Carbonate cements and grains in submarine fan sandstones—the Cergowa Beds (Oligocene, Carpathians of Poland) recorded by cathodoluminescence

Abstract

The cathodoluminescence (CL) observations with cold cathode, supplemented by reconnaissance scanning electron microscope analyses, bring new data on petrology, provenance and diagenesis of the Oligocene-age Cergowa sandstones from the Outer Carpathians (SE Poland). The sandstones represent a variety of mass gravity flow sediments deposited on a submarine fan, which now forms a lenticular lithosome—a part of the Menilite Beds–Krosno Beds suite important for the hydrocarbons industry. The most common components of the Cergowa sandstones observed under the CL are carbonates—cement and grains that are mainly represented by lithoclasts. Carbonate cement is represented by five generations: brown (Cb), orange (Co), yellow (Cy), zoned (Cz) and black (Ck). Pore-filling Cb and Co calcite cements are interpreted as genetically related to eo- and mesodiagenetic phases. The mesodiagenetic phase is characterised by randomly distributed relatively large monocrystalline-zoned rhombs of dolomite cement (Cz) and ankerite/ferroan dolomite (Ck). The telodiagenetic phase is represented by pore-filling yellow calcite (Cy) that crystallised under the influence of suboxic meteoric waters. Lithoclasts represent six microfacies of carbonate rocks eroded in the source area, i.e. microbreccia, tectonised immature calcarenite/wacke, microsparite, sparite, biomicrosparite/packstone and dolostone. Pronounced indentations of terrigenous sand grains into intraclasts of packstone/biomicrosparite, coupled with commonly present similar packstone-type matrix, suggest that a significant part of matrix resulted from compaction of soft biomicrosparite grains. Terrigenous grains bound by calcite cement are commonly corroded by acidic diagenetic fluids, and partial or even complete replacement of silicates by calcite and clay minerals is illustrated here by feldspar grains. Substantial carbonate cementation has resulted in both the significant hardness and abrasion resistance of the Cergowa sandstones as well giving rise to their very low porosity and permeability.