WARNANT by M. LALOUX, E. GROESSENS, P. OVERLAU [(, H. P1RLET
~ru 100m &.--J
Ane.Abbaye de Moulins t2 Maredsous EGR87
Figure 1. Localization 1. LOCALIZATION CONIL, R. & LYS, M. in 1964 and 1965 • 1966 OVERLAU, P. : unpublished DSc . A. Abandonned underground quarry of dissertation (University of "Bleu Belge" marble known as DEJAIFFE Louvain). Macr9sedimentologi quarry. cal study and detailled log 500 m S.W. of the church. of the quarry (pl. 30 : car. Ref erence : documents of the Geolo DEJAIFFE n° 53/3-7). gical Survey of Belgium • 1968 PIRLET, H. : Study of the rhythmic 166W151. Upper Visean sedimentation. documents of R. CONIL • 1970 CONIL, R. & PIRLET, H. : Descrip Bioul 7. tion of paleontological outline Type section of Upper Warnantian of the transition beds (point 5, (fig. 2). fig. 3) • 1974 CONIL, R. & PIRLET, H. : Excurions B. Abandonned railway trench, S.E. of AS in BOUCKAERT, J. & STREEL, M. the quarry (railway Warnant-St ed. - Symposium of Namur. Gérard). • 1977 CONIL, R., GROESSENS, E. & PIRLET, 600 m South of the church. H. : Definition of Warnantian. Reference : documents of the Geolo- • 1983 NZIBA, M. : 3rd cycle doctorat gical Survey of Belgium thesis - University of Lille 166 w 149. (France) : Radiometrical ano documents of R. CONIL malies" Bioul 39 (fig. 3). • 1983 PAPROTH, E., CONIL, R. etaZ.: Definition of the formation 2. LITERATURE "Couches de Warnant" - p. 226.
• 19 23 .MAROTE, E. : Description of the 3. SHORT DESCRIPTION marble quarry (fig. 45) • 1934 DE.MANET, F. : first description From the bottom to the top (abandon of the transition beds and ned railway, abandonned quarry, shaft their macrofauna and upper trench) . • 1936 KAISIN, Jr. F. : tectonical des cription of the site (fig. 3) CaZaaire de PoiZvaahe (V3b{3) : the Upper part • 1938 DE.MANET, F. : complementary fau of the formation is to be seen in the rail nal list (fig. 1) way eut (sequence J, K1, K2 of PIRLET, • 1941 DE.MANET, F. : descriptions of 1968) . Namurian fauna • 1964 CaZaaire d'Anhée (V3l:rt) : - the sequences BOUCKAERT, J. & HIGGINS, A. : - 2 to 6 (gris bancs ) of PIRLET (1968) Joined description of gonia- outcrop in the railway eut. 1 ites and conodonts (point 2, fig. 2) - the two upper • 1964 CONIL, R. & PIRLET, H. : First sequences (7, 8 : "Bleu Belge") are expo study of foraminifera - other sed in the underground quarry. specimens were published by 221 Couches de Warnant (V3e) and transition to F. DEMANET (1938), J. BOUCKAERT & A. the Ncurru:l'ian : - the Lower limit of V3c is HIGGINS (1963) and A. HIGGINS & J. placed by F. DEMANET (1934, p. 449 ; BOUCKAERT (1968). 1938, p. 8 non-fig. 1 ; 1958, p. 101) They are well represented in the upper and H. PIRLET (1968) beneath black member. argillous beds knownas "Bancs de Desserre". We can point out : - R. CONIL & H. PIRLET (1970, fig. 3) placed this limit some two meters - Gnathodus girtyi (beds 9 3 to 1 0 2) lower into the uppermost part of the - Paragnathodus aommutatus (be ds 9 3 t o 1 0 2) "Bleu Belge". Refering to the thickness - Paragnathodus erueiformis (beds 93 & 1 OO) of the lower V3c given by F. DEMANET - Cavusgnathus navieuZus in bed 95 (7 m) which do not