GeolCarp_Vol60_No6_505

www.geologicacarpathica.sk

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, DECEMBER 2009, 60, 6, 505—517 doi: 10.2478/v10096-009-0037-9

Environmental changes in the declining Middle Miocene

Badenian evaporite basin of the Ukrainian Carpathian

Foredeep (Kudryntsi section)

DANUTA PERYT

and TADEUSZ MAREK PERYT

Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland; d.peryt@twarda.pan.pl

Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warszawa, Poland

(Manuscript received March 13, 2009; accepted in revised form October 2, 2009)

Abstract: The Kudryntsi section in West Ukraine documents a major environmental change from hypersaline to marine
conditions during the Middle Miocene. There are very few (or no) specimens of foraminifers in samples of the siliciclastic
series (4 m thick, with limestone intercalations) which occurs above the gypsum (and below the transgressive deposits) in
the southern part of quarry. The limestone intercalations are first sparitic and microsparitic, and then become pelletal. The
pelletal depositional textures are interpreted as originated in restricted environments in contrast to mixed-fossil lithoclastic
packstones/grainstones overlying the siliciclastic series. The diversity of fauna increases up section. Foraminifers, bivalves,
ostracods and gastropods appear first and then, additionally, brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, and echinoids occur. Fora-
miniferal assemblages are dominated by elphidiids forming 70 to 90 % of the population. The most common species are
Elphidium crispum (Linné) and E. macellum (Fichtel & Moll). The limestones show a wide range of

C values (from

—1.6 ‰ to —18.2 ‰) and

O values (from —0.2 ‰ to —9.4 ‰) indicating that the cementation and some recrystallization

took place in meteoric-water-dominated fluid but the restriction-controlled trend can be recognized. The siliciclastic series
was deposited in an evaporitic lagoon influenced by large inflows of continental waters carrying the siliciclastic and other
detrital material from the older Badenian rocks as well as from their substrate. The Kudryntsi section documents a step-
wise decrease in water salinity – from ca. 150—300 ‰ during the Badenian gypsum precipitation, through ca. 80—150 ‰
during deposition of the siliciclastic series to ca. 35 ‰ during sedimentation of the basal transgressive deposits. The basal
deposits originated in shallow subtidal (0—20 m) environments of normal marine salinity (30—35 ‰) and temperate to
warm waters (8—18 °C) as indicated by requirements of the E. crispum association in recent seas.

Key words: Middle Miocene, Upper Badenian, Central Paratethys, carbon and oxygen stable isotopes, evaporite basin,
limestones, foraminifers.

Introduction

The  Middle  Miocene  Badenian  evaporite  basin  of  the  Car-
pathian Foredeep was located in a depression apparently lying
below  the  contemporaneous  sea  level  and  thus  an  important
sea-level rise could have resulted in quick flooding and depo-
sition of marine sediments (Peryt 2006). Apart from this major
seawater inflow event, terminating evaporite deposition, there
were minor incursions of seawater into the Badenian evaporite
basin. One such incursion is well documented by the presence
of an intercalation of marine limestone (usually mm—cm thick)
within the stromatolitic gypsum (Peryt 2001). This intercala-
tion is regarded as an equivalent of the clay and clastic gyp-
sum  (layer  h  –  see  Kasprzyk  1993)  occurring  in  the  upper
part of the autochthonous gypsum in nearly the entire margin
of the basin (e.g. Bąbel 1999). During deposition of the upper,
allochthonous  part  of  gypsum  section  those  incursions  are
marked  by  the  occurrence  of  bivalves,  foraminifers  (mostly
pelagic  globigerinids),  ostracods  and  pteropods,  occasionally
reported  from  clays  intercalated  within  the  gypsum  in  more
basinward locations (Venglinskiy & Goretskiy 1966).

In this paper we focus on the significance of the evaporite/

post-evaporite transition based on the micropaleontological,
petrological and geochemical study of the Kudryntsi section

in western Ukraine (Fig. 1). This transition reflects a major en-
vironmental change from hypersaline to marine conditions, al-
though it should be mentioned that the geochemical modelling
showed that the continental water was the main inflow source
during the entire evaporite deposition in the Carpathian Fore-
deep Basin (cf. Petrichenko et al. 1997; Cendón et al. 2004).
These  brackish  conditions  apparently  prevailed  during  gyp-
sum precipitation and afterwards, when the basin became des-
iccated,  forming  gypsum  microbialites,  and  then  was  rapidly
reflooded  by  brackish  water.  This  apparently  concluded  the
Middle Miocene of eastern Crimea (Peryt et al. 2004a). A sim-
ilar scenario in terms of mixed-water salinity was earlier pro-
posed  for  the  Messinian  of  the  eastern  Mediterranean  where
the oligohaline to mesohaline conditions typical of the Lago-
Mare deposits already existed during deposition of the upper
gypsum sub-unit (Rouchy et al. 2001).

