Storm-dominated deposition on a Frasnian carbonate platform margin (Wietrznia, Holy Cross Mts., Poland)

Abstract

The Wietrznia quarry in Kielce is situated between the shallow-water Devonian carbonate platform in the Kielce region and the deeper Łysogóry basin. This palaeogeographic setting affected carbonate sedimentation in Late Devonian times. The transitional facies of the Wietrznia Frasnian comprises two overlapping types of deposits: (1) micritic and marly limestone of shelf basin facies and (2) coarse-grained limestone of fore-reef facies. The first type includes laminated- and graded micritic limestone and nodular limestone. The second includes intraformational conglomerates and breccias, and crinoidal limestone. The limestones in the middle Wietrznia Beds formed within storm wave base in a shallow (possibly only a few tens of metres) sea that deepened eastwards. Storms are likely to have been the main cause of erosion and transport. In the western part of the quarry, proximal tempestites show evidence of amalgamation and cannibalism as do some high-energy flat-pebble conglomerates. With abating storm winds, finer-grained graded and laminated limestones accumulated. Toward the eastern part of the quarry, the high-energy effects of near-shore storm waves are less evident; the deposits there are transitional or more distal tempestites.