZAK*'

A b s t ra e t. Eight proposed Cretaceous geosite candidates, from the nrea of Central and Eastern Poland, are shortly characterized. They include: waterfalls on the Szum, Sopot, Jelen, and Tanew livers, exposures of Albian sandstones near Nag6rzyce, Dobromierz brachyanti· cline. Opoczkaquarries, Janik6wquarries. and abandoned quarries ofPiolrawin . Kazimierz. Bochotnica. and Nasil6w. Fi ve lalterexposures. located along the middle section of the Vistula ri ver, give M access to the fa mous middle Vistula section, representing a key section to the Upper Cretaceous succession in this part of Europe. being a site of an outstanding scientific importance. Of high scientific value are also other of the proposed sites. The waterfalls on the Tanew river represent, moreover, a unique landscape. which may also be ofa great interest due 10 recreation and tourist reasons.

Key words: gcosiles, Upper Cretaceous, middle Vistula section, Estern "nd Central Poland.

Ireneusz Walaszczyk, Stefan Cieslinski, Hubert Sylwestrzak (1999) - Wybrune gcostanowiska utwor6w kredy w Polsce srodkowej i wschodniej. Polish Geulogica/instilllte Special Papers. 2: 71-76.

S t res z c zen i e. Schnrakleryzowano osiem wybranych stanowisk przyrody nicozywionej w utworach kredy z obszaru Polski ~rodkowej i wschoclniej. Wsr6d proponowanych obiekl6w znrllazly si~: progi kredowe nn rzekach Szum. Sopot, J~leri i Tanew, od slon i ~cie piaskowc6w nlbskich kolo Nng6rzyc, brachyn nlyklina Dobromierza, kam ieniolomy w Opoczce, kamienioiomy w h ni kow ie oraz ods l o ni ~c ia w Piotrawinie, Knzimicrzu Dolnym, Boc holnicy i w Nasilowic. Piee ost:tlnich wymienionych odstonicc znnjduje sic na obszarze tzw. g6rnokreclowego promu ~rodkowej Wisly. c1oslarczDj'lcego slandardowego profilu kredy g6rnej w lej czesci Eurapy. Jest to obsznr 0 wyj'llkowym znaczeniu w baclaniach fncjalnych, stratygrafi cz.nych oruz paleontologicznych gomej kredy. W skali regionu istolne sl} oczywiscie r6wniez i pozostale proponowane miejsca. Progi wodospadowe na rt:cce Tanew repre7.entuj& ponnello unikaln'l fonne krnjobra- zown w tej czt;~ci kraju i majol duze znaczcnic jako obiekt turystyczno-rekreacyjny.

Stowa kluczowe: geostanowiska. kreda g6mo., profit srodkowej Wisly, Polska srodkowa i wschodnia.

Cretaceous deposits of the epicratonic Poland fo rm a thick positi on of the territory of Poland during the Cretaceous time, cover (exceeding 2000 m at maximum) developed, wi th the being located in the middle between the western and eastern, exception ofthe Lower Cretaceous clastics, in a uniform carbo- and between northern (Boreal) and southern (Mediterranean) nate succession. Lithologically represented by marls, marly parts of the European Palaeobiogeographical Province implies limestones, chalks, opokas, sporadically gaizes. these rocks are the importance of these sites as well as the general interest in very susceptible to erosional processes. Moreover, in a larger the studies of the Cretaceous period. It was an area of the part of their extension they are covered with a more or less thick occurrence of various Cretaceous facies and of the fauna ex- blanket of the younger, Tertiary deposits (Fig. 1). Bearing in change and mixing, placing the materials from Poland among mind the un iform morphology of this area, the rarity of good the most important for palaeobiogeographical and biostrati- exposures of these rocks becomes obvious. However, particu- graphical in vestigations. larl y in the regions of young tectonics, there are some sites where Upper Cretaceous deposits come to the surface and provide these seldom occasions of a direct access to the Creta- Selected geosite candidates ceous strata, and the opportunity for their detailed sedimentological and palaeontological studies. The paJaeobiogeographicaJ Only a rew of the selected and listed here exposures are purely natural outcrops. Usually they are represented by abandoned quarries or sites of seasonal, local exploitation. Most of "'Dcpmtmcnt of Geology, Warsaw Uni wersily, 93 Zwirki i Wigury St., these sites are already world-wide famous spots in the Creta- 02-089 Warszawa, Poland ceous community and very important localities for present and ."'Polish Geological Institute. 4 Rakowiccka St.. 00·975 Warszilwa, further studies. The presented li st comprises 8 10ealities (Fig. 1), Poland 72 1. Walnszczyk, S. Cidlinski. H. Sylwestfznk

