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The Cretaceous conglomerates from Piatra Craiului syncline (South Carpathians, Romania): searching for the source area

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Abstract

The study of conglomerate-type deposits represents a valuable tool that may be used on a large scale to reconstruct the stratigraphic record of the adjacent regions. In order to identify the source area, the first step is to analyze the lithology of the pebbles. The Gura Râului Aptian conglomerates and the Upper Albian–Cenomanian conglomerates are forming the siliciclastic infill of the Piatra Craiului Syncline unit. This study aims to identify the source area by using various analytical techniques such as lithological description, morphometric measurements, and determination of paleocurrents. The carbonate pebbles from these deposits contain various types of microfacies and microfossils, which indicate a Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Early Aptian) age. Other clasts include Callovian–Oxfordian siliceous pebbles and metamorphic fragments from the Cumpăna and Leaota groups. The analysis suggests that the Aptian conglomerates were sourced from the adjacent units located in the northern–northwestern part of the Piatra Craiului Massif. They consist of autochthonous carbonate sediments, which are surrounded by metamorphic rocks. A possible scenario is that the erosion of the carbonate succession from the surrounding areas continued until the end of the Early Cretaceous. The source area of the uppermost Albian–Cenomanian conglomerates also coincides with the carbonate succession from the Piatra Craiului Massif. A first argument in favor of this hypothesis is represented by the microfacies and microfossil associations hosted within the carbonate pebbles of this siliciclastic unit. They show similarities with assemblages described by different authors from the Kimmeridgian–Lower Valanginian succession of the Piatra Craiului Massif.

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Acknowledgements

This work was possible due to the financial support of the Sectorial Operational Program for Human Resources Development 2007–2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/159/1.5/S/132400 with the title “Young successful researchers—professional development in an international and interdisciplinary environment”. It is also a contribution to the CNCS project PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0025. Răzvan Ungureanu is thankful to Marcel Benea for the help provided in describing the mineralogical composition of the metamorphic pebbles. The authors are grateful to Mr. Mircea Vergheleţ (Director) and the scientific council of the Piatra Craiului National Park for granting permission to work in the studied area. We thank the anonymous reviewers as well as the editor-in-chief Axel Munnecke for their valuable remarks that helped improve the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Răzvan Ungureanu, Emanoil Săsăran, Ioan I. Bucur, Cristian Victor Mircescu, Ciprian Gheorghiţă Ungur & Alexandra Ungureanu

  2. Center for Integrated Geological Studies, Babeş-Bolyai University, 1, M. Kogălniceanu Str., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Emanoil Săsăran & Ioan I. Bucur

Authors
  1. Răzvan Ungureanu
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  2. Emanoil Săsăran
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  3. Ioan I. Bucur
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  4. Cristian Victor Mircescu
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  5. Ciprian Gheorghiţă Ungur
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  6. Alexandra Ungureanu
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Correspondence to Cristian Victor Mircescu.

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Ungureanu, R., Săsăran, E., Bucur, I.I. et al. The Cretaceous conglomerates from Piatra Craiului syncline (South Carpathians, Romania): searching for the source area. Facies 63, 30 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-017-0512-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-017-0512-1

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