Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous palynostratigraphy of Kong Karls Land, Svalbard, Arctic Norway, with correlations to Franz Josef Land, Arctic Russia

Morten Smelror,Robert Williams,Geir Birger Larssen,Arnfinn Rømuld,Snorre Olaussen

doi:10.17850/njg004

Abstract

Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous palynostratigraphy of Kong Karls Land, Svalbard, Arctic Norway, with correlations to Franz Josef Land, Arctic Russia

Highlights

Marine and terrestrial palynomorphs are established as important biostratigraphic tools for dating and correlation of Upper Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Lower Tertiary strata on Svalbard and the Barents Shelf
Cerebropollenites thiergartii is present in all analysed samples from the upper Sjøgrenfjellet Member (Fig.8).The lack of good biostratigraphic markers makes it difficult to provide a reliable dating of the upper Sjøgrenfjellet Member and a general Hettangian to Early Pliensbachian age is inferred based on the overall composition of the palynological assemblages
The Upper Triassic, Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous succession on Kong Karls Land contains common to abundant, well preserved, marine and terrestrial palynomorphs which are used for datings and biostratigraphic correlations of the lithostratigraphic formations and members (Figs. 18, 19 & 20)

Summary

Introduction

Marine and terrestrial palynomorphs are established as important biostratigraphic tools for dating and correlation of Upper Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Lower Tertiary strata on Svalbard and the Barents Shelf. According to Vigran et al (2014) the Limbosporites lundbladii Composite Assemblage Zone is recorded in shallow stratigraphic cores on Sentralbanken and in the Fruholmen Formation in exploration wells in the western Barents Sea. In the middle part of the Sjøgrenfjellet Member at Hårfagrehaugen (Fig. 8), the oldest appearance of Cerebropollenites thiergartii suggests a Hettangian age at this level, as the first appearance of this species appears to mark the base of the Jurassic in the Northwest European Subprovince (Subboreal Province) (von Hillebrandt et al, 2007; Cirilli, 2010). Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages recovered from the Lardyfjellet Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation at Kükenhalfjellet suggest a correlation to the Late Callovian Liesbergia scarburghensis – Wanaea thysonata concurrent range-zone and the Early Oxfordian Crussolia deflandrei – Wanaea fimbriata Oppelzone of Smelror & Below (1992). Redeposited Pliensbachian to Early Oxfordian dinoflagellate cysts are found at several levels

10 Fluvial

Conclusions