UPPER ROCKS IN Fig. I. Distribution of the Upper Cretaceous rocks in extm-Carpat. POLAND hian Poland with location of the selected Cretaceous geosiLes; boxed area presented in text - Fig. 2; I - waterfalls on the Szum, SapoI, Jelen , and Tanew rivers, 2 - Nug6n:yce, 3 - Dobromierz brnchy anticline

of which 5 are located along the middle Vistula gap (Fig. 2), giving a direct insight into the Upper Cretaceous succession of Central Europe.

1. Waterfalls on the Szum, Sopot, Jelen and Tanew rivers in Eastern Roztocze (southern margin of the Lublin Upland), about 20 km SW of Tomasz6w Lubelski (130-150 m a.s.l.; 50''23'NI23009'E). Surface exposures of Cretaceous the Mailt features: waterfal ls, Upper Cretaceous de- Pre-Upper Cretaceous posits.

A group of waterfalls on Szum, Sopot, Jelen, and Tanew rivers (Figs. 1,3 and 4), flowing to SW, is formed within the Upper Cretaceous rocks - gaizes and marls - of the Campanian age, at the edges of the still active faults, running parallel to the southern margin of the Lublin Upland. The group consists of about 30 waterfalls, in form of small rocky steps, with the highest one, developed on the Jelen river, not exceeding 1.2 m. The presence of waterfalls developed within the soft Cretaceous rocks, indicates the recent activity of the fault system in the marginal part of the Lublin Upland. Water- falls are located within the nature reserves. A picturesque landscape characterizing this area makes it, moreove r, a very interesting tourist region.

2. Nagorzyce outcrops, about 3 km south of To- lube lski e masz6w Mazowiecki, at the road leading to Swolszo- wice (1 80 m a.s.l.; 51°30'NI19°58' E). Main/ealures: MiddlelUpper Albian, sandstones.

The sandstones, dated at the topmost Middle and Upper Albian, form a part o~ the mid-Cretaceous succession in the NE part of the Tomasz6w syncline (Figs I and 5) (Witkowski, 1969). This succession is composed of unfossiliferous, sandy-sandstone deposits of the Middle Albian (Cieslinski & Pozaryski, 1970; Marcinowski & Rudowski, 1980), referred by Ko- bylecki (1936) to as Biala G6ra Series. These are fol - lowed by siliceous sandstones with glauconite and phosphatic concretions of the Upper Albian and marls of the Cenomanian age. The sandy succession in the environs of Tomasz6w Mazowiecki attains a thickness about 150 m and represents shallow-marine, deltaic deposits, ~ ~'8~~gR indi cati~ g the onset of the mid-Cretaceous transgressi on 0 :~ tg~ER over an area of southern Polish Uplands. 8 LO~~A 0 In the part exposed in Nag6rzyce preserved are arti- ~ Opoka wtth cherts 'c UPPER Upper Platy Chert ficial caves being remnants of an underground exploita- e : .' BI)'OlOiIl Umestooes tion of sandstones (Fig. 6). Unfortunately, entrances to .= MIDDLE 1IiI0pW wtth Itnts Albian· _ L. Turonian Ju rass ic _ Fig. 2. Geological sketch-map and location of the proposed gcosites of the middle Vistula section Selected geosites ofCrctaceous deposits in .. , 73

1 V .LVLf\,OLV w MAZOWIECKI

Grabowica

-~-- train-line ---rivers ---roads o waterfalls

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Fig, 3. Waterfalls (so-called szumy) on the Szum, Sopot. Jelen. and Tanew rivers