correspond to those The last conodonts recorded came from mesured in the quarry (almost 5 m). bed 102. - Nevertheless, R. CONIL & H. PIRLET, join the original definition e. Foramlnifera in 1974. - Pseud.oend.othyra appears in sequence J of Utholagy Calcaire de Poilvache (fig. 3) - Cribt>ostomum and Bmdyina rotuZa, gui de - a. Lower member (Zower V3e) : 5 m of bioclastic fossils of subzone Cffry appears res dark blue cherty limestone, thin bedded pectively in sequences - 2 and 0 of with argilleous intercalations. This beds Calcaire d'Anhêe (fig. 3). are seen at the entrance of the underground quarry. Detailled distribution of foramini fera in the "Couche de Warnant" is given b. Upper member (Upper V3a) : 8 m of alternation on fig. 2. of shales, calcareous shales, argilleous limestones and cherts. The shales, which - WarnantelZa and LoebZiehia paraammonoides are dominant in the upper part contain guides of the Cf6ô subzone, appear phosphatic nodules with radiolaria and well respectively in beds 50 and 51 (Lower preserved cellular tissue of ArahaeoeaZamites. V3c) . Numerous radioactiv picks have been detected - Janisehewskina exists in bed 87 (Upper in this interval (NZIBA, unpublished). V3c). a. 5 m of unfossiliferous sandy shales. The last foraminifera ( Pseudoammodiseus and Asteroarehaediseus) have been found d. brown shales, dated as Arnsbergian in bed 95 (Upper V3c). (subzone E2al).
5. THE "BLEU BELGE" MARBLE (E. GROESSENS) 4. PALEONTOLOGY The "Bleu Belge" marble was quarried a . Ga ni.aü,tv.i : in a few, often underground quarries at - Goniatites striatus : bed 5 5, lower V3c Anhée, Bioul, Falaën in the vicinity of subzone GOB in Germany, Zone GF 15 Dinant and Bo.uffioulx, Couillet and (P1b) in Great-Britain. Fontaine-l'Evêque near Charleroi. - Goniatites koboZdi (spimZe s.s.), bed 75, upper V3c ; subzone GoB in German y, It is a black dense micritic limestone Zone GF 15 (P1d) in Great-Britain. crossed by a network of white calc-spar - Goniatites granosus : beds 78 and 86, veins. It occures in the Uppermost upper V3c ; subzone GOy in Germany Dinantian into well stratified beds which Zone GF 16 (P2a) in Great-Britain. thickness varies from 0.30 to 0.80 m. - Lusitanites subeireularis : bed 93, upper V3c ; subzone GOy in Germany, Zone This network of white calc-spar is GF 16 (P2b) in Great-Britain. due to the tectonical movements which - Eumorphoaeras bisuZaatum and Cravenoeeras broke the black marble ; from there that aowZingense : brown shales ; subzone E2al. the "Bleu Belge" marble exist only in the most dislocated parts of the massifs and that tentatives quarries were opened and b. LameZZibranehs and braehiopods : quickly abandonned in other parts. These are listed in F. DEMANET's The calc-spar network shows generally publications. a symmetry of parallel lenthened "S" in dicating the tectonical deformation. The presence of Posidonomya membranaaea in bed 99 of upper V3c and of Martinia The nicest marble variety, called aff. gZabra in bed 102, also upper V3c, "Mélange" is those showing the largest is to be pointed out. calc-spar veins. The total thickness of the quarried a. Ostraeods : "Bleu Belge" level