Geological setting

The Carpathian Foredeep was initiated in the Early Miocene

(Eggenburgian) and lasted at least until the end of the Middle
Miocene (Oszczypko et al. 2006). In the outer part (up to
50 km wide) of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep, called the

506

D. PERYT and T.M. PERYT

Bilche-Volytsa Zone, Badenian and Sarmatian marine depos-
its are a few hundreds of meters to more than 5 km thick. In
the  part  of  the  Badenian  basin  located  in  the  East  European
Platform, the Badenian gypsum of the Tyras Formation over-
lies  Silurian,  Devonian,  Cretaceous  and/or  earlier  Badenian
deposits (Kudrin 1955), including the thin (up to 10 cm thick)
Kryvchytsi  (Ervilia)  Bed  (Andreyeva-Grigorovich  et  al.
1997).  A  nannoplankton  study  has  shown  that  the  Badenian
gypsum  corresponds  to  the  lower  part  of  the  NN6  Zone  (D.
Peryt 1997, 1999).

The gypsum deposits (several tens of meters thick) form a

wide  (up  to  100 km)  marginal  Ca-sulfate  platform  in  the
Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep (Peryt 2006). The most mar-
ginal, facies zone I, consists entirely of stromatolitic gypsum
and is characteristic of the area (>15 km wide) bordering the
limits  of  the  nearshore  Ca-sulphate  facies.  Facies  zone II
(more  than  40 km  wide)  is  located  basinward  of  the  facies
zone I and is characterized by the occurrence of stromatolitic
gypsum  in  the  lower  part  of  the  section  and  sabre  gypsum
(occasionally  with  a  clastic  gypsum  unit  above  the  sabre
gypsum)  in  the  upper  part  (Fig. 1;  Peryt  2001;  Peryt  et  al.
2004b;  Bąbel  2007).  The  gypsum  is  overlain  by  the  Ratyn
Limestone (usually a few tens of centimeters thick) which is
related  to  the  Late  Badenian  marine  transgression  (Peryt  &
Peryt 1994). Commonly a clay layer (up to 30 cm thick) oc-
curs below the Ratyn Limestone. The Tyras Formation (gyp-
sum  and  the  Ratyn  Limestone)  is  overlain  by  the
deep-marine  Kosiv  Formation  in  the  Carpathian  Foredeep
and the adjacent part of the foreland and by various marine
facies  in  more  marginal  parts  of  the  basin  (Andreyeva-
Grigorovich et al. 1997). The thickness of the Kosiv Forma-
tion reaches a few tens of meters in the marginal part of the
Carpathian Foredeep and increases rapidly towards the central
part of the Carpathian Foredeep.

Fig. 1.  Location  of  the  Kudryntsi  sec-
tion.  Facies  zones  of  Badenian  evapor-
ites,  present  NE  gypsum  limit  and  the
previously  recorded  siliciclastic  facies
(arrows)  in  the  upper  part  of  Badenian
gypsum  sequence  are  modified  after
Peryt  et  al.  (2004b)  and  Peryt  (2006).
Arrows  show  the  previously  recorded
occurrences of siliciclastic facies in the
gypsum sections (Peryt et al. 2004b).

The Kudryntsi section is located within the gypsum fa-

cies  zone  I  close  to  the  boundary  with  the  facies  zone  II
present at Zavallya (Fig. 1). The gypsum sequence is 23 m
thick  in  natural  outcrops  located  along  the  Zbruch  River
valley, north of the quarry, and Dromashko (1955) reported
the thickness of up to 30 m at Kudryntsi. At the base of the
gypsum  Lower  Badenian  biodetrital  (usually  coralline  al-
gal)  limestones  (2 m  thick)  occur,  underlain  by  thin  basal
breccia  lying  on  the  Upper  Cretaceous  sandstones,  as  was
recently  recorded  in  the  southern  part  of  the  quarry
(N48°37.009’,  E26°19.493’).  In  the  quarry  itself,  above
the stromatolitic gypsum (14 m thick), which, ca. 2.5 m be-
low its top, contains an intercalation (up to 20 cm thick) of
limestone with marine fauna (Peryt 2001), a unit of 4-m-thick
fine  siliciclastic  deposits  with  intercalations  of  limestones
and  fine-grained  sandstones  (up  to  15 cm  thick)  occurs
(Figs. 2,  3).  In    the  northern  part  of  the  gypsum  quarry
(N48°37.188’,  E26°19.236’)  this  unit  is  pervasively
gypsified  in  places  and  thus  the  main  mineral  is  gypsum
(cf.  Fig. 8D—F).  The  lamination  of  gypsiferous  fine  silici-
clastic rocks are rarely regularly planar, and erosional sur-
faces,  wavy  and  lenticular  lamination  (Fig. 4),  isolated
cross-laminated  lenses  of  coarser-grained  material  (Fig. 3)
as  well  as  deformational  structures  are  present:  convolu-
tions  and  in  situ  brecciation  of  lamina  sets  are  common,
which have been interpreted as a development triggered by
earthquakes (Peryt et al. 2008).

This siliciclastic unit is overlain by the Ratyn Limestone

(1.3—1.4 m thick) composed of lithoclastic and fossilifer-
ous limestones with minor intercalations of clays and marls
(10—30 cm thick) (Figs. 3—5). The Ratyn Limestone is cov-
ered by the rhodoid limestones with minor intercalations of
marls and claystones belonging to the Kosiv Suite (up to 6 m
thick in the quarry) (Fig. 2).

