The Cambrian of the western part of the Pomeranian Caledonides foreland, Peribaltic Syneclise: microfloral evidence

Abstract

This paper describes the microfloral succession in Cambrian deposits in the Kościerzyna IG 1 and Gdańsk IG 1 boreholes drilled in the western part of the Peribaltic Syneclise, immediately adjoining the T-T Zone in the Pomeranian Caledonides foreland. Both these boreholes have yielded abundant acritarch assemblages that allow the partial zonation of the Lower and Middle Cambrian deposits. The Cambrian deposits of the Kościerzyna IG 1 borehole comprise the following microfloral zones: Asteridium tornatum-Comasphaeridium velvetum, Skiagia ornata-Fimbriaglomerella membranacea and Heliosphaeridium dissimilare-Skiagia ciliosa. The Volkovia dentifera-Liepaina plana Zone may also be present. The Acadoparadoxides pinus Zooe (upper part of the A. oelandicus Superzone), well documented by trilobites, might correlate with the Cristallinum cambriense-Eliasum Superzone. This conflicts with the findings of Jankauskas and Lendzion (1992), who restricted the rage of the commonly occurring C. cambriense (Slavikova) only to the Paradoxides paradoxissimus Superzone and younger deposits. The Lower Cambrian Skiagia-Fimbriaglomerella and (or) Heliosphaeridium Skiagia Zones have been documented in the Gdańsk IG 1 borehole. As in the Kościerzyna GI 1 borehole, abundant Middle Cambrian acritarchs of the C. cambriense-Eliasum Superzone define the presence of rocks not older than equivalents of the A. pinus Zone. Palynomorphs from the Kościerzyna IG 1 borehole correspond to stage 6 of the AMOCO thermal alteration scale, i.e. to palaeotemperatures considerably exceeding 100°C. The maximum palaeotemperature of the Cambrian racks at Gdańsk has not exceeded 100°C.