The middle Miocene Leitha Mountains carbonate platform (Vienna Basin, Austria) – a palaeoenvironmental archive at the margin of the tropical reef belt by Bak. rer. nat. Mag. rer. nat. Thomas Wiedl A thesis submitted to the Institute of Earth Sciences Karl-Franzens University of Graz In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.) Graz, October 2015 2 Supervisor O. Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Werner Piller University of Graz Institute of Earth Sciences Heinrichstraße 26 8010 Graz Austria Co-supervisor Priv. Doz. Mag. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser Head of Department Geological-Paleontological Department Natural History Museum Vienna Burgring 7 1010 Wien Austria 3 4 Contents Preface .................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter I ............................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction to the study area ..................................................................................... 11 1.1 The Leitha platform in the southern Vienna Basin .............................................. 11 1.2 Tectonic and geological setting of the study area ............................................... 13 1.3 Stratigraphy ................................................................................................................ 14 1.4 References ................................................................................................................. 16 Chapter II ...........................................................................................................21 Facies and synsedimentary tectonics on a Badenian carbonate platform in the southern Vienna Basin (Austria, Central Paratethys) ......................21 2.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 22 2.2.1 Study area ........................................................................................................ 24 2.3 Material and methods ............................................................................................... 25 2.4 Section description ................................................................................................... 25 2.4.1 Section I ............................................................................................................ 26 2.4.2 Section II ........................................................................................................... 28 2.4.3 Tectonics ........................................................................................................... 43 2.5 Facies analysis and interpretation .......................................................................... 44 2.5.1 Basal breccia facies ........................................................................................ 44 2.5.2 Cross-bedded gravel facies ........................................................................... 44 2.5.3 Bioclastic corallinacean facies ....................................................................... 45 2.5.4 Acervulina -rhodolith subfacies ...................................................................... 46 2.5.5 Mollusc subfacies ............................................................................................ 48 2.5.6 Amphistegina subfacies .................................................................................. 52 2.5.7 Bryozoan subfacies ......................................................................................... 53 2.5.8 Coral debris subfacies .................................................................................... 53 2.5.9 Pholadomya subfacies .................................................................................... 54 2.5.10 Pinna subfacies ............................................................................................. 55 2.5.11 Rhodolith facies ............................................................................................. 59 2.6 Facies succession and synsedimentary tectonics ............................................... 61 5 2.7 Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 64 2.8 Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... 65 2.9 References ................................................................................................................. 66 Chapter III .............................................................................................76 Ecospace variability along a carbonate platform at the northern boundary of the Miocene reef belt (Upper Langhian, Austria) ...............................76 3.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................................... 76 3.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 77 3.2.1 Study area ........................................................................................................ 78 3.3 Materials and methods ............................................................................................. 80 3.4 Sedimentary facies ................................................................................................... 80 3.4.1 Section A ........................................................................................................... 80 3.4.2 Section B ........................................................................................................... 83 3.4.3 Section C .......................................................................................................... 83 3.4.4 Section D .......................................................................................................... 84 3.5 Stratigraphy ................................................................................................................ 86 3.6 Facies analysis and interpretation .......................................................................... 88 3.6.1 Bioclastic coralline algal–mollusc facies ...................................................... 88 3.6.2 Hyotissa facies ................................................................................................. 89 3.6.3 Isognomon facies ............................................................................................ 91 3.6.4 Bryozoan facies ............................................................................................... 92 3.6.5 Rhodolith facies ............................................................................................... 92 3.6.6 Coral facies ....................................................................................................... 93 3.6.7 Terrigenous sand facies ................................................................................. 95 3.7 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 99 3.7.1 Ecospace modulation – variation under different set-ups ....................... 100 3.7.2 Cyclic sedimentation patterns ..................................................................... 101 3.7.3 The northern boundary of the Langhian Peri-Mediterranean reef belt . 102 3.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 104 3.9 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 105 3.10 References ............................................................................................................. 106 6 Chapter IV...........................................................................................120 From biologically to hydrodynamically controlled carbonate production by tectonically induced palaeogeographic rearrangement (Middle Miocene, Pannonian Basin)................................................................................120 4.1 Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 121 4.2 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 122 4.2.1 Study area and geological setting ............................................................... 124 4.3 Material and methods ............................................................................................. 126 4.4 Stratigraphy .............................................................................................................. 126 4.5 Sedimentary facies ................................................................................................. 127 4.5.1 Winden A ........................................................................................................ 127 4.5.2 Winden B ........................................................................................................ 128 4.5.3 Winden C ........................................................................................................ 129 4.5.4 Winden D .......................................................................................................