varies around 8 to 9 m. Sorne beds contain cherts which was the They are abundant in some residues main flaw of this first quality ornemental of the dissolution. of the limestones stone which was exported not only in Europe for conodont separation. but also to the United States where it was appraised. They are mainly Kirkbyacea and Bairdiacea pseudomorphosed into fluora IndustriaZ areheoZogy patite (lower V3c, M. COEN, unpublished information). The history of the workings of "Bleu Belge" is difficult to trace at his d. Conod.onts : beginnings. Conodonts have been described by At a couple of kilometers from the 222 () • 1 t :J .,, 0 c: 1 ...... 0 fmfüll]j0 (JI lO • 'tl 0 3 :J 0 OO Ill "" c: ':T Cii CllCll 0 0 IC 0 ':T .. ;;;;2': :: ""5 0 o. œ Il ;; ('!) ... • ,,,, tin en 0 1 CALCAIRE o' ANHEE COIJCHES DE WARNANT :J c: .. :J Il m n ...... œ Cil ;- ...... , ;:r œ " 3 N .. .. "" œ œ CO-·"' Ill .. :.:::. a:> :J Cl) œ œ ., œ°' Ill c: Cl· .. )( "'œ ...... N •w 1 c: lD 1 1 ..... 1.71• ••WU'I ••.... w • 0 )( 1 1 1 • "'"' 1 l;l' c.;> ..... ~ .i:> ...., - - ... .i:> U'1 U'1 U'1 en ...., ...., ...., ...., OO OO lD lD lD ""3 1.71 0 OO 0 U'1 lD w 0 N w~ OO U'I....,: w U'1 OO "' 1 .. 'tl 1 c:"' ;;; _I I ·, ,.,., .,,. 1 ""'"·11'":'·'.1-:"'-'î1·111r1·~,1w1·I'' 'tl c: 1 '".1 :J ' J 1 1 J 1 1 J .. " 1 ·: 1• I · 1 . · 1 1 . "· 1· ~ Cl). .. - 1 0 Ill 1 J _ 1 I) •• ,· cc .. ':T T' 1- l 1 1 1 1 l·1'.!11li1,.. jlr 1 1· ,., .. ,. '. ,.,jj Îj 1'.1 l11·i.111,· (j) \ 1 l~l~ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . . . • . . ; 1 . . 1 . .,. ~ -1 _\ ri c: Cl) l 1 1 ~ ~ - 1 1 1 1 Cl) ."1:! 1 ' ·' /i·ij:)i1diiliüil1i1;i 1 1~ 11·.1 ii'/1;~11JIJ/:ï! <> 1 o. 1 1 Cl) 1 .. 0 1 a> 1 0 1 1 Ill cS> G> G' :J 0 "' < 1 1 en ':T ;;r m 1 1 0 1 1 Cl) "'" :J -· :0 -Bleu Belge· 1 1 en .. 1 1 ... Membre inférieurlV3c inf.l 1: 1 Membre supérieur ( VJ c sup.l r 1 ...... 1 1 Cl) 1 1 0 Cl) œ )> 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 U'1 U'IU'IU'I U'1 ...., ...., I • .. 1 en 1 1 .... 1 c 1 1 0 -'WU'I lD w 0 1 ' 1 Il ... 1 1 "' ~ Ill 0 "" 3 l.O 1 1 - Cl). 'tl 0 QJ 1 1 Cl• en en c: ... 1 ,1 1 1 ~ en ... 1 1 1 ... œ 1 1- œ c: .. 1 1 Cl) Cl)• 1 1 1 1 )( ... 11T' 1 1 1 .. ... 1 1 -/ 1 1 œ ... 1 11 1 1 1 c: QJ m -i 1 1 l 1 1 )( T 1 -{ 1- 1 ::i 1 1 N Cl) )> 1 1 1 1 N 1 ... VI 1 1 1 :J .cr"" r: wi o th y ra no p R 1'. s (/)..... fî 1•1111r:1: a ... n Q) 0 11'.'i'171n•c7z a ·1'. s c us ..... ed 0 c ..... "'O End or: l:nf f el la < ~ m F' > :~ :; t! f f ?3 l la "O )> CD !' .1 N! tor, tt7ff P. l la :o n o. z )> "'O !' /~ :.: (? Y' i P. 7. l 0 c: )> :0 J> Pnlaeotext.bilam. z :0 :0 ~ -1 - -1 r :: ,, 11 d c t 1: t u (' f; u b a Q) m- ... :o m ,... ,,,7 (1 f; hy Po: :J en m r G) r- cf. F.'n;; f;off!? l l 1'. no Ql :J..... _. cm N n rio na Y' e ha P. d 1'. r, c u .s en m N ?? o n Y' c Jzo Nh'. r, e u o .,. ~ c... c Pn('11dnammodiGcUR < l> m _. ,, r- 11 1 : - 11 :: /, r> r ('ri r c li o P. â 1'. r, c u r; • • 1 t.-• •• H • • 1 • ...., • • •t 1 1 t• ±..,...-,.t "O -~ ,, )> ==· ...CD• _m r !lrr?lzaed. stade tenu1'..s"' '· Mltt • 1 1 1 1 11 • • • )> CD r r./a rnan tel la ,... c: 0 ... c: l1'.r~l11'.a paroammonoide::: )( [,oPh ..... Jan c ?1J r; na w i .s ho. ld ~ OO ~ COUPE DU VICINAL A WARNANT (SG 166W/149) ,_,,tj ,_:, \l) haut '+--, log H PIRLET & R CONIL '+--, (j rev. foram. M LA LOU X 1987 t.? -!