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Micropaleontological study (foraminifera, ostracods) and characterization of the paleoenvironment of middle Cretaceous deposits (Djebel Chemla area, north-eastern Algeria)

دراسة المستحثات المجهرية (منخربات و أوستراكودات) و تمييز البيئة القديمة لترسبات العصر الطباشيري الأوسط (منطقة جبل الشملة، شمال شرق الجزائر).

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Abstract

The Djebel Chemla section is situated in the north-east of Algeria, close to the town of Tébessa and just a few kilometers from the Tunisian border. This section is composed mainly of a sequence of marl and marly limestone levels, alternating with recurring oyster levels which range in age from Vraconnian to the Early Turonian. Firstly, the micropaleontological study of the content (counting of foraminifera and ostracods, thin sections) allows the subdivision of the section into four biozones, with Rotalipora appenninica, Rotalipora globotruncanoides, Rotalipora cushmani, and Whiteinella archaeocretacea as bio-indicators; and, secondly, it provides the opportunity to specify the paleoenvironment. The supposed depositional environment is rather calm and deep, of an external platform type, with a maximum depth of 200 m. Bottom waters seem to be commonly poorly oxygenated. The end-Cenomanian anoxic crisis was also characterized by the presence of Bahloul facies levels, rich in TOC, in filaments and of globulous planktic foraminifera, including a considerable proportion of Heterohelix. The genus Rotalipora has disappeared a few levels lower down.

ملخص:

المقطع الجيولوجي لجبل الشملة يقع في شمال شرق الجزائر، بالقرب من مدينة تبسة و على بضعة كيلومترات فقط عن الحدود الجزائرية التونسية. هذا المقطع يتكون أساسا من طبقات من صخور المارن و المارن الكلسية المتعاقبة غالبا مع طبقات غنية بالأصداف. عمر هذه الأخيرة ينحصر مابين الفراكونيا و بداية التيرونيا. دراسة المستحثات المجهرية (عملية إحصاء الأوستراكودات و المنخربات، شرائح ملساء) سمحت من جهة بتجزئة المقطع الجيولوجي إلى أربعة مناطق: Rotalipora appenninica, R. globotruncanoides, R. cushmani et Whiteinella archaeocretacea و من جهة أخرى معرفة علم البيئة القديمة لهذه الطبقات (البيوستراتيغرافيا).

إن دراسة البيئة القديمة بينت بأن طبيعة مكان توضع المستحثات بحري، هادئ و غامق نسبيا، من نوع سطح قاري خارجي (أقصى عمق = 200 م)، و قد كانت ظروف العيش على القاع في أغلب الأحيان متميزة بنقص كبير في الأوكسيجين.

من خلال هذه الدراسة ثم التعرف على الكارثة الطبيعية التي حدثت في نهاية العصر السينوماني و التي نجم عنها تزايد كبير في نسبة ثاني اوكسيد الكربون و المعروفة في المنطقة باسم سحنة بهلول. هذه السحنة معروفة بتزايد نسبة الخيطيات و المنخربات العالقة (Heterohelix). نوع روتاليبورا (Rotalipora) انقرض في الطبقات السفلى.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to Prof. F. Baudin (Jussieu University, France) for the geochemical analysis and to I. Hedley, C. Coley and D. Ruault for the improvements of the English text. We are also very thankful to Prof. R. Wernli (Geneva University, Switzerland) for his critical comments which improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut des Sciences de la Vie et de la Nature, Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l’Aménagement du territoire, Tébessa University, Route de Constantine, Tébessa, Algeria

    Muriel Ruault-Djerrab

  2. Faculté des Sciences de la Terre, Université des sciences et de la technologie (USTHB), BP 32, El Alia, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    Fatiha Kechid-Benkherouf

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  1. Muriel Ruault-Djerrab
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  2. Fatiha Kechid-Benkherouf
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Correspondence to Muriel Ruault-Djerrab.

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Ruault-Djerrab, M., Kechid-Benkherouf, F. Micropaleontological study (foraminifera, ostracods) and characterization of the paleoenvironment of middle Cretaceous deposits (Djebel Chemla area, north-eastern Algeria). Arab J Geosci 4, 1289–1299 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-010-0186-2

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