International Geological Journal - Official Journal of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association

A three component (organic carbon, pyritic sulphur, carbonate content) model as a tool for lithostratigraphic correlation of Carboniferous sediments in the Alpine-Carpathian-North Pannonian realm

Published: Aug 2006

Pages: 243 - 256

Authors: FRITZ EBNER, GERD RANTITSCH, BARBARA RUSSEGGER, ANNA VOZAROVA, SANDOR KOVACS

Abstract: The paleogeography of the Alpine-Carpathian-North Pannonian (ALCAPA) realm is still a matter of debate. In order to establish a tool for lithostratigraphic correlation, the total organic carbon content (TOC), the sulphur (S) content, and the carbonate content were measured in Carboniferous sediments of this realm. The presented database consists of 260 samples from Carboniferous sedimentary sequences in the Alpine-Carpathian-Pannonian realm. The TOC/S ratio in pelagic and continental environments is in accordance with the ratios observed in several studies. A high S-content in the Szabadbattyan Formation suggests an euxinic environment in an intra-shelf position. This is a distinctive feature to all other formations of the same depositional environment. Apart from the pelagic environment, sedimentary processes in the distinct basins result in composite TOC/carbonate relationships, which are indicative for a combination of an organically controlled with a carbonatic controlled deposition. The data of this study demonstrate that the analysed geochemical data can be interpreted in terms of the sedimentary environment. Therefore, the database can be used for a further research in the reconstruction of the Carboniferous paleogeography in this area.

Keywords: Carboniferous, Variscan tectonofacies, black shales, TOC/S-carbonate ratio

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