-' E: ;::s (? ;::s <:.l C) -!-' -1 E: ~ C) 6' -~ <:.l -!-' ' 4 Q) .c: C) K2 Cil > 3 0 Q. ,' 1j i::... ' Q) .,..,..r::i 'Q) Q) P:l "'C ' .c: c: À K1 Q) .... 0 Cil "'C (,) (j 1 tj Cil ::... >::'. (.) ~ ..s:: ""';:;;, ~ '"tl J C) (j ::... '"tl Q) P:l >::'. .... \\) 0 À Cil CO C) CD (,) ai '\j ::: ;::s Cil 1- \l) (.) w tJ;j ..Ja: P., ii: À CD u"' c CD 4> :::J cr CD + "' bas calci lut ite /lftf joint argileux [ w m cale. bioclastique •• cherts Œ!J cale. rubané ( str. algairesl tP oncoïdes -1 2i5 cale. en plaquettes 0 ooÏdes Figure 3. E;; schistes ~A radicelles HS. houille 224 Warnant quarry existed during the 18th In 1887, at the 5th exhibition of century, a hydraulic emery-whell, polis the "Société belge des Ingénieurs et hing marble tiles at the Abbay of Moulins Industriels" "Bleu Belge" produced by the ( see for localization on fig. 1) but Society MERBES-SPRIMONT is showed, but no only Lower Visean Black Marble of Dinant origin of the matter is given by Ch. coming from the quarry at the Road of LEGRAND in his account. Salet seems to have been produced. Nor A.L. WIRSING (1775, p. 71), nor the maps The same year, in a important paper of FERRARIS (1771-1778) who mention the on the marble industry,"DEMARET, J. Moulins Abbay works, do notice "Bleu (pp. 531-532) list a number of localities, Belge" works. P.F. CAUCHY (1825) mention without much comment, but estimate the in his memoir on the geology of the Namur total annual production at 400 m3. Province marbles from Thon, which could be refer~d to "Bleu Belge" : "N° 79 - Ten years laters, at the International On a expZo-ité, dans quel-ques-unes des carrières Exhibition of Brussels, only "Bleu Belge" de Thon et Samson, deux bancs susceptibl-es de marble from the V. MUTSAERT et Cie at fournir des marbres qui, pour n'être pas fort Bioul is exposed (RABOZEE, H., 1897). connus, n'en méPitent pas moins d'être cités ici. IZ-8 présentent, sur un fond gris bl-euâtre, This quarry will be cited in the de petites veines et taahes dont tes unes recent litterature as quarry "Noire-Terre" sont d'un gris beaucoup pl-us al-air et tes autres and quarried by MERBES-SPRIMONT till the d'un hl-eu beaucoup pl-us foncé". early 1960th (see P. DUMON, 1959 - for a full description, reproduced in E. M. DRAPIEZ (1823) in a similar memoir GROESSENS, 1981, p. 241). concerning the Hainaut Province noticed that any such quarry is active in the This quarry was al.sa described by vicinity of Charleroi, p. 72 : "Enfin, E. MAROTE (1923), still under the name pl-us tain encore parmi tes rampes au pied des Mutsaert. quel-Z-es serpente ta Sambre, se montrent, vers Landety, de puissantes masses de marbre qui E. MAROTE (1923) give a detailled sembtent offrir Z-eurs ftancs à qui voudra utite description and a figure of a second ment tes ouvrir et tes déchirer; el-tes s'éten quarry - the Dejaiffe Quarry - we visit dent jusqu'à Mont-sur-Marahienne où des stra today. tifications d'argil-e avea ae même cal-caire, This quarry as well as the Railway trench donnent à ta pierre un aspeat rubanné ; ta was visited by the "Société belge de disposition presque droite des Z-ignes t'a fait Géologie" in 1901 (see vol. 28, pp. 337- surnommer 'marbre-aal-Z-emande '. 