Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy) vol. 124(1): 163-246. March 2018 A REVISED PALAEOGENE LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE NORTHERN SWISS JURA AND THE SOUTHERN UPPER RHINE GRABEN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE NORTH ALPINE FORELAND BaSIN CLAUDIUS PIRKENSEER1,3, GAËTAN RAUBER1 & STÉPHANE ROUSSÉ2 1 Paléontologie A16, Office de la culture, Rue de la Chaumont 13, CH-2900 Porrentruy. 2 Beicip-Franlab, 232 avenue Napoleon Bonaparte, FR-92500 Rueil-Malmaison. 3 Earth Sciences, Université de Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, CH-1700 Fribourg. To cite this article: Pirkenseer C., Rauber G. & Roussé S. (2018) - A revised Palaeogene lithostratigraphic framework for the northern Swiss Jura and the southern Upper Rhine Graben and its relationship to the North Alpine Foreland Basin. Riv. It. Paleontol. Strat., 124(1): 163-246. Keywords: lithostratigraphic correlation; formation revision; Eocene; Oligocene; clastic sedimentology; interbasinal relationships; heavy minerals. Abstract. The Palaeogene deposits in the Swiss Molasse Basin, the intermediate Swiss Jura and the adjacent southern Upper Rhine Graben represent an excellent case study for interbasinal sedimentary and palaeogeographic relationships. The topographic and geologic complexity of the area led to an accumulation of local stratigraphic terms during nearly 200 years of research activity, necessitating a simplification of the lithostratigraphic framework. Additionally, the extension of the investigated area over two historically shifting language areas and the absence of a standardised supraregional lithostratigraphy adds to complexity of the situation. In revising and grouping around 200 multilingual Palaeogene lithostratigraphic terms and spellings from the northern Jura and the southern Upper Rhine Graben that accumulated since 1821 we propose a concise standard- ised framework of 10 formations (6 new and/or emended) and 6 new members. It avoids the confusing multitude of historic “formation” names and stratigraphic ambiguity like the “Septarienton”, “Molasse alsacienne” or the “Cyrenenmergel”. The new formations include the Turckheim Formation (formerly “Steingang”, “Conglomérats côtiers”), the Rossemaison Formation (formerly “Terre jaune”, “Gelberde”), the Pulversheim Formation (formerly “Melettaschichten”) and the Wahlebach Formation (formerly “Cyrenenmergel”, partim “Molasse alsacienne”). The Wallau and Hochberg subformations are emended and elevated to formation status. For all discussed units except the Sidérolithique new reference and/or type sections are provided and illustrated. This new framework is put in context to recent stratigraphic schemes from adjacent areas in the Upper Rhine Graben, proposing status changes and emendations for existing units (e.g. Wallau-Subformation emended to Wallau Formation). To illustrate the former complexity and the proposed standardisation in the larger area, we applied the lithostratigraphic context to 9 palaeogeographic maps. New heavy mineral data from the Delémont Basin complements the scarce regional information and is dis- cussed in relation to Palaeogene tectonosedimentary context of the North Alpine Foreland Basin and the southern Upper Rhine Graben. 1 INTRODUCTION regional sediments. The tectonic evolution (folding and thrusting of the Jura mountains) of the studied During the last two decades the study of the area led to the erosion of formerly more widespread Cenozoic deposits of the so-called “Jura-Molasse” sedimentary units to relics preserved in topographi- re-intensified due to the construction of motorway cally separated synclines. The palaeogeographic com- A16 in northwestern Switzerland, stimulating more plexity also led to the deposition of locally confined complex interpretations of the regional palaeogeog- facies or condensed lateral equivalents of well-devel- raphy linked to lateral facies changes. These deposits oped sedimentary successions in the adjacent main represent the interface of two major tectonic units: basins. During nearly 200 years of local and region- the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) and the North al research activity this consequently resulted in the Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB, “Molasse Basin”; accumulation of numerous, partly overlapping or Fig. 1, 43), hence leading to a complex palaeogeo- substituting stratigraphic terms (Fig. 3-7). Despite graphic history and an alternating provenance of the elaboration of detailed summaries of the known lithostratigraphic units (e.g. Sittler 1965; Doebl 1970; Received: July 06, 2017; accepted: December 22, 2017 Picot 2002; Becker 2003; Berger et al. 2005a), no 164 Pirkenseer C., Rauber G. & Roussé S. Fig. 2 - Geographic distribution of analysed sections (for basin sub- division see Fig. 1): 1 Brochene Fluh, 2 Logs Tüllingen Hill, 3 drilling Allschwil-2, 4 Laufen, 5 Fichtenrain (Therwil), 6 Stutzweg (Therwil), 7 Dornachbrugg - River Birse, 8 Biel-Benken & Leymen, 9 Blauen-3, 10 Lörrach logs, 11 Rheinweiler, 12 Kandern area logs, 13 drilling COM-F5, 14 drilling DP-202, 15 drillings HRT-F8 & 9, 16 Folgensburg, 17 Heidwiller, 18 CRD-VRR (La Verrerie), 19 CRD-POI C-142 & CRD-PRC C-5, 20 Courroux - River Birse, 21 DEL-BEE C-19, 22 Près-Roses mine shaft, 23 River Sorne bed, 24 River Scheulte & Birse bed, 25 Burg-Biederthal, 26 Bouxwiller-Oltingue, 27 Eguisheim, 28 Turckheim, 29 dril- Fig. 1 - Geographic overview and subdivision of Cenozoic basins ling RNA-F1 & 2, 30 drilling CHM-F4, 31 Retzwiller, 32 (German federal states in italics; adapted from Berger et al. Burnhaupt-Le-Haut, 33 Güwenheim, 34 drilling ETA-F2, 2005a). 35 drilling CLJ-F1, 36 Froidefontaine, 37 Hagenbach, 38 POR-OIP C-4, 39 Réchésy. comprehensive formal definition of formations and tectonic events was triggered by respective phases of designations of concise names took place. the alpine orogeny, progressing along a comparative- New stratigraphic and micropalaeontological ly similar timeline throughout the (southern) Upper data from the southern URG (e.g. Roussé 2006; Picot Rhine Graben, supraregional lithostratigraphic units et al. 2008; Pirkenseer & Berger 2011) including the should be homogenized. A large tectonic feature as Delémont, Laufen and Ajoie subbasins as well as the the Upper Rhine Graben extending over three coun- elaboration of homogenized lithostratigraphies (e.g. tries and two language areas greatly benefits from Grimm et al. 2011b; LGRB 2011) for adjacent areas common formation names based on geographic needed to be integrated to achieve a better under- terms, and not as is the case up to now on predom- standing of the larger stratigraphic context of the in- inantly descriptive, ambiguous, partly vaguely or in- dividual formations. The choice of type localities and consistently defined terms that need to be translated names outside the Delémont, Ajoie and Laufen sub- (e.g., Marnes à Cyrènes, Cyrenenmergel, Cyrena Marls basins proved necessary since for the Oligocene the = Hagenbach, Retzwiller and Courroux Members). local deposits represent condensed marginal exten- As clarified below only one lithostratigraph- sions of formations closer to the depositional cen- ic unit will keep its historical name (Sidérolithique), tre(s) of the southern URG. Since the evolution of whereas for others new names will be proposed (e.g. Palaeogene lithostratigraphy of northern Swiss Jura and southern Upper Rhine Graben 165 Fig. 3 - Correlation of past lithostra- tigraphic concepts in chro- nological order (part 1). Steingang, Conglomérates côtiers = Turckheim Fm) Haut-Rhin (e.g. Voltz 1828; Daubrée 1852; Delbos or adapted from already well-defined formations & Köchlin-Schlumberger 1867) (Fig. 3). While from adjacent areas. Some units are subject to status Daubrée (1852) described many Cenozoic depos- changes (e.g. Cyrenenmergel as member of the [new] its in detail (e.g. “Couches de Bechelbronn”), their Wahlebach Fm; Fig. 40, 44). stratigraphic position remained ambiguous. A first ordered lithostratigraphy was presented in Delbos Abbreviations: URG = Upper Rhine Graben, NAFB = & Köchlin-Schlumberger (1867), introducing North Alpine Foreland Basin, USM = Untere Süsswassermolasse, UMM = Untere Meeresmolasse, OSM = Obere Süsswassermolasse, amongst others the later common terms “Schiste OMM = Obere Meeresmolasse, Fm = formation, Mb = member à poissons”, “Tongrien”, “Grès à feuilles” and “Marne à Cyrènes” for selected Rupelian deposits. Merian (1821) and Greppin (1870) dealt explicitly 2 PREVIOUS STRATIGRAPHIC WORK with the geology of the Jura mountains, though Merian (1821) was somewhat hampered being the During the initial phase from the 1820ies to first to discuss also the Cenozoic deposits, their de- 1870 geognostic investigations often concerned scription remaining rather vague. Greppin (1870) the larger area of the French Departments Bas/ went much more in detail describing the succession 166 Pirkenseer C., Rauber G. & Roussé S. Fig. 4 - Correlation of past lithostra- tigraphic concepts in chro- nological order (part 2). of each syncline in a stratigraphic order and present- The following years brought a refinement on a ing a first comprehensive lithostratigraphic synthesis regional scale with the establishment of the initial ge- (introducing e.g. the “Terre jaune”, “Delémontien”) ological maps of the Jura area and more specialized with correlations to adjacent basins (Fig. 3). analyses of selected stratigraphic units (e.g. Rollier Following a short hiatus Andreae (1884) and 1893a, b, 1898, 1910; Gutzwiller 1893; Förster 1888, Kilian (1884)