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Early Cambrian wave-formed shoreline deposits: the Hardeberga Formation, Bornholm, Denmark

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Abstract

During the early Cambrian, the Danish island Bornholm was situated on the northern edge of the continent Baltica with palaeolatitudes of about 35°S. An early Cambrian (Terreneuvian) transgression inundated large areas of Baltica including Bornholm creating shallow marine and coastline environments. During this period, wave-formed shoreline sediments (the Vik Member, Hardeberga Formation) were deposited on Bornholm and are presently exposed at Strøby quarry. The sediments consist of fine- and medium-grained quartz-cemented arenites in association with a few silt-rich mudstones. The presence of well-preserved subaqueous dunes and wave ripples indicates deposition in a wave-dominated upper shoreface (littoral zone) environment, and the presence of interference ripples indicates that the littoral zone environment experienced water level fluctuations due to tides and/or changing meteorological conditions. Discoidal structures (medusoids) are present in the quarry, but due to the relative poor preservation of their fine-scale structures it is difficult to determine if the discoids represent true medusae imprints or inorganic structures. The preservation of the shallow-water bedforms as well as the possible medusae imprints is related to either the formation of thin mud layers, formed during a period of calm water when winds blew offshore for a longer period, or to the growth of bacterial mats. The orientation of the wave-formed bedforms indicates a local palaeoshoreline trending NE–SW and facing a large ocean to the north.

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Acknowledgments

Earlier versions of the manuscript received comments by Per Ahlberg, Lars Hamberg, Orsolya Sztanó and Finn Surlyk. The present manuscript benefitted much from constructive criticism by journal reviewers Sebastian Lindhorst and James Hagadorn. Adolf Seilacher is acknowledged for catalysing interest for this study and Hans Luginsland for preparing the beautiful casts of the medusoids in the Strøby quarry. We also thank NaturBornholm and Claus Beyer for sharing their knowledge of the medusoids with us. The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management is thanked for providing the opportunity to conduct this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Lars B. Clemmensen & Aslaug C. Glad

  2. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Gunver K. Pedersen

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  1. Lars B. Clemmensen
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  2. Aslaug C. Glad
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  3. Gunver K. Pedersen
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Correspondence to Lars B. Clemmensen.

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Clemmensen, L.B., Glad, A.C. & Pedersen, G.K. Early Cambrian wave-formed shoreline deposits: the Hardeberga Formation, Bornholm, Denmark. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 106, 1889–1903 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-016-1393-1

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