11 340). The name "Bileu Belge" appears in the The quarry seens to be out of activi second half of the 19th century. It is ty before the last world war. Indeed, in mentionned in a treatise of Civil Engi . 1947, at the Centenary Meeting of the neerjng published in Paris by A. DEMANET Engineers Association of Liège, only two in 1862. quarries are mentionned : H. DAFFE at Anhée and Noire-Terre at "Bleu Belge" from the quarry "Bois Bioul (MERBES-SPRIMONT). des-Cloches" at Couillet is exposed by PUISSANT FRERES at the International After a prospecties of the "Union Exhibitions of London in 1862 and Paris des Carrières et Scierie du Marbre de in 1867. Belgique" (1948), four members of this association produce "Bleu Belge" : At the Antwerp exibition of 1885 two marble cutters of Namur exposed "Bleu - A. MARMOR works the "Gros-Thiau" Belge" - Gustave LEFEVRE exposed blocs quarry at Bioul ; and PIRSON slices. - S.A. Carrière de Marbre d'Anhée Figure 4. "Noire Terre quarry" after P. DUMON, 1962. VEINE de BLEU BELGE à La NOIRE TERRE 225 CARTE GEOLOGIQUE du BASSIN HOUILLER d' ANHEE ~ Dévonien moyen ~ Viséen moyen et supérieur m Dévonien supérieur lml!I Namurien ~ Tourna isien inférieur et supérieur Ed Poches de Tertiaire Viséen inférieur o Alluvions quaternaires "'7?T;= Figure 5. Localization of "Bleu Belge" marble quarries in de vicinity of Warnant (P. DUMON, 1962, after the Geological Map of Belgium - 1/40 000) (H. DAFFE of Ligny) quarries at In Namur, a joiner, named DAVREUX Anhée ; opened one time a "Bleu Belge" quarry - S.A. MERBES-SPRIMONT works at in the vicinity of the cemetery of "Noire-Terre" (Bioul) Belgrade. The tectonical features - S.A. STENUICK works a quarry of the quarry where described by M. at Fontaine-l'Evêque. LECOMTE (1932). The two last mentionned quarries Because of the fame of the "Bleu were still active in the early 1960th., Belge" some beds of the Frasnian were but were closed a few years later. quarried to produce a "Genre Bleu Belge" from less quality because of,among The marble quarried at Fontaine- other reasons, the presence of Stroma 1 'Evêque was also called "Veiné Saint toporoîds appearing in grey on the black Christophe". ground. To complete the listing of "Bleu This Devonian marble was produced Belge" works, a quarries has been men at Barvaux, Frasnes and in Entre-Sambre tionned at Bouffioulx and Châtelet by et-Meuse. In the collections of the J. DEMARET (1887) and DARRAS in 1912. Geological Survey a "Genre Bleu Belge" from Feluy is displaid. Merbes-Sprimont owned in Bioul two other c:uarries named Foltia and La Gauche. The main staircase of the Geological Quarries named Pirmez and of Prince de Survey's building is a good example of Mérode did work at Bioul. "Bleu Belge" employ. Other quarries are mentionned in the localities of Haut-le-Wastia, Falaën, Houx and Marchin but these must never have been importànt. At Saint-Aubin, near Florennes, it was called "Grand Antique Bleu Belge". 226