Fig, 5, Geological sketch-map of the Tomasz6w Syncline and location of Nag6rzyce

Fig, 4, Waterfall on the Tanew river the caves and the caves themselves are often covered with rubbish. 3. Dobromierz brachyanticIine, in the Przedb6rz-Malo- goszcz Range, about 10 km SE of the town of Przedb6rz Fig. 6. Sandstones with caves (after exploitation of sandstones) in Nagorzyce, (220--250 m a.s.l.; 51°01 'NI19°55'E). at the road to Swolszowice Mainfeatures: brachyanticline, Upper Jurassic limestone, Albian deposits. other tectonic indices the brachyanticIine is a site of recent upliftingmovements. The Dobromierz brachyanticline, running WNW- ESE, is a The axial part of the brachyanticline, overgrown with beech- part of the Przedb6rz-Malogoszcz Range in the western, Meso- trees, belongs to the Buczyna Mt. in the landscape park. zoic margin of the Holy Cross Mts. (Fig. 1) (CieSlinski, 1956; Cieslinski & Pozaryski, 1970). An axial part of the brachy anticline is composed of relatively easily weathering carbonate rocks of the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian). The Middle Vistula section flanks are built of the Albian sandstones (so-called Przedb6rz Sandstones) (Fig. 7), relatively resistant to weathering. The brachyanticline represents an important section to study the The so-called middle Vistula section, is a series of natural mid-Cretaceous succession in Central Poland, Moreover. it pro- and artificial exposures extending along the valley oftbe Vistula vides an insight into the contact between the Jurassic and river, between the towns ofZawichost and Kazimierz-on-Vis- It Cretaceous in the region in question. tula (Fig. 2). gives an access to the almost complete Middle The Dobromierz brachyanticline is well seen in morpho- Albian through Upper Cretaceous and lowermost Palaeocene logy of the area. Taking into account the lithological charac- succession being a unique example in that part of Europe & teristics of particular members of the structure and some (Pozaryski, 1938, 1948; Cieslinski Pozaryski, 1970; Blasz- 74 I. Walaszczyk. S. CieSlinski, H. Sylweslrzak

kiewicz, 1980; Marcinowski & Radwanski, 1983; Walaszczyk, 1992). Its completeness, fauna abun- 0,-. __"- _J?km dance and still relati vely good access designate this section not only as the reference point forthe whole Upper Cretaceous of the extra-Carpathian Poland ~Quatemary but also as one of the most important reference ~ Upper Cretaceous points of Central Europe. _ Lower Cretaceous (Albian) The middle Vistula valley is situated within the c:JUpper Jurassic Border Synclinorium with the Cretaceous strata __ faults being a part of the south-western limb of this - roads geotectonic structure, and the axial part of which is located further to the east. The Albian- Upper Cre- taceous strata are arranged monoclinally. dipping very gently to NE. with younger and younger strata exposed when going northward (Fig. 2).

4. Opoczka quarries in the southern part of the middle Vistula valley, in Ihe eastern, high bank of the Vistula river, 2 km W of the town of Annopol (ISO m a.s.l.; SooS2'N/21°S0'E). Main features: middle Vistula section, Turo- nian, opoka facies.

The quarries expose the Upper Turonian rocks at the southern limb of the Annopol brachyanticline located in the southern part of the middle Vi stula Fig. 7. Geological sketch-map of the Dobromierz brachyanticJinc and Majowa Mt. valley. The whole exposed succession represents near Przedb6rz opokas with cherts, a unit introduced by Pozaryski (1948), and comprising the whole Upper Turonian (Walaszczyk, 1992). The unit is poorly fossil iferous.lt contains rare inoceramids and ammonites (from these quarries come large Lewesiceras specimens exposed in the Geological Mu- seum of Ihe Polish Geological Institute in Warsaw). The referred site is important for the studies of the Turonian in the region. The abandoned quarries in Opoczka si tuated in the eastern, steep banks of the Vistula river are very picturesque element when crossing the Vistula near Annopol.

5. Janik6w quarry about 6 km south of the town of Ozar6w, near the road leading to Zawichost (170-180 m a.s. l. ; 50oS1'NI2l °43'E). Main features: middle Vistula section, Upper Turonian, Fig. 8. Abandoned Piotrawin quarry bryozoan-crinoidal facies.

