Resedimented Limestones in Middle and Upper Jurassic Succession of the Slovenian Basin

Abstract

The Middle and Upper Jurassic succession of the Slovenian Basin is characterized by pelagic sedimentation of siliceous limestones and radiolarian cherts. In the southern and central part of the basin two packages of resedimented limestones are interbedded within pelagic sediments. The Lower resedimented limestones are lower-middle Bajocian to lower Callovian in age. In the southern part of the basin they form laterally discontinuous sequences composed of limestone breccias, calcarenites and micritic limestone and in the central part of the basin calcarenite intercalations within pelagic beds. They were transported by turbidity currents from highly productive ooidal shoals of the Dinaric Carbonate Platform. The Lower resedimented carbonates correlate with the lower three members of the Travnik Formation in the Bovec Trough and similarly developed but much thicker Vajont Formation in the Belluno Basin. The difference in thickness is interpreted as a consequence of shallow-water and longshore currents on the Dinaric Carbonate Platform that transported platform material towards southwest in the direction of the Belluno Basin. The Upper resedimented limestones are upper Kimmeridgian to lower Tithonian and occur within radiolarian cherts in the upper part of the succession as calcarenite beds that originated by turbidity currents. Onset of resedimentation coincides with the emersion-related demise of barrier reef and following deposition of micritic and rare oolitic limestones on the Dinaric Carbonate Platform. Approximatelly coeval resedimented limestones occur in the fourth member of the Travnik Formation in the Bovec Trough, but are not reported from the Ammonitico Rosso Superiore Formation in the Belluno Basin.