Stratigraphy and palynology of the Lower Carboniferous Sortebakker Formation, Wandel Sea Basin, eastern North Greenland

Abstract

Two palynological assemblages of Early Carboniferous age have been recorded from the upper parts of the non-marine, fluvial-dominated Sortebakker Formation in the Wandel Sea Basin. The stratigraphically lower assemblage includes poorly preserved Cingulizonates spp., Densosporites spp., Lycospora spp. and Schulzospora spp. whereas the upper assemblage contains a more diversified microflora including the stratigraphically important Tripartites distinctus, Potoniespores delicatus and Savitrisporites spp. The microflora enables correlation and dating of the succession to the late Viséan Perotrilites tessellatus – Schulzospora campyloptera (TC) and Raistrickia nigra – Triquitrites marginatus (NM) miospore Biozones of western Europe. The depositional facies correspond to those seen in time equivalent deposits from East Greenland, Svalbard, Bjørnøya and the Barents Sea.