509

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE BADENIAN EVAPORITE BASIN OF THE CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP

for  microfacies  study  (the  location  of  samples  is  shown  in
Fig. 3).  Eighteen  samples  of  limestones  were  subjected  to  O
and C isotope study at the Mass Spectroscopy Laboratory, In-
stitute of Physics, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin
(analyst:  S.  Halas).  For  isotopic  analyses  of  carbonates,  CO

gas was extracted from the samples by reaction of calcite with
H

at 25 °C in a vacuum line, following the standard prac-

tice (McCrea 1950). The gas was purified from H

O on a P

trap and collected on a cold finger. Isotopic compositions
were analysed using a modified Russian MI1305 triple – col-
lector mass spectrometer equipped with a gas ion source. Iso-
baric correction was applied. After subsequent normalization
to measured certified reference materials, the isotopic compo-
sition was expressed in per mille (‰) relative to the VPDB
(Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite) international standard and sepa-
rately to PDB. The analytical precision of both

C and

in a sample was ± 0.08 ‰. In a number of cases, two different
places were analysed (Table 1): those from the upper part of a
sample are designated as (x) and from its lower part as (o).

Fourteen samples of marls (each weighing 200 g) and one

sample  of  argillaceous  limestone  adjacent  to  sample 32  were
taken for foraminiferal study. The location of samples is shown
in  Fig. 3.  Micropaleontological  samples  were  processed  using
Glauber’s salt and washed and size sorted through a 63 µm and
100 µm mesh sieve. An aliquot of at least 300 specimens from
the  > 100 µm size fraction was used for foraminiferal counts.

Eight samples of marly intervals (including one sample

from the laminated gypsum occurring immediately below
the intercalation of lenticular limestone within stromatolitic

Sample number

(Fig. 3)

Laboratory number

Sample description

C VPDB

[‰]

O VPDB

[‰]

10/2008 (x)

–4.92

–4.62

10/2008 (o)

mixed-fossil lithoclastic grainstone

–15.42 –6.52

8a/2008

lithoclast: lime mudstone

–5.49

–4.62

9/2008 (x)

–5.15

–4.62

9/2008 (o)

lithoclast grainstone with rare quartz grains

–7.59

–4.51

r.d./2008 (x)

–6.61

–2.67

r.d./2008 (o)

lithoclast grainstone with rare bioclasts and common quartz grains

–13.75 –3.60

4/2008 (x)

–6.53

–4.28

4/2008 (o)

pelletal mudstone with pseudomorphs after gypsum crystals

–6.41

–4.59

M-12/1996 (x)

–4.35

–3.24

M-12/1996 (o)

mixed-fossil lithoclastic packstone–grainstone

–5.1

–2.85

b.n./2008 (x)

–8.62

–5.44

b.n./2008 (o)

sparite with calcitized gypsum crystals showing relict laminated
pelletal packstone with common quartz grains

–9.12

–4.73

20 5/2008

pelletal-lithoclast grainstone with rare bioclasts (large lithoclasts of
laminar microbialites)

–2.47

–2.83

3j/2008

laminated carbonate mudstone

–1.60

–0.15

M-11/1996 (x)

–6.31

–3.29

M-11/1996 (o)

fine-grained sandstone and pelletal limestone

–11.60 –5.30

M-10/1996

fine-grained sandstone

–8.36

–4.39

12/2008

laminated carbonate mudstone, locally pelletal packstone

–7.98

–0.19

M-9/1996

pelletal wackestone

–7.52

–4.85

M-8/1996

pelletal wackestone

–8.66

–6.27

M-7/1996 (x)

–13.19 –7.79

M-7/1996 (o)

pelletal wackestone

–13.76 –7.54

M-5/1996

sparite and microsparite

–17.10

–5.37

M-1/1996

sparite and microsparite

–18.21

–6.39

M-3/1996 (x)

–14.19 –9.41

M-3/1996 (o)

sparite

–11.68 –9.26

Table 1: Results of isotopic analyses (C, O) of the samples of Ratyn Limestones (samples 22—32) and limestone intercalations in the silici-
clastic unit (samples 2—20). The location of samples is shown in Fig. 3.

Table 2: Results of XRD analyses.

Sample number

(Fig. 3)

Laboratory

number

Qualitative composition of

sample (XRD analysis)

7/2008

C++, Q, Ar, Sm, I

6/2008

C, Q, Zeo, Sm, I, Chl/K

2/2008

C, Q, Fel, Zeo, Sm, I

1/2008

C, Q, Fel, Zeo, Sm, I

M-18/1996

Q++, C, D, Sm, I

M-16/1996

C, Q, D, Cel, Sm, Chl/K

M-15/1996

C, Q, D, Cel, Sm, Chl/K

10/1994

G++, Q, Fel, Sm, I, Chl

++ — main mineral phase, Ar — aragonite, C — calcite, Cel — celestite, Chl —

chlorite, Ckl/K — chlorite and/or kaolinite, D — dolomite, F — feldspar, G — gy-
psum, I — illite, Sm — smectite 15 Å, Zeo — zeolite.

gypsum)  were  taken  for  the  qualitative  analysis  of  general
phase  composition  (XRD  study)  (Table 2).  The  XRD  study
was  done  with  the  use  of  the  X-ray  Diffractometer  X’Pert
PW 3020 (Philips) at the Central Chemical Laboratory, Polish
Geological Institute, Warsaw (analyst: W. Narkiewicz).

