East Baltic Area Research Articles

Upper Ordovician carbon isotope chemostratigraphy and a high-resolution assessment of the Hirnantian Stage in the Baltic Sea subsurface

ABSTRACT Based on a new deep drilling on southern Gotland (Sweden), this study is the first to document the carbon isotope chemostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician through lowermost Silurian sedimentary record from the central parts of the Baltic Sea subsurface. The lithological record of the Stora Sutarve core has similarities with adjacent successions in both the Viki core in the East Baltic area and the Borenshult core in the Swedish mainland. The core includes the Kahula (including 13 bentonites in the “Kinnekulle K-bentonite complex”), Hirmuse(?), Rägavere, Paekna, Jonstorp, Loka, Motala and Kallholn formations. Several of the internationally recognized upper Ordovician δ13C excursions have been identified in the core, including the Guttenberg Isotope Carbon Excursion (GICE), Moe excursion, Hirnantian Isotope Carbon Excursion (HICE), and an undefined early Silurian carbon isotope excursion, presumably the Early Aeronian Carbon Isotope Excursion (EACIE). We particularly address the microstratigraphy of the Hirnantian Stage and the finer details of the HICE, which is not fully complete and entirely confined to the 2.09-m-thick Loka Formation. This formation yields abundant, but low-richness brachiopod faunas characteristic of the Hirnantian Stage and is, based on erosional-depositional surfaces and facies, interpreted as reflecting interglacial warming and eustatic transgression related to ice-sheet contraction in Gondwana. Based on very dense carbon isotope sampling we identify four clusters of δ13C values that aid to define significant changes in the preserved record of the HICE and which may facilitate global correlation of the succession and the herein interpreted sea-level record.

Circulation at Russian-Baltic States Boundary: a Cut and a Seam

Disintegration of the USSR and join of Baltic States to European Union made this one a border territory between Russia and EU. After the collapse of Former Soviet Union, the new boundary remained almost easy to cross. In the beginning of the 21th century, it became no more fuzzy but rather fixed. Since European enlargement that had taken place in 2004, the crossing has become more regulated. People need visas that meant administrative papers and cost. The evolution of cargo flows has been more contrasted. Economic policies, political stakes and traditional links, are elements to understand East Baltic area. Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave lying by the Baltic Sea, strengthens the interest of the purpose.

Zonation of Lithuanian Silurian graptolites and other faunal groups

The Baltic Silurian Basin, Lithuanian Depression and other structures are shown in the map, with marked by isopachs (contour lines of equal thickness) of the Silurian beds with graptolites and fauna of other groups. The Silurian facies vary greatly in the Depression – from clayey open-sea deep shelf to carbonaceous ones of shallow shelf, and low-energy lagoon facies. The history of investigations on East Baltic area graptolites begins from 1953–1958, when 15 graptolite zones were singled out, and proceeds to 35 zones defined now. Peculiarities in the graptolite scale from C. cyphus to N. lochkovensis inclusive are discussed. Transgressions and regressions of the Silurian marine basin, as well as shorter transgressions with wedges and graptolites of clayey facies shifted towards basin shores and regressions with partial extinction of graptolites are elucidated. During these investigations the graptolite scale has been detailed and added with new zones. Graptolite evolution in the zones has been analysed. Stages of graptolite evolution are analysed in relation to the following bioevents: Stačiūnai, Likėnai, Valgu, Ireviken, Mulde, Linde, Lau, Klev and Šilalė. Finally, two tables present graptolite zone correlation with conodont, vertebrate and ostracod zones revealing a highly detailed stratigraphy of the Lithuanian Silurian.

