Stratygrafia dolnego paleocenu w Polsce pozakarpackiej

Abstract

STRATIGRAPHY OF LOWER PALAEOCENE IN THE EXTRA-CARPATHIAN AREA OF POLANDSummaryThe paper presents an analysis of the stratigraphy ot the lowermost Tertiary deposits in Poland, based on foraminifers, and their correlation with the lowermost Tertiary formations of Europe. It results from the previous researches of the Tertiary formations of Middle Poland that they are represented by Palaeocene deposits, i.e. Danian and Montian ones, which were mainly correlated with the lowermost Tertiary deposits (Danian and Selandian) of North Europe (Denmark - Sweden) and of East Europe (European part of the Soviet Union). Recently, Tertiary deposits pierced by bore hole at Pamiętowo (North Poland) have been examined. The results obtained allow us to state that here Montian deposits occur, disclosing an admixture of foraminifer microfauna related to that of the Montian deposits (sensu stricto) in West Europe (Belgium and Netherlands). Thus, a conclusion may be drawn that the area of Poland was, at the Palaeocene time, affected not only by the North-East-European sea, but by the West-European sea, too. The influence of this latter appeared later, and was considerably feebler than that of the North-East-European sea, and was restricted only to the northern area of Poland. The Palaeocene deposits of West Europe reveal the character of zoogenic, shallow-water limestones of “tuffeau”-type, and the foraminifer microfauna is of distinct stenothermal type. The occurrence of the “tuffeau”-type deposits determines the extent of the meridional sea characteristic of the West-European province at the Palaeocene time. At the Palaeocene time, calcareous, detrital, sandstone-glauconite deposits were laid down in the north-eastern areas of Europe, and the microfauna occurring in them was of boreal nature. The distribution of these deposits determine the range of the NE Europe area, occupied by the boreal sea. In the younger Montian, North Poland was contact area of both provinces mentioned above. Thus, this can explain the presence of subtropical elements in the Palaeocene deposits pierced by bore hole at Pamiętowo. In contrast to the considerable participation of boreal foraminifers in the group of the foraminifers of the West-European province, the tropical elements of foraminifer fauna, which are characteristic of meridional province, i.e. the area of West Europe, are found, as those being of more stenothermal nature, only at the contact of both provinces. The expansion of the warm sea of the West-European province, reaching at the Montian time also the area of Poland, in West Europe began already in Upper Maastrichtian and continued through the Montian time up to the Thanetian. At that time, West and North Europe (England and Denmark) was characterized by faunistic and facies conditions known to occur already at the Earlier Palaeocene (Selandian) in the north-eastern areas of Europe. This is why both Selandian and Thanetian deposits and foraminifer microfauna are similar. The authors subdivide the Palaeocene into Danian, Montian (sensu lato) and Thanetian where the Montian is considered to be, at least, the time equivalent of the Selandian with its upper extension above the latter. The stratigraphical terms used in the text are explained at the beginning of the present article (see Polish text).