Results

Foraminifers

The occurrence of foraminifers is very rare in all samples

of the siliciclastic unit. In turn, samples of the Ratyn Lime-
stone unit contain rare (samples 25 and 27) or abundant fora-
minifers (samples 26, 31 and 32) (Figs. 6, 7; Table 3).

512

D. PERYT and T.M. PERYT

Foraminiferal specimens in samples of the siliciclastic unit

are  usually  very  poorly  preserved  (sometimes  undetermin-
able, as in sample 16) and/or recrystallized. Sample 3 yield-
ed  a  few  specimens  of  Riminopsis  boueanus  and  Lobatula
lobatula,  and  sample 7  had  Lobatula  lobatula,  Lenticulina
sp., Globulina sp. and ?Anomalinoides sp. in addition to sev-
eral  broken  bryozoan  specimens.  Several  small  biserial
planktonic  foraminifers  (?Heterohelix  sp.  or  ?Chiloguem-
belina  sp.)  occur  in  sample 13.  Sample 9  yielded  ?Po-
rosononion sp., Elphidium joukovi, Quinqueloculina sp. and
?Asterigerinata  sp.,  and  sample 14  did  Melonis  pompilio-
ides, Elphidium joukovi, Quinqueloculina sp., ?Asterigerinata
sp., Lobatula lobatula, Bulimina sp. and ?Spiroloculina sp.

Samples 25 and 27 yielded rare foraminifers: Porosononion

martkobi, Elphidium joukovi, E. crispum, Elphidium sp.,
Anomalinoides certus, Nonion sp., ?Asterigerinata sp., Lobat-
ula lobatula, Bulimina sp. A single specimen of planktonic
Globigerina subcretacea has been recorded in sample 25.

Assemblages of samples 26, 31 and 32 (which as mentioned

contain  abundant  foraminifers)  are  dominated  by  elphidiids.
They form 70 to 90 % of foraminiferal assemblages. The most
common  are  two  species:  Elphidium  crispum  and  E.  macel-
lum. In addition, rare E. joukovi, Elphidium sp., E. cf. argen-
teum,  Asterigerinata sp. and Eponides sp. as well as common
Porosononion  martkobi  and  Pseudotriloculina  consobrina,
occur in sample 26.

Samples 31 and 32 are characterized by large-sized elphi-

diids. Elphidium crispum is very often strongly biconvex and
heavily ornamented, E. macellum exceeds 800 µm in diame-
ter. Small E. cf. argenteum and E. joukovi are present in low
numbers. Glandulina, Guttulina, Pseudotriloculina and
Quinqueloculina are minor components of the assemblage.
Porosononion martkobi occurs rarely in the samples.

Table 3: Distribution of benthic foraminifers in samples of the
Ratyn Limestone (their location is shown in Fig. 3).

Sample
Species

25 26 27 31 32

Elphidium crispum

(Linné)

2 140 8 160 145

Elphidium macellum (Fichtel & Moll)

1 121

2 102

Elphidium joukovi Serova

1 18 0 13 11

Elphidium ungeri

(Reuss)

0 12 2 13 6

Elphidium argenteum Parr

E. macellum converia

Venglinski

0 3 0 1 2

Elphidium

spp.

2 41 2 34 29

Porosononion martkobi (Bogdanowicz) 1

Porosononion granosum (d’Orbigny)

Asterigerinata

sp.

4 3 0 1

Pseudotriloculina consobrina (d’Orbigny)

Quinqueloculina

spp.

0 3 0 8

Triloculina

spp.

0 0 0 6

Guttulina

spp.

0 3 0 3 5

Glandulina

sp.

0 4 0 4 2

Globulina

sp.

0 2 0 2 2

Lobatula lobatula (Walker & Jacob)

Rosalina sp.

0 0 0 0 1

Discorbis

sp.

1 0 0 0 1

Nonion

sp.

2 0 1 0 0

Anomalinoides certus Venglinski

1 0 0 0 0

Globigerina subcretacea Lomnicki

1 0 0 0 0

Textularia sp.