Kongemose Flint Technology in the East Baltic Area. Some Examples from Lithuanian Stone Age Sites

This article presents data on Kongemose culture material which has been found in Lithuania but not yet studied. Based on material from west, east and south Lithuania Stone Age settlements, the aim is to acknowledge the existence of this culture’s technology during the Atlantic period in the east Baltic region. The use-wear method was also used for a more detailed analysis. The results of the article contain versions of the emergence and development of rhombus-shaped arrowhead technology in the east Baltic during the Stone Age period. Key words: Kongemose and Nemunas cultures, microlithic technology, Late Mesolithic-Early Neolithic, use-wear, Lithuania. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v25i0.1831

Circulation at Russian-Baltic states boundary: a cut and a seam

Disintegration of the USSR and join of Baltic States to European Union made this one a border territory between Russia and EU.After the collapse of Former Soviet Union, the new boundary remained almost easy to cross. In the beginning of the 21th century,it became no more fuzzy but rather fixed. Since European enlargement that had taken place in 2004, the crossing has become moreregulated. People need visas that meant administrative papers and cost. The evolution of cargo flows has been more contrasted.Economic policies, political stakes and traditional links, are elements to understand East Baltic area. Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russianexclave lying by the Baltic Sea, strengthens the interest of the purpose.KEY WORDS: circulation, border, Baltic States, discontinuity.

δ13C chemostratigraphy of the Middle and Upper Ordovician succession in the Tartu-453 drillcore, southern Estonia, and the significance of the HICE; pp. 195–200

The δ 13 C isotope data from the Tartu-453 core section in southern Estonia enabled creation of a continuous Ordovician carbon isotope record, ranging from the Floian to the end of the Hirnantian. Five positive δ 13 C excursions and one negative δ 13 C excursion were recognized. Most of the positive excursions correspond to those defined on the Baltoscandian carbon isotope chemostratigraphic scheme, except for the Paroveja and Rakvere ICEs which are not well expressed in the Tartu-453 curve. Besides the positive δ 13 C excursions, a distinctive negative δ 13 C excursion, the Lower Sandbian NICE, was recorded in the Tartu- 453 succession. The well-expressed HICE extends about 10 m higher than the traditional Ordovician-Silurian boundary (between the Porkuni and Juuru regional stages) into the Juuru Regional Stage, suggesting that the Ordovician-Silurian boundary is positioned significally higher than traditionally suggested for the East Baltic area.

Silurian bentonites in Lithuania: correlations based on sanidine phenocryst composition and graptolite biozonation – interpretation of volcanic source regions

Integrated correlation of bentonites (altered volcanic ashes) and graptolite biozonation is presented. Detailed study of two Lithuanian drill core sections extended previous knowledge of the occurrence and composition of bentonites to the south. Identification of graptolite species allowed bentonites to be assigned their proper stratigraphical position. Silurian bentonites in Lithuania are mostly characterized by wide and very wide XRD 20 1 reflections of the main component of sanidine phenocrysts. Only fourteen of the 69 samples studied contained sanidine with a sharp reflection, which gave the best correlation potential. In the Lithuanian sections one bentonite was found in the Rhuddanian, five bentonites were recognized in the Aeronian, 17 bentonites in the Telychian, 26 in the Sheinwoodian, 10 in the Homerian and six in the Ludlow. All bentonites found in Lithuania are characterized by the main component of sanidine. A large number of Lithuanian bentonites are not known in Latvia and Estonia, indicating that volcanic ashes reached the East Baltic area from two source regions - the Central European and Norwegian Caledonides.

Correlation of Silurian bentonites based on the immobile elements in the East Baltic and Scandinavia

This article presents a dataset of geochemical analyses from Silurian altered volcanic ash beds (bentonites) characterising 132 eruptions and preserved in sedimentary sections of the East Baltic area. TiO2, Nb, Zr, Th, Y, Ce, Cr and V ratios with Al2O3 are used for identifying correlations between ash beds from Scandinavian sections. Some correlated ash beds are illustrated by schematic maps of areal distribution indicating volcanic sources from directions of both Iapetus and Rheic palaeo-ocean margins.

Geochemical variations within the mid-Silurian Grötlingbo Bentonite (Gotland, Sweden): discriminating between magmatic composition, ash transport fractionation and diagenetic effects

This paper reports on the geochemistry of the mid-Silurian Grötlingbo Bentonite, a ca. 0.1–0.4-m-thick and regionally important bentonite bed in Sweden and the East Baltic area. A series of eight samples, spaced by 5 cm, were taken from the Hunninge-1 drillcore in Gotland, Sweden, and were analysed in order to establish the vertical element composition and variation in the bentonite. The results show that the Götlingbo Bentonite originates from one source magma and from one single eruption. The lowermost 0.1–0.15 m of the bentonite (compacted) was deposited from air-transport fall-out, whereas the upper portions have been reworked in a shallow-marine environment and re-deposited. Vertical differences in Ti and Zr within the Grötlingbo Bentonite mean that regional correlation of the bed may need several samples at each locality to be reliable.

