Relative sea-level fluctuations and brown coal formation around the Early-Middle Miocene boundary in the Lusatian Brown Coal District

Abstract

The Tertiary sedimentary sequence in the Lusatian Brown Coal District is the result of several transgressive pulses with intercalated regressive phases. Regression repeatedly resulted in the formation of large littoral bogs at the transition between brackish and terrestrial palaeoenvironments. In the lithofacies changes of the Lower-Middle Miocene strata (high energy sands, low energy intertidal silts, paralic peats) long-term changes as well as short-term oscillations of sea level are recorded. The rise of sea level in the upper Lower Miocene (Hemmoorian transgression) is proved in numerous localities of the investigation area. After a regression phase with major peat formation events around the Lower-Middle Miocene boundary, a renewed sea-level rise resulted in the widest extension of marine-brackish beds over pre-Tertiary basement in the south of the region (higher Reinbekian transgression, Middle Miocene). Very differentiated, fine-scaled, probably sea-level induced coastline oscillations could probably be traced even into the coal seams by the recognition of successive bogfacial types possibly showing a groundwater level change in the ancient peat bog (change of topogeneous and ombrogeneous bog types). A biostratigraphic calibration of the decalcified Lower-Middle Miocene sequence with its alternating transgressive and regressive trends to the fully marine sediments of the basinal centre, which are dated by calcareous microfossils, is possible by means of dinoflagellate cysts and pollen and spores.