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Upper triassic coral knoll reefs: Middle Norian, Spiti-Kinnaur, Himachal Himalaya, India

Obertriadische Korallen-Knollenriffe: Mittlers Nor, Spiti-Kinnaur, Himachal Himalaya, Indien

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Summary

Coral reefs of Middle Norian age are reported from Rangring, the Pin-Spiti confluence, Kiomo, Latarse (all Spiti), and Pamachen, Hangrang Pass and Tapuk (Kinnaur). All these reefs are rather small (up to 30 m thick) and form a low-angle contact with the underlying beds. The Rangring and Pin-Spiti Reefs were studied with regard to microfacies, biocommunities and facies interpretation.

The Rangring Reef is characterized by Wacke/Floatstones with whole fossils, Pack/Wackestones, and Boundstones. Main reef builders are calcisponges (Colo spongia catenulata OTT), corals (Montlivaltia, Stylophyllopsis, Thamnasteria rectilamellosa) tabulozoans and hydrozoans (Spongiomorpha ramosa) andPycnoporidium? eomesozoicum. This reef structure probably represents a reef formed on the lower part of a slope.

The Pin-Spiti Confluence Reef exhibits a vertical zonation. The facies types are represented by Boundstones, Oolithic Pack/Wackestones, Bioclastic Float/Wackestones, Oncolithic Packstones and Wackestones as well as Boundstones. The Oncolithic Pack/Wackestone Facies surrounds theThecosmilia cyclica—Framestone Facies. Both facies types are strongly interfingered. Major reef building organisms areColospongia catenulata, Paradeningeria, Dictyocoelia, Peronidella, Thecosmilia cyclica, Thamnasteria rectilamellosa, Seriastreea multiphyllia, andSpongiomorpha ramosa. The Pin-Spiti Reef probably represents a patch reef formed in a wide reef area of moderate energy, with some protected parts.

The microfacies of the Latarse Reef points to a slope/reef flank position. The Kiomo Reef probably grew within a lagoonal environment.

Boundstones, Oncoid/Ooid Wackestone/Packstones and Bioclastic Grainstones characterize the Hangrang and the Tapuk Reefs which yield communities withThecosmilia cyclica, Thecosmilia clathrata, Stylophyllopsis, Stromatomorpha rhaetica and chaetetids. Both reefs represent high-energy marginal parts of a major reef crest.

The composition and the distribution of the Spiti-Kinnaur reefs are comparable to a carbonate platform bordered by knoll reefs.

The reef-building communities are very similar to those of Norian and Rhaetian reefs from the Northern Alps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 529, Sector 18 b, 160018, Chandigarh, India

    Om N. Bhargava

  2. 98-100, Sector 17 C, 160017, Chanddigarh, India

    Udai K. Bassi

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  1. Om N. Bhargava
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  2. Udai K. Bassi
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Bhargava, O.N., Bassi, U.K. Upper triassic coral knoll reefs: Middle Norian, Spiti-Kinnaur, Himachal Himalaya, India. Facies 12, 219–241 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536980

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