The Geniai Tuff in the southern East Baltic area - a new correlation tool near the Aeronian/Telychian stage boundary, Llandovery, Silurian

The Geniai Tuff in the southern East Baltic area - a new correlation tool near the Aeronian/Telychian stage boundary, Llandovery, Silurian

Přídolí carbon isotope trend and upper Silurian to lowermost Devonian chemostratigraphy based on sections in Podolia (Ukraine) and the East Baltic area

Insufficient knowledge of carbon isotope cycling in the latest Silurian initiated the study of two regions at the western and southwestern margins of Baltica in order to obtain a more complete picture about the carbon isotope trend through the Přidoli. Shallow and open shelf carbonate rocks of the Dniester River outcrops and Kotuzhiny core in Podolia and deep shelf rocks of the East Baltic area, especially the Lithuanian cores, were studied for bulk-rock isotope analysis. The data sets of both regions begin with the mid-Ludfordian excursion and include also some part of the lowermost Devonian. The data show a new minor twin positive δ 13 C excursion (peak values 0.8-1.7‰) in the upper Ludfordian. The Přidoli carbon isotope trend begins with a low of negative δ 13 C values, succeeded by the lower to middle Přidoli 'stability' interval (variable values below or close to 0‰ with a slight rising trend). The upper Přidoli begins with a medium to major excursion (peak values 2.3-4.5‰), which reflects the pattern of the carbon isotope trend on the west of the Baltica palaeocontinent. Its wider significance awaits confirmation from observations elsewhere. The carbon isotope excursion at the Silurian-Devonian boundary, named here the SIDE excursion (its δ 13 C values range from 1.6‰ in deep shelf settings to 3.8‰ in shallower ones and 4.5‰ in brachiopod shells), has been traced on several continents, and now also in Baltica. This excursion can serve as a well-dated global chemostratigraphic correlation tool. The shape of the excursion indicates the completeness of the studied section. We conclude that carbon isotope chemostratigraphy may contribute to subdividing the Přidoli Series into stages and that Baltica sensu lato seems to be the right place for such a development.

Ecostratigraphical interpretation of lower Middle Ordovician East Baltic sections based on brachiopods

AbstractA detailed ecostratigraphical framework is established for the lower Middle Ordovician Kundan regional stage of the East Baltic area corresponding to theAsaphus expansus,A. ranicepsandA. eichwalditrilobite zones (lower Darriwilian). The study is based on approximately 6200 brachiopods collected bed by bed from limestone sections in northern Estonia (Harku Trench and Saka) and western Russia (Putilovo Quarry, Lava River canyon and Lynna River valley) with, in addition, the first detailed systematic assessment of the Kundan brachiopods of the East Baltic. These sections represent an oblique depth transect some 400 kilometres long, deepening eastwards. Five biofacies associations have been recognized using detrended correspondence and cluster analyses: a shallow-waterLycophoriaassociation, a transitionalGonambonitesassociation and two deeper-water associations, the soft-substrateOrthis callactisand the hard-substrateOrthambonitesassociations. A separate, fifth soft-substrate association is present in the marl beds at the main locality of Putilovo Quarry. The associations reflect a combination of palaeo-water depth and substrate. The biofacies facilitate an ecostratigraphical correlation along the transect, and third and fourth order sea-level curves are reconstructed, reflecting mainly eustasy. The sea-level was relatively low, early in the Kundan, but then rose significantly into theA. ranicepsBiozone. This corroborates the recent discovery of possible small early Darriwilian ice caps on Gondwana.