Fig. 9. Abandoned and partly recultivnted old town quarry Fig. 10. Abandoned quarry in Nasil6w with the Cretaccousrfertiary in Kazimierz-on-Vistula boundary section Selected geosites of Cretaceous deposits in ... 75

The quarry exposes the succession of the crinoid al- a continuous succession across the Belemnella kazimiroviensis bryozoan limestones, dated at the latest MiddlefUpper Turonian Zone of the topmost Maastrichtian up to, and including the (Samsonowicz, 1934; Alexandrowicz, 1978), referred to as MaastrichtianlDanian boundary. All three became already Ianik6w limestones (Luniewski, 1923). This untypical litho- classical sites for the Maastrichtian studies in Europe. facies in the area is limited to the south-western part of the The three mentioned sections are of an outstandi.ng value middle Vistula area, and disappears quickly when going li.nther to for the palaeontological and stratigraphic studies of the Upper Nand E. These deposits interpreted formerly as bryozoan reef Cretaceous and the Cretaceousrrertiary boundary. Moreover, represent actually a wedge-shaped body of detrital crinoidal- it has to be mentioned that the Nasil6w and Bochotnica sec- bryozoan material, coarsening upwards. In the upper parts it is tions are the only spots in Poland with the exposed Maastrich- dominated by crinoidal detritus. The other macrofauna is rep- tian?Danian (Le. 'Cretaceous/Tertiary) boundary. The resented mostly by small oysters and brachiopods. Rare inoee- Kazimierz quarry is situated within the Kazimierz Landscape ramids and eehinoids are also known. Park, and the qua;ry itself is party restored. Similarly, the The importance of the quarry is outstanding. It is a sale quarry in Bochotnica is a geological documentary site within locality with the exposed bryozoan-crinoid facies, a peeuliur the Kazimierz Landscape Park. facies in the Turonian of Central Europe, and extremely important for environmental and fauna studies. Final remarks 6. Piotrawin abandoned quarry in the eastern, high bank of the Vistula ri ver, about ISO km south of Warsaw (130-140 Besides the waterfalls on theSzum, Sopot,Iele", and Tanew 0 m a.s.l.; 51 05'NI21°48'E). rivers, all other Cretaceous geosite candidates from Central and Mainfeatures: middle Vistula section, Campanian, opoka Eastern Poland represent the localities of the outstanding or high facies. scientific value for differently oriented studies in the Upper Cretaceous. Most of them, particularly those representing the The Piotrawin quan'y exposes a 30 m thick series of' rela- middle Vistula section, are actually long recognized and ap- tively monotonous opokas with a very rich and well preserved preciated sections. It concerns particularly the quarries in Pio- macrofauna (Fig. 8). The exposed succession comprises the trawin or Nasil6w, which represent unique exposures in topmost Campanian strata of the Nostoceras hyatti Zone, being European scale. At the same time most of the selected sites are of extreme importance for palaeoJltological and stratigraphic represented by abandoned quarries or other type exposures, studies of the Campanian and the CampanianlMaastrichtian which, if not protected very quickly, will disappear from a list boundary in Europe. In Central Europe it is one of a few points of valuable and important Cretaceous localities. where this interval is exposed, and inevitably the most fossilife- rous (Blaszkiewicz, 1980; Burnett et al., 1992). It is also a section of monographic description of ammonites (Btaszkie- References wicz, 1980), belemnites (Kongiel, 1962) and of the bivalve-ga- stropod molluscs (Abdel-Gawad, 1986). ABDEL-GAWAD G.1. 1986 ~ Maastrichli.m non-cephalopod molluscs The section exposed in the Piotrawin quarry, representing (Scaphopoda, Gastropoda and Bivalvia) of the Middte Vistu!a Valley, the topmost Campanian, Nostoceras hyatti Zone is of an out- Central Poland. Acta Geol. Pol., 36: 69- 224. standing value for the palaeontological and stratigraphic studies ALEXANDROWICZ S.W. 1978 ~ Foraminifera from the Janik6w Lime- stones (The Turonian of Centrat Poland). Bull. Acad. Pol. Sc.. Sir. Sc. of the Campanian stage. Terre, 26: 5-/4. Bt.ASZKIEWrCZ A. 1980 - Campanian and Masstrichti:m ammonites of 7. Kazimicrz, Bochotnica and Nasilow quarries in the the Middle Yistula Rivcr valley, Poland: a stratigraphic-paleontologic southern outskirts of the town of Kazimierz-on-Vistula, in the study. PI'. Insf. Ceol., 92 : 3-63. eastern, high bank of the Vistula river (130-160 m a.s.l.; BURNETT 1.A., HANCOCK 1.M., KENNEDY W.J., LORD A.R. 1992 - Macrofossil planktonic foraminiferal and nannofossil zonation at the 51°19'NI21055'E) (Fig. 2); the Nasil6w quarry is located in the Campanian/Maastrichtian boundary. News. SImi., 27: 157- 172. western bank of the Vistula river, opposite to the town of CIESLINSKI S. 1956 - Stratigraphy nnd tectonics of the Cretaccous be- Kazimierz (130-160 m a.s.l.; 51 °20'N12I"28'E); the Bochotni- twecn Dobromierz, J6zef6w and przedb6rL. on the Pilica (Middle Po- ea quarry is located on the eastern side of the Vislula river, close land). Biul. I,ut. Ceul .• 113: 139-194. to the northern boundary of the Bochotnica village (150 m a.s.l.; CIESLINSKI S., POZARYSKI W. 1970-Cretaceous. In: The stratigraphy PI'. Insl. Ceo1.. 56: 51"23'Nl2lo59'E) (Fig. 2). of the Mesozoic in the margin of the Holy Cross MIS. 185- 224. Mainfeatures: middle Vistula section, Maastrichtian, Cre- HANSEN 1.H., RASMUSSEN K.L., GWOZDZ R., HANSEN J.M., RAD· taceousrrertiary boundary. WANSKI A. 1989 - The CretaceousfTertiary boundary in Centr;:ll Poland. Acta Ceo!. Pol., 39: 1- 12. The Kazimierz, Bochotnica and Nasit6w quarries (Figs. 9 KOBYt.ECKI M. 1936 - 0 stratygrafii i tektonice utwor6w kredowych niecki tomaszowskicj. Sprawozdania Towarzystwu Naukowego Warszaw- and 10) are located in the northernmost part of the middle skiego, 29. Warszawa Vistula gap valley, and represent the uppennost Maastrichtian KONGJEL R. 1962 - On belemnites from Maastrichtian, Campanian and strata including the MaastrichtianlDanian, i.e. the Creta- Santonian sediments in the Middle Yistula valley (Central Poland). Pro ceousrrertiary boundary (exposed in Nasil6w and Bochotnica) Muz. Ziemi, 5: 1-148. (Pozaryski, 1938, 1948; Pozaryska, 1952; Machalski & Wa- LUNIEWSKI A. 1923 - Sur In geologic des environs de Zawichost. Sprmv. Pm/st. bur. Ceoi.., 2: 49- 72. laszczyk, 1987; Hansen et al., 1989). All three sections provide MACHALSKI M .• WALASZCZYK I. 1987 - Fauna condensation and 76 I. Walaszczyk, S. Cie~liilski. H. Sylwestrzak

