Abstract
The Carboniferous limestones of the Hainaut Province (Belgium) provide evidence of complex karstification. The forms and deposits recently discovered are (1) ghost-rocks with residual weathered and decayed rock, (2) fluviatile endokarsts filled with pebbles rounded by rolling, and (3) ghost-rocks taken up later by underground fluviatile erosion and containing sandy and clayey deposits. We here provide a detailed sedimentological description, a granulometric study, a palynological dating and geochronological dating (K-Ar method on grains of glauconite and ferriferous illite) of the karstic filling. This palaeokarst stratigraphy of the studied area allows us to propose the following evolution: (1) a fluviatile endokarstification in a hummocky relief in late Early Cretaceous and early Late Cretaceous, (2) the formation of ghost-rocks on a flat relief during the Cenomanian-Turonian, (3) fluviatile deposition of sands and clays filling, as a result of tectonic reactivation during the Maastrichtian-Danian. This multidisciplinary study, taking into consideration karstic, hydrodynamic, tectonic and palaeogeographic factors within a well-defined stratigraphic framework may be of use in studying of the palaeokarst successions.
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