Baltica: A mid Ordovician diversity hotspot

A detailed bed-by-bed study of late Early—early Mid Ordovician Eastern Baltic brachiopods has been used to construct an α-diversity curve through the upper Billingen—Kunda regional stages (Arenig–early Llanvirn). Surprisingly the main peak in diversity does not occur until the Volkhov–Kunda boundary, whereas global data indicate a peak in the mid Volkhov. On Baltica especially the orthidines show a time lag compared with the global data. This study is based more than 30 000 specimens collected from argillaceous limestones with interfingering marls at eight different localities in the East Baltic area.

Telephinid trilobites from the Ordovician of the East Baltic

Abstract Telephinid trilobites are described from the Middle Ordovician (Viruan Series) in drill cores from western Latvia and the Pskov district in westernmost Russia. Three species, all assigned to Telephina Marek 1952, are discussed and illustrated: T. bicuspis (Angelin 1854) from the lowermost Uhaku Stage of western Latvia, T. granulata (Angelin 1854) from the uppermost Uhaku Stage in the Pskov district and the Kukruse Stage of western Latvia, and T. sp. from the Blidene Marl of western Latvia. All occurrences of telephinid trilobites in the East Baltic area are within the Livonian Tongue, an easterly extending projection of the Central Baltoscandian Confacies Belt. Ahlberg, P., 1995: Telephinid trilobites from the Ordovician of the East Baltic. GFF, Vol. 117 (Pt. 1, March), pp. 49–52. Stockholm. ISSN 1103–5897.

Neolithic hunter-gatherers at Šventoji in Lithuania

The Šventoji site in western Lithuania is of considerable importance in understanding prehistoric settlement in the east Baltic area, not least because of the exceptional preservation conditions present. The data obtained show that prehistoric populations in the area were remarkably stable over a considerable period.

Expressions of deprivation in the languages of the East Baltic Area: Evidence for convergence in case syntax

In a monograph by Veenker (1967), the discussion that there has been about the East area forming a Sprachbund, i.e. a language convergence area (LCA), was summarized in depth, and the concept was further elaborated on in several extensive reviews which followed. More recently, new works which will hopefully revitalize this exciting field of study have appeared, e.g. the bold description of Uralic substratum interference in Slavic and Baltic by Thomason & Kaufman (1988: 238-251), and the important analytical review by Mathiassen (1984). The latter author enumerates the following morphosyntactic parallels between Baltic, Slavic, and Baltic-Finnic (BF) languages in the East area: i) instead of have, ii) the nominative object, iii ) partitive expressions, iv) use of non-nominative in predicative function, v) expressions of vi) impersonal participle constructions, vii) nominal phrases without a copula. In his opinion, vi) and vii) are unconvincing as language convergence isoglosses in this area. Curiously, he also rejects iii), despite the evidence put forward recently by Larsson (1983). Expressions of deprivation, v), is a putative isogloss introduced by Mathiassen himself. Here, I intend to provide more data on this novel isogloss, which indeed proves to be of crucial importance for an understanding of the East LCA.

The Southwark Knife Reconsidered

SummaryThe iron knife with silver inlay found in Southwark in 1930 is reconsidered in the light of more recent publication of weapons with silver inlay from the East Baltic area. The technical and stylistic parallels suggest an origin in that area and a date within the period 1100–1300.

Latest and recent vertical earth crust movements and the morphology of the sea-coast of the East Baltic area

Latest and recent vertical earth crust movements and the morphology of the sea-coast of the East Baltic area

VISIBLE MIGRATION IN THE EAST BALTIC AREA

SUMMARYBird migration in the East Baltic area is characterised by the facts that the spring and autumn flights vary considerably in intensity; and that there are marked differences in the species represented in the southern and northern parts of the area. In the region of Courland Bay the large bulk of the migrants is made up of passerines (mainly finches); whereas the migration along the Estonian coasts is dominated by the waterfowl, in particular various species of diving ducks and divers. In both spring and autumn the Long‐tailed duck and Common Scoter traverse the straits of West Estonia and the Gulf of Finland in huge masses. During recent years the systematic investigation of visible migration in the East Baltic area has been begun, while all researches are now organised and coordinated by the Baltic Commission for the Study of Bird Migration.

Nationality and Language in the East Baltic Area

Nationality and Language in the East Baltic Area