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An example for black shale development on a carbonate platform (late Triassic, Seefeld, Austria)

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Summary

East of Seefeld/Tyrol the Hauptdolomit facies (Triassic, Norian) is accompanied by an organic-rich intercalation, the Seefeld facies. Three facies were distinguished, which developed within a separate basin within the Hauptdolomit carbonate platform. These facies have been investigated in an environmental and palaeoecological context applying microfacies analysis, palynology, organic petrology, organic geochemistry and stable isotope geochemistry. As the controlling factors of sedimentation, sea level changes are suggested for large scale fluctuations, and climatic changes for variations on a smaller scale. Within the basin facies a μm-scaled rhythm can be observed, which was obviously seasonally controlled. Amajor amount of organic material of the deposit has been produced by microbial activity under anoxic conditions. Causes for the absence of pollen and spores in many black shale deposits are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thüringer Landesanstalt für Umwelt und Geologie, Außenstelle Weimar, Carl-August-Allee 8/10, D-99423, Weimar

    Hagen Hopf

  2. Institut für Biogeochemie und Meereschemie, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstr. 55, D-20146, Hamburg

    Volker Thiel

  3. Göttinger Zentrum Geowissenschaften, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, D-37073, Göttingen

    Joachim Reitner

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  1. Hagen Hopf
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  2. Volker Thiel
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  3. Joachim Reitner
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Hopf, H., Thiel, V. & Reitner, J. An example for black shale development on a carbonate platform (late Triassic, Seefeld, Austria). Facies 45, 203–210 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02668113

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