Facies and development of the Meggen Reef (Devonian, West Germany)

Abstract

In the course of an exploration program in 1965 in the subsurface of the southeastern Elspe Syncline (Sauerland, Rhenish Schiefergebirge) was discovered a Middle Devonian reef, unknown up to now. The foundation is not yet drilled. The Meggen Reef forms a bioherm-like table reef which is completely surrounded by basinal sediments. According to organisms, matrix and primary voids within the reef limestones 7 facies types can be distinguished. The reef core is built of stromatoporoids and crinoids, the reef flank types are characterized by corals and crinoids. The subsided reef is covered with thin, partly condensed pelagic limestones. At the same time in the adjacent basin the stratiform pyrite-sphalerite-barite ore of Meggen is deposited. At the end of Middle Devonian time the Meggen reef and the overlying pelagic limestones are brecciated and transected by numerous sedimentary dikes. As in the sedimentary dikes the same acid tuffs are occurring, which follow immediately above the pyrite-sphalerite-barite ore of Meggen, there is a close connection between submarine destruction of the Meggen Reef, acid tuff eruptions and ascent of metall-bearing hydrothermal solutions. The Meggen Reef is due to the compression while the Variscan orogeny is deformed to an overturned and thrusted anticline and itself is thrusted over from the adjacent basin facies. With respect to the development of diagenetic processes, the following stages are distinguished: (1) during reef growth, (2) between reef growth and sedimentary dike formation, (3) between sedimentary dike formation and Variscan deformation and (4) during Variscan deformation.