0 0 1 0 1

indet. 2

Total

20 495 22 365 423

Petrography and stable isotopes of carbonates

The results of microfacies and stable isotope study of the

carbonates  are  summarized  in  Table 1.  The  rocks  show  rela-
tively  little  petrographical  variation.  In  the  siliciclastic  unit,
limestones show various contribution of quartz grains – from
subordinate  to  dominating  in  which  carbonate  occurs  in  the
form  of  cement.  There  are  three  types  of  limestone:  pelletal
(either  pelletal  wackestone  with  pseudomorphs  after  gypsum
crystals  and  relics  of  microbial  lamination  or  pelletal  pack-
stone), sparitic with pseudomorphs after gypsum crystals and
relics  of  microbial  lamination,  and  intensively  gypsified
grainy  rock  containing  clasts  of  microbially-laminated  lime-
stone (Fig. 8C) and rare shell fragments (Fig. 8E,F), ostracods
(Fig. 8F),  possibly  foraminifers  (Fig. 8D)  and  bryozoans.
Sparitic limestone was also recorded in the 10-cm-thick lime-
stone bed which covers the gypsum. Sparitic and microsparitic
limestones  occur  in  the  lower  intercalations,  pelletal  wacke-
stones  (sometimes  becoming  laminated  –  Fig. 8B)  in  the
middle intercalations, and, in the upper part of the siliciclastic
unit,  pelletal  limestone  with  relics  of  microbial  texture
(Fig. 8A) occur accompanied by fine-grained sandstones

The Ratyn Limestone is mixed-fossil lithoclastic pack-

stone/grainstone  with  common  quartz  grains  (Fig. 5B)  and
rare  calcite  pseudomorphs  after  discoidal  gypsum  crystals.
The  bioclasts  are  composed  of  bivalves,  ostracods  and  gas-
tropods. Usually the Ratyn Limestone unit contains a discon-
tinuous  marly  bed  (Figs. 3—4)  and  the  limestone  bed
overlying the marly bed is characterized by lithoclast grain-
stone  texture,  with  common  quartz  grains  in  the  lower  part
(Fig. 5C). The bioclasts of bivalves and ostracods, similar to
those recorded in lowest part of the Ratyn Limestone, were
also recognized in the limestone bed. In its upper part quartz
grain  become  rarer.  Above  the  limestone,  within  a  muddy
matrix  (Fig. 4),  pebbles  of  various  carbonate  and  gypsum
rocks  occur:  lime  mudstone  (Fig. 5D),  pelletal  mudstone
with ostracods, and mixed-fossil lithoclastic grainstone with
foraminifers,  ostracods  and  bivalves.  This  bed  contains  a
very  rich  foraminiferal  assemblage,  as  is  characterized
above.  Higher  up  in  the  section,  mixed-fossil  lithoclastic
grainstones occur. The fauna is very rich and contains fora-
minifers,  brachiopods,  bivalves,  bryozoans,  crinoids,  echi-
noids, ostracods and rhodoids (Fig. 5A).

Stable isotope study of limestone samples showed that they

are characterized by a large range of

C and

O values: the

C values range from —1.6 ‰ to —18.2 ‰ (average 9.0 ‰),

and the

O values range from —0.2 ‰ to —9.4 ‰ (average

—4.8 ‰) (Table 1, Fig. 9). The range and average

C values

from limestones in the siliciclastic complex are from —1.6 ‰
to  —18.2 ‰  (average  —10.2 ‰).  Carbon  isotope  values  from
the  Ratyn  Limestone    range  from  —4.6 ‰  to  —15.4 ‰  (aver-
age  —7.2 ‰).  The  range  and  average

O values for lime-

stones  in  the  siliciclastic  complex  are  from  —0.2 ‰  to
—9.4 ‰ (average —5.2 ‰) and for the Ratyn Limestone they
are  from  —2.7 ‰  to  —6.5 ‰  (average  —4.3 ‰)  (Fig. 9).  Plot
of data (after Peryt et al. 2008) characterizing marine lime-
stone  forming  an  intercalation  within  the  stromatolitic  gyp-
sum is shown in Figure 9; the average

C and

O values

are —7.1 ‰ and —1.8 ‰, respectively.

514

D. PERYT and T.M. PERYT

Phase composition

The results of XRD study are summarized in Table 2. Two

sets of samples: one taken from the Ratyn Limestone and the
second one from the siliciclastic unit differ in minor constit-
uents: dolomite and celestite occur only in the set from the
siliciclastic unit, and feldspar and zeolite occur in the Ratyn
Limestone.

Interpretation

Foraminifers

The environmental requirements of recent benthic foramini-

fers  have  been  subject  to  many  studies  (e.g.  Murray  1991,
2006; Hottinger et al. 1993; Hayward et al. 1997; Debeney et
al.  2005;  Abbene  et  al.  2006).  Some  Miocene  foraminiferal
species still live in recent seas. Assuming that they had simi-
lar  ecological  distribution  and  they  were  similar  in  trophic
requirements to those of present foraminifers, we can interpret
the paleoenvironment in which they lived.

