Palynology of Early Cretaceous (Barremian to Aptian) hydrocarbon (methane) seep carbonates and associated mudstones, Wollaston Forland, Northeast Greenland

Abstract

Palynostratigraphic and palynofacies analysis have been performed on hydrocarbon seep carbonate, carbonate nodule and mudstone samples from the Early Cretaceous Kuhnpasset Beds in the Kuhnpasset area of Wollaston Forland, Northeast Greenland. Three informal palynostratigraphic zones have been defined based on dinoflagellate cyst occurrences. The zones range from ?early Barremian to early Aptian in age, and correlate with previously defined dinoflagellate cyst zones in Northeast Greenland. These zones indicate hydrocarbon seepage in Kuhnpasset spanned the ?early–late Barremian age range, but did not continue into the Aptian, and thus seep activity continued for as much as three million years. Palynofacies analysis is used to interpret the depositional environment of the Kuhnpasset Beds and indicate that the hydrocarbon seeps and associated mudstones from this sedimentary sequence were deposited in a proximal shelf setting.