mixing in the uppermost Maastrichtian/Danian Greensand (Middle Vis· POZAR YSKI W. 1938 - Senonstratigraphie illl Durchbruch dcr Wcichsel tula Valley, central Poland). Acta Ceo!. Pol., 37: 75-91. zwischen Rach6w ulld Pulawy in Mittelpolen. Billi. Pmi.'I/. 11/.\'/. Geol .. MARCINOWSKI R.o RADWANSK I A. 1983-The mid-Cretl.lct!ous trans- 6: 1-94. gression onto the Central Polish Uplands (mnrginai part of the Central POZARYSKI W. 1948 - Jurassic and Cretaceous between Radom, Zawj· European Basin). Zilfeliallu, 10: 65---95 . chost and Kra§nik. Bill/. Panst. Insl. Geo/., 46: 1-141 . MARCINOWSKI R.o RUDOWSKI S. 1980 - Biala G6ra 11- Kopalni:l SAMSONOWICZ J. 1934 - Explication de 10 fcuille Opat6w. PnJ~st. Inst . piask6w szklarskich-albsrodkowy i g6rny. In : Jura goma i kredadolna Geol. Warszawa. we wschodnim obneteniu niecki t6dzkiej. przew. Lll Zjazdu PTG. WALASZCZYK 1. 1992 - Turonian through Santonian deposits of the 221-226. Bclchal6w. Central Polish Upland; their facies development, in oceramid paleonto- POZARYSKA K. 1952 - The sedimentological problems of the Upper logy and stratigraphy. Acta Ceol. Pol., 42: 1- 122. Maastrichtian and Danian of the Pulawyenvironments (Middle Visluln). WITKOWSKI A. 1969 - Gcological structure of the Tomasz6w Syncline. Biul. P(lfist.lllsl. Ceol., 81: 1- 104. Pro Inst. Geo!. , 53: 1-105.