The rarity of foraminifers and their generally very poor state

of preservation as recorded in all samples from the siliciclastic
unit suggest that they are probably reworked and redeposited.
This conclusion is strongly supported by the occurrence of re-
deposited  Cretaceous  forms  in  the  sample 13.  In  contrast,  in
the  sample  set  from  the  Ratyn  Limestone  foraminifers  are
abundant and with no trace of redeposition. Assemblages are
dominated by elphidiids which are opportunistic and generally
live  in  sediment  as  epifaunal  or  infaunal  dwellers  (Murray
1991; Hayward et al. 1997). Elphidiids are herbivores but they
may be sometimes detrivorous. Their main diet is usually pin-
nate diatoms (Murray 1991). They exhibit a variety of distri-
bution  patterns  ranging  from  restricted  to  cosmopolitan.
Cosmopolitan elphidiids may occur in different climate zones
around the world; some live in warmer waters, some show a
sporadic  distribution  in  several  widely  separated  areas  and
others are widely distributed in the tropics. Salinity and water
depth are also important ecological controls for this group
as  well  as  water  depth  and  the  degree  of  exposure  to  high
wave and current energy (Hayward et al. 1997) and various
Elphidium species exhibit distinct environmental preferences.
Elphidiids are characterized by two morphologies: some pos-
sess  the  peripheral  keel,  others  have  rounded  peripheries.
Keeled morphotypes are mostly herbivorous, epifaunal dwell-
ers preferring sandy sediment, occurring in shallow marine en-
vironments (inner shelf) with warm to temperate and normal
to hypersaline (35—70 ‰) waters (Murray 2006).

Foraminiferal assemblages in the Kudryntsi section are

dominated  by  two  keeled  elphidiids:  Elphidium  crispum  and
E. macellum. The E. crispum association occurs in recent seas
in shallow subtidal (0—20 m) environments of normal marine
salinity  (30—35 ‰)  and  temperate  to  warm  waters  (8—18 °C)
(Murray  2006).  The  preferred  substrate  is  muddy  sand,  and
seaweed. Additional common species in this association are
E.  macellum,  Rosalina  globularis  and  Lobatula  lobatula.
The  E.  crispum  association  is  described  from  the  Atlantic
seaboard of Europe (Murray 1991). E. crispum is one of the

most common species of Elphidium along the east coast of
Australia and around some of the south-east Pacific islands
(Hayward et al. 1997).

Quinqueloculina and Porosononion are other common

constituents  of  foraminiferal  assemblages  recorded  in  the
Kudryntsi  profile.  Quinqueloculina  is  an  epifaunal  dweller,
living  free  or  clinging  on  plants  or  sediment,  herbivorous,
preferring shallow normal marine to hypersaline (32—65 ‰)
environments.  Similar  ecological  requirements  are  character-
istic of Triloculina, commonly occurring in combination with
Elphidium  and  Quinqueloculina  (Murray  1991).  Porosono-
nion is not present in the recent seas.

Assuming that Miocene foraminifers had similar environ-

mental requirements to recent foraminifers, we can infer
shallow subtidal environment of normal marine salinity and
temperate to warm waters for the Kudryntsi site.

Petrography and stable isotopes of carbonates

The bioclastic microfacies of limestones of the Ratyn

Limestone  indicate  a  marine  provenance.  In  contrast,  lime-
stone  within  the  siliciclastic  complex  are  barren  of  marine
fauna.  The  pelletal  depositional  textures  in  that  part  of  the
section  apparently  originated  in  restricted  environments.
Sparry limestones with pseudomorphs after gypsum crystals
are interpreted as formed in a restricted deposit as well, and
the former gypsum crystals at least in some cases grew dis-
placively within a carbonate deposit.

The provenance of the rare bioclasts (Fig. 8D—F) in strongly

gypsified deposits remains enigmatic. A possible source is
Lower Badenian coralline algal limestones occurring beyond
the limit of gypsum deposition east of Kudryntsi. On the other
hand, clasts of microbially-laminated limestone (Fig. 8C) may
derive from the more marginal parts of the Badenian evaporite
basin which have been eroded during the deposition of the up-
per part of the gypsum section following the block tectonics.

The bulk samples of all limestones analysed show negative

carbon  and  oxygen  isotope  values  and  both  strongly  suggest
the  presence  of  isotopically  light,  meteoric  water  rather  than
only  seawater  or  concentrated,

O-rich seawater-derived

brines. The limestones have microspar and equant sparry cal-
cite cements, and pore spaces and vugs as well as fissure fill-
ings are filled with sparry calcite cement. To explain the stable
isotope data, the sparite cementation and some recrystalliza-
tion, but with preservation of most microfabrics, had to take
place in meteoric-water-dominated fluid. An alternative expla-
nation (the influence of hydrothermal fluids) is not supported
by field or petrographic evidence. It is remarkable that the av-
erage

O values in limestones of Kudryntsi follow a restric-

tion-controlled  trend.  The  most  positive  field  is  the  one
characterizing  the  intercalation  within  the  stromatolitic  gyp-
sum unit, and the most negative field is the one corresponding
to the period of pre-Ratyn Limestone deposition (Fig. 9). The
field  of  the  Ratyn  Limestone  occupies  an  intermediate  posi-
tion  between  the  most  restricted  (evaporitic)  environment  in
which the stromatolitic gypsum was deposited and the evapor-
itic  lagoon  in  which  the  siliciclastic  deposits  originated  and
which  was  influenced  by  large  inflows  of  continental  waters
carrying the siliciclastic and other detrital material.

