Cretaceous Research 24 (2003) 253–275 Correlation of Tethyan and Boreal Berriasian – Barremian strata with emphasis on strata in the subsurface of the Netherlands Philip J. Hoedemaekera*, G.F. Waldemar Herngreenb a National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden Netherlands b Netherlands Institute of Applied Geoscience TNO – National Geological Survey, Utrecht Netherlands; present address: Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, Netherlands Accepted 4 April 2003 Abstract The standard Tethyan Berriasian–Barremian successions of France and Spain are correlated with the Boreal successions of England, Germany and the Netherlands. Special emphasis is placed on the correlation and sequence stratigraphy of the main hydrocarbon-producing strata of the Berriasian–Barremian stages in the four main basins in the subsurface of the Netherlands and the Dutch part of the North Sea continental shelf. All available biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, and sequence-stratigraphic correlation data-sets were used to draw this correlation chart. Many lacunae in shallow marine successions could be correlated with sediments in deeper marine successions. Some sequence boundaries are tectonically enhanced and were accompanied by extra large falls in sea level; they initiated important changes in the biota and sedimentary regimes of western Europe, viz, the boundaries of the so-called ‘transgressive regressive facies cycles’ of Jacquin & de Graciansky. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Correlation; Lower Cretaceous; Sequence stratigraphy; Biostratigraphy; The Netherlands; England; Germany; France; Spain. 1. Introduction (Caravaca, southeast Spain) has been to make a detailed correlation with the main hydrocarbon-producing strata Hoedemaeker (1999) published a first attempt at a of the Netherlands, so that the ages of these strata could detailed correlation of the Tethyan and Boreal succes- precisely be calibrated with the stratotypes in the sions of Berriasian–Barremian strata; in fact the then Mediterranean region. For this purpose a new corre- still non-existent sequence stratigraphic interpretation of lation chart was constructed by PJH in close cooper- the boreal successions of England and Germany (except ation with GFWH. On this chart all corrections were for the German ‘Wealden’) was proposed. This corre- incorporated and three columns were added that present lation initiated many fruitful discussions, which resulted the stratigraphy of the pre-Aptian Cretaceous of the in the addition of many corrections and refinements to a subsurface of the Netherlands and its continental shelf. revised correlation chart. This updated chart was pub- lished in the final volume of IGCP project 362: Tethyan/ 1.1. How to read the correlation chart Boreal Cretaceous correlation (Hoedemaeker, 2002). From the outset, one of the aims of the investigation The vertical axis of the correlation chart does not of the Cretaceous stratigraphy along the Rı´o Argos represent a time-scale in which equal lapses of time have the same lengths, but represents the rate of sedimen- tation in the Rı´o Argos succession, which is rather * Corresponding author. Dr P. Hoedemaeker, National Museum variable. of Natural History, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden 2300 RA, The most striking features of the correlation chart are The Netherlands. Tel.: +31-71-5687699; fax: +71-5687666 E-mail addresses: [email protected] the large hiatuses, represented by blue blocks. These (P.J. Hoedemaeker), [email protected] (G.F. Waldemar correspond to lowstand systems tracts, which are pre- Herngreen). served in the Rı´o Argos succession, but not in most 0195-6671/03/$ - see front matter 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0195-6671(03)00044-2 254 P. Hoedemaeker, G.F. Waldemar Herngreen / Cretaceous Research 24 (2003) 253–275 Boreal successions, where they represent times of non- (1990), Monteil (1992, 1993), Wilpshaar (1995a,b) and deposition (sediment bypassing or emergence). The rate Masure et al. (1998). Those in the German and English of deposition of the lowstand systems tracts in the Rı´o columns are from Duxbury (1977, 1980), Davey (1979, Argos succession is estimated to be approximately twice 1982), Below (1981), Heilmann-Clausen (1987), or three-times that of the transgressive and highstand Mutterlose & Harding (1987), Harding (1990), Pro¨ssl systems tracts. This would imply that the time of depo- (1990), Strauss et al. (1993), Heilmann-Clausen & sition of the lowstand systems tracts is about the same as Thomsen (1995), Lutat (1995), and Below & Kirsch the time of deposition of the transgressive and highstand (1997). systems tracts together. Therefore, about 50% of the The first and last occurrences of