Cretaceous (Aptian/Albian–?Cenomanian) age of “black flysch” and adjacent deposits of the Grajcarek thrust-sheets in the Małe Pieniny Mts. (Pieniny Klippen Belt, Polish Outer Carpathians)

Nestor Oszczypko,Barbara Olszewska,Ewa Malata

doi:10.7306/gq.1031

Nestor Oszczypko, Barbara Olszewska + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.7306/gq.1031

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Abstract

Several sections record the relation between the “black flysch” and Upper Cretaceous red shales in the Grajcarek thrust-sheets. In all the sections studied the “black flysch” appears in the core of imbricated folds or thrust-sheets, whereas the limbs are composed of Upper Cretaceous deposits. The transitional beds between the “ black flysch” and the Upper Cretaceous red shales are composed of green and black bituminous shales, green and red radiolarites and cherty limestones. Biostratigraphical investigations have revealed a similar type and sequence of microfauna assemblages in all the sections studied and significant redeposition of Jurassic calcareous benthic foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, molluscs, sponge spicules and crinoid elements. The Cretaceous age (Aptian/Albian–?Cenomanian) of the “black flysch” is shown by the presence of agglutinated foraminifera and microfacies data. These deposits are underlain by a Kimmeridgian–Aptian radiolarite/limestone condensed succession and overlain by Turonian–Campanian hemipelagic red shales and Maastrichtian/Lower Paleocene conglomerates and thick-bedded silicilastic turbidites of the Jarmuta Formation. Such a sequence of deposits is typical of the Outer Carpathian basins and records the global Mid/Late Cretaceous phenomena in the world ocean, followed by the Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds

Highlights

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) is the suture zone which separates Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin from the Magura Nappe (Outer Western Carpathians; Fig. 1)
In all sections studied the “black flysch” appears in core of the imbricated folds and/or thrust-sheets, whereas the limbs of Stratigraphic occurrence of the microfossils recovered from the Opaleniec Fm
The results presented, in general, support Sikora’s (1962, 1971b) view on the Mid-Late Cretaceous age of the “black flysch” succession in the Ma3e Pieniny Mts

Summary

Introduction

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) is the suture zone which separates Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin from the Magura Nappe (Outer Western Carpathians; Fig. 1). In the Ma3e Pieniny Mts., the main Paleogene body of the Magura Nappe and PKB is separated by a narrow, strongly deformed peri-PKB Zone, known as the Grajcarek Unit (Birkenmajer, 1977, 1979, 1986) or the Grajcarek thrust-sheets (Oszczypko et al, 2010). This tectonic unit has been recently distinghuished in Eastern Slovakia, as the Fak3⁄4ovka (Fig. 1B; Oszczypko et al, 2010) or the Šariš Unit (Plašienka and Mikuš, 2010). In our opinion the results of the studies may contribute to a solution of the contradictions on the age of the “black flysch” deposits, which is important for better understanding of the evolution of the Magura and PKB basins

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