515

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE BADENIAN EVAPORITE BASIN OF THE CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP

The

C and

O values for bulk carbonates of the Upper

Badenian from the Vienna Basin are between 3 ‰ and —2.3 ‰
and between 0.1 ‰ and —5.1 ‰, respectively (Kováčová et al.
2009), and are interpreted as controlled by limited open-ma-
rine exchange – the more negative the more restricted.
Kováčová et al. (2009) related the strong negative isotope ra-
tio to the fresh water input of the paleo-Danube which affected
the near-surface waters. We also relate the observed trend in
the

C and

O values of Kudryntsi to restriction-controlled

environment although a much more widespread data set is re-
corded in Kudryntsi, probably because of the more complex
recystallization due to many episodes of dissolution and re-
precipitation and thus changes in isotopic composition of the
final precipitated carbonate.

Phase composition

It is remarkable that there is a strong similarity in the phase

composition of the first deposits of the Late Badenian trans-
gression and the laminated gypsum below the limestone inter-
calation within the stromatolitic gypsum unit (Table 2). This
supports the earlier interpretation of the origin of that interca-
lation as due to influx of fresh seawater (cf. Peryt 2001).

Discussion

The Kudryntsi section documents the importance of the re-

cycling of previously formed evaporites during deposition of
the upper part of the Badenian gypsum sequence (cf. Peryt et
al. 2002). Afterwards, in relation to the structural rebuilding
of the Carpathian Foredeep, the gypsum deposits underwent
partial  erosion  which  was  previously  recorded  in  various
parts  of  the  basin  (e.g.  Aleksenko  1961;  Bobrovnik  1966;
Kubica 1992; Peryt & Peryt 1994). The erosion was related
to subaerial exposure, although not the entire basin, even in
its more marginal part, has desiccated, and in some local de-
pressions  thicker  accumulations  of  clastic  gypsum  have
formed (e.g. Peryt et al. 2004b). In such local depression, the
siliciclastic deposits (with intercalations of limestones) over-
lying gypsum at Kudryntsi have been deposited.

The subsequent transgression which led to deposition of

the  Ratyn  Limestone  (and  associated  marls)  was  controlled
by  a  general  sea-level  rise  outside  the  Central  Paratethys
realm (Kováč et al. 2007). This change in the hydrology of
the  Central  Paratethys  implies  the  dilution  of  brines  by  in-
flowing marine water. This act terminated the Badenian sa-
linity crisis, and the basin water returned to a normal salinity
(Peryt 2006). In SE Poland, the pteropod-rich lower part of
the  Spirialis  Clay  Member  is  followed  by  the  foraminifer-
rich upper part of the Member. Planktonic fauna appear first
followed  by  benthic  foraminifers.  Common  occurrence  of
stenohaline pteropods is interpreted as due to mass extinction
caused by mixing of the upper water bed that was of normal
salinity and of moderate temperature, with the warmer, lower
water bed of high salinity (Peryt 2006). The foraminiferal as-
semblages of the upper part of Spirialis Clay Member indi-
cate an outer shelf setting where the water salinity was close to
normal (Czepiec & Kotarba 1998). However, such a scenario

assumed for a more basinward location is not necessarily
correct for more peripheral zones of the basin as indicated by
the Kudryntsi section.

First, the foraminiferal assemblages of the Kudryntsi sec-

tion are dominated by E. crispum association indicating shal-
low-water  environments  of  normal  marine  salinity
(30—35 ‰).  The  first  moderately  diversified  assemblage  of
benthic  foraminifers,  recorded  in  the  marly  bed  below  the
limestone bed from which samples 28 and 29 derive, is fol-
lowed by a low-diversified assemblage, almost entirely com-
posed of elphidiids. This assemblage occurs in the marl bed
contained between the first and second limestone beds (sam-
ple 32). In the close neighbourhood of the latter bed, another
moderately  diversified  assemblage  of  benthic  foraminifers
occurs,  and  it  is  accompanied  by  a  very  varied  macrofauna
assemblage recorded in the limestone bed. This, in general,
indicates general amelioration of environmental conditions.

Second, during the deposition of the siliciclastic unit, neigh-

bouring calcareous deposits were being eroded and transport-
ed towards local depressions. In the Kudryntsi area, the
gypsum is underlain by thin Upper Cretaceous and Badenian
coralline algal limestones which rest upon Silurian deposits.
The presence of dolomite as a minor component of marls in-
dicates the Silurian source of carbonates whereas redeposited
foraminifers suggest the Cretaceous and Badenian sources.
These redeposited carbonates were the source of carbonate in
the siliciclastic unit. Marls and limestone intercalations of the
siliciclastic series are practically barren of fauna. It seems that
the transporting agent of the carbonate as well as siliciclastic
grains was the continental water, which anyway was the main
inflow during evaporite deposition in the Carpathian Foredeep
Basin as proved by Cendón et al. (2004).

As was mentioned earlier, sporadic occurrence of marine

fauna in clay intercalations within the gypsum of the evaporite
facies  zone  III  indicates  incursions  of  seawater  (Venglinskiy
& Goretskiy 1966). However, in most cases the anoxic con-
ditions characteristic of evaporite deposition were accompa-
nied  by  (very)  incomplete  dilution  of  the  dense  bottom
brines  so  preventing  the  colonization  of  the  bottom  by  ma-
rine fauna, but the dilution effect could have been sufficient
to prevent the further deposition of gypsum (i.e. the salinity
was below 150 ‰ – see Orti Cabo et al. 1984). In the case
of  the  siliciclastic  complex  with  limestone  intercalations  at
Kudryntsi, the source of the waters which diluted the residu-
al brines was probably the continent. When the oxic condi-
tions prevailed over the shallower parts of the basin and the
salinity dropped below 80 ‰, calcium carbonate pelletal mud
could  originate  (Orti  Cabo  et  al.  1984).  The  salinity  finally
dropped following the inflow of fresh seawater although very
locally during the first phases of transgression, even in oxic
conditions,  the  water  salinity  was  high  enough  to  allow  for
displacive growth of lenticular gypsum crystals.