ammonites and successions considered here is not preserved, and in the belemnites of the German and English Speeton col- peritidal to continental deposits of the Purbeck and umns are according to Whitehouse & Brighton (1924), Wealden successions and the Delfland Subgroup still Donovan (1957), Doyle (1963, 1989), Rawson (1970, more is missing. The hiatuses may span unknown bio- 1995), Kemper (1976, 1992), Immel & Mutterlose stratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic zones and zonal (1980), Kemper et al. (1981), Mutterlose (1983, 1984), boundaries. For instance, the precise stratigraphic and Rawson & Mutterlose (1983). The ranges and the position of the lower boundaries of magnetozones first and last occurrences of ammonites in the French M18n, M17r and M15n in relation to ammonite zonal column are according to Busnardo (1965), Thieuloy boundaries are still unknown. (1973, 1977), Bulot et al. (1992), Delanoy (1994, 1995), The white blocks between the shaded blocks represent Reboulet (1995), and Vermeulen (1998). the preserved parts of the depositional sequences; they In the white strips of columns 3 and 8 the magneto- represent times in which actual deposition occurred. The stratigraphy of Ogg et al. (1991, 1994) and Galbrun et al. deposits of each white block generally correspond to the (1986) respectively are depicted. It should be noted that transgressive and highstand systems tracts together. the magnetostratigraphy of the Berriasian stratotype as However, the presence of a transgressive systems tract presented by Jan du Cheˆne et al. (1993) deviates in cannot be ascertained everywhere; in many cases only an several details from those presented by Galbrun & unknown part of the transgressive systems tract may be Rasplus (1984), Galbrun (1985), and Galbrun et al. preserved or even only the highstand systems tract. Only (1986); it is therefore not considered. The magneto- in those cases in which it has definitely been shown that stratigraphy of the basal Valanginian Otopeta Zone is only the highstand systems tract is preserved is it pre- that of Ogg et al. (1988). sented as such. In all other cases the entire transgressive In the white strip of column 8 we have marked the and highstand systems tracts are drawn, which makes stratigraphic positions of the discontinuities discerned in many of the white blocks larger than they should be. the Berriasian and Valanginian of the southern Jura Each column has a white strip on the right-hand side Mountains by the Darsac (1983) and Boisseau (1987) in which all relevant biostratigraphic and magnetostrati- (Di1, Di1#, Di2, Di3, Di4), and in southeast France graphic information is given. The first ([) and last (Y) by Autran (1993) (DVm, DVs, DZL). They can be occurrences of fossils are marked as well as some single interpreted as maximum flooding surfaces. occurrences ()). On the right-hand side of the white strip of column 8 The first and last occurrences of the ostracods from (France) we have marked off the multi-layered marl- the English Purbeck and Wealden are according to stone intervals distinguished by Bulot et al. (1994) in the Anderson (1962, 1973, 1985), Anderson & Hughes Valanginian and lower Hauterivian of the Vocontian (1964), Anderson & Bazley (1971); those of the pelagic basin. In these marlstone bed-sets the marlstone ‘Wealden’ in Germany are mainly from Wolburg (1959) interbeds predominate (or almost predominate) over the and, to a lesser extent, from Elstner & Mutterlose limestone beds. These so-called ‘vires marneux’ (= marly (1996). The latter used a slightly different taxonomy; in ledges) were given codes: VBM3, VIM1-3, VSM1-6, the correlation chart the taxonomy and synonymy of VM1-6, nearly all of which were interpreted by us as Anderson is used. The foraminiferal faunas in the white corresponding to lowstand systems tracts. The more strip of column 4 (England, Speeton) refer to the faunas calcareous bed-sets in between, the so-called ‘faisceaux’ distinguished by Fletcher (1973). (=bundles), in which the limestone beds predominate (or The first and last occurrences of dinoflagellate cysts in almost predominate) over the marlstone interbeds, also the Spanish column are according to Leereveld bear codes, which are generally the first capital letter of (1997a,b), and those in the three columns for the the name of the ammonite zone in which they occur (P1, Netherlands are according to GFWH. The first and last P2, S, T, P, V, N, F1, F2, L, N, SS). They were occurrences of the dinoflagellate cysts in the French interpreted by us as corresponding to the combined column are from De Rene´ville & Raynaud (1981), transgressive/highstand systems tracts. The stratigraphic Habib & Drugg (1983), Jardine´ et al (1984), Srivastava positions of the ‘vires marneux’ and ‘faisceaux’