Implications

A dramatic decrease in water salinity occurred during dep-

osition of the studied interval – from ca. 150—300 ‰ during
the Badenian gypsum precipitation (cf. Peryt 1996), to not

516

D. PERYT and T.M. PERYT

more  than  35 ‰  during  the  deposition  of  the  bed  which
yielded the abundant foraminiferal assemblage dominated by
Elphidium  crispum  and  E.  macellum.  This  implies  that  the
inflowing seawater bed had a volume enabling, after mixing
with the relict brines, salinity conditions suitable for the col-
onization of the sea bottom by fauna. At the same time, the
magnitude  of  rise  of  sea  level  can  be  estimated  as  several
tens of meters. At the end of evaporite-related deposition in
the Kudryntsi area the depth was less than a dozen meters in
the depressions. The local recrystallization of the uppermost
part  of  gypsum  as  well  as  the  scoured  surface  of  gypsum
suggest that in some places the gypsum deposits underwent
subaerial  exposure.  The  lack  of  planktonic  foraminifers  in
the assemblage of the lowest part of the transgressive Upper
Badenian  strata  supports  the  conclusion  that  the  depth  of
deposition was less than 20 m. This suggestion is also based
on the environmental requirements of E. crispum association
(as discussed above).

Until now the first limestone overlying gypsum deposits in

the Carpathian Foredeep seemed to be the Ratyn Limestone
(see  Peryt  &  Peryt  1994,  with  references  therein).  The
present study proves that it is not correct as limestone beds
occur within the siliciclastic series which is genetically relat-
ed  to  the  terminal  stages  of  development  of  the  Badenian
evaporite  basin.  Therefore,  the  term  “Ratyn  Limestone”
should  be  applied  only  to  marine-derived  limestone  formed
during the Late Badenian transgression.

Conclusions

Micropaleontological and geochemical study of the pelites

of  the  siliciclastic  series  occurring  above  the  Badenian  gyp-
sum  deposits  and  below  clearly  marine  deposits  (limestones
and  intercalated  marls  with  abundant  faunal  assemblage)  of
the  Kudryntsi  section  (West  Ukraine)  showed  that  they
formed from the redeposition of the material coming from the
older  Badenian  rocks  as  well  as  from  the  substrate  to  the
evaporite  basin.  However,  this  phase  of  reworking  with  sub-
stantially decreased salinity because of the inflow of great vol-
ume of continental water loaded with the eroded particles. The
siliciclastic  series  contains  rare  redeposited  microfauna,  and
limestone intercalations within the siliciclastic series are bar-
ren of fauna. The limestone intercalations within the siliciclas-
tic  series  display  a  pelletal  depositional  texture  and  are
apparently formed in restricted environments. The bulk sam-
ples  of  all  limestones  show  negative  carbon  and  oxygen  iso-
tope values. The limestones have microspar and equant sparry
calcite  cements,  and  pore  spaces  and  vugs  as  well  as  fissure
fillings  are  filled  with  sparry  calcite  cement.  To  explain  the
stable isotope data, the sparite cementation and recrystalliza-
tion had to take place in meteoric-water-dominated fluid. The
δ

O values in limestones of Kudryntsi follow a restriction-

controlled trend similar to that assumed for the Upper Bade-
nian from the Vienna Basin (Kováčová et al. 2009). However,
the much wider ranges of

C and

O values in Kudryntsi

are probably result of considerably more complex recrystalli-
zation owing to many episodes of dissolution and reprecipita-
tion. The faunal assemblage in the marine strata records a

gradual improvement of environmental conditions – the first
limestone contains bivalves, ostracods and gastropods, and the
second limestone bed contains a very rich, diversified faunal
assemblage.  A  similar  (although  more  complex)  pattern  re-
sults  from  the  study  of  benthic  foraminiferal  assemblages
which  are  dominated  by  E.  crispum  association  indicating
shallow  environments  (0—20 m  deep)  with  a  normal  marine
salinity (30—35 ‰).

Acknowledgments:  The  fieldwork  and  geochemical  analy-
ses  were  funded  by  the  research  Grant  No. 6  P04D  009  11
(Committee  on  Scientific  Research)  to  T.M.  Peryt  and  the
special  Grant  No. 1159/UKR/2007/01  (Ministry  of  Science
and Higher Education) to M. Kotarba. We thank Z. Dubicka
for discussions in the field and for the drawing shown in Fig-
ure 4, M. Jasionowski and A.V. Poberezhskyy for their field
assistance,  and  B.C.  Schreiber  and  P.  Kováčová  for  com-
ments on the first draft of this paper.

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