Geological formation in Austria and Germany, about 180–174 million years old From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Saubach Formation is a geological formation in Austria and Germany, dating to about 180–174 million years ago.[1] It was described originally as Saubachschichten in 1975, and classified as part of the Lower Jurassic Adnet Group.[2]
Bioclastic wackestones and packstones with breccia layers
Location
Region
Osterhorn Mountains
Country
Austria
Type section
Named for
Saubach, a little creek southeast of Schafbachalm
Named by
Krainer & Mostler
Year defined
1997
Saubach Formation (Austria)
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Description
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Perspective
This formation is part of a near-shore to epicontinental marine-influenced deposits, coeval in age with the Sachrang Formation, that was more likely a linked pelagic deposit.[1] After the drowning of the local Rhaetian reef slope and in the adjacent basin, Sinemurian–Toarcian local members were formed as a sequence of increasingly near pelagic sedimentation during the middle and late Liassic.[1] The Coeval on the lowermost part Scheck Member has evidence of a series of large scale tectonic activities culminating during the late Pliensbachian and early Toarcian, probably linked to the Vulcanism of the adjacent Irkut Basin.[1] In contrast to the "Adneter Mergel", the Saubach Formation lacks grey marls.[3] In the type area, located at the Saubachgraben near Hintersee[de] (largely destroyed and buried) consists of predominantly red sequences. In some locations, such as Gaissau, the Saubach Formation is dominated by red condensed limestones with only minor marl intercalations.[3] In 1997 the name Saubach Formation was suggested, representing originally a series of Green Bituminous Marls on the Unken Sincline, identical to the strata of the Saubach Member of the Adnet Group.[4] Later it was shown that the Saubach Member and the Saubach formation belong to a unique entity, that can be called by both names, and represent a series of marls deposited on marginal marine to Pelagic environments, linked with the Red Marl of the Sachrang Formation.[5]
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Fossil content
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Perspective
On Scheibelberg appears with a relatively sharp boundary of just banked and slightly bulbous, greenish gray, rarely also slightly reddish Marl overlaid with Limestone and marl. This sequence was interpreted as the main outcrop of the Saubach formation. Switched along these strata in the Saubach Formation are up to 5 m thick bitumen Marbles.[4] There are fossils of Belemnnites, Ammonites and Echinoderms, where Ostracodans and Foraminifera are only to be found very isolated. A group of Bioclastic wackestone is present, and consists of a micro-matrix with plenty of thin shell remains scattered loosely. Furthermore, are Echinoderm remains, Ostracodes, foraminifera, radiolaria and represented spiculae. Authentic Pyrite is found in patches to observe.[2] There is an alternate deposition composed mostly by bioclastic wackestone with Echinoderm remains, and other with Mudstone, with abundant echinoderms, foraminifera, Gastropods, echinid spines and pebble spicules. A series of greenish-gray marl Lime facies is rich in Ammonites, including the species Collina cf. gemma, linking the deposit to the Lower Toarcian.[2] The Biota recovered on the Type strata of the formation suggest that the Saubach Formation was deposited with influence of deeper waters.[4]
Sporomorphs
Several plant leaves and fragments of wood weren't identified.[3]
Affinities with Bryophyta. Spores from Mosses, probably linked with high humid environments. Related with the more common and more studied coal sections of the lower liassic of Gresten.
Affinities with Bryopsida. Spores from Mosses, probably linked with high humid environments. Related with the more common and more studied coal sections of the lower liassic of Gresten.
Affinities with Lycopodiaceae inside Lycopsida. Spores from vascular plants, including all of the core clubmosses. Are found associated with Lagoonal, Deltaic or other similar deposits.
Affinities with Matoniaceae inside Gleicheniales. Fern Spores related to large colonies of ferns, that are find on modern days on mostly Tropical Settings.
A Sea Snail, type member of the family Ataphridae inside Trochoidea. While most of the specimens were recovered from the slightly older Hierlatz Limestone a series of similar specimens were recovered on the Saubach Realm. There are more than a dozen local Gatropod specimens without identification.
Type NautilidaeNautilidan. This Nautiloid is one of the most abundant local cephalopods on the Toarcian Strata, linked to the most nearshore horizons of the Formation.
A Brittle star of the Family Myophiuroida. This genus is related with the lower Sinemurian strata, where is more common and was first described. Probably a marginal marine Genus.
A Sea Lily, type genus of the Family Pentacrinitidae. Along with the genus Seridocrinus, Pentacrinites is the most known Pelagic Crinoid, linked to large tree rafts, as recovered on Holzmaden deposits from the same age.
A Sea Cucumber of the Family Protocaudinidae. This new species and new genus shows a typical Palaeozoic "Microantyx"-type wheel from Early Jurassic sediments, being possibly related to the Ophiocistioidea family.[13] It is considered by some authors a nomen nudum and has been synonymized with Staurocaudina.[14]
Neomicroantyx has been Synonymyzed or aligned with the genus Staurocaudina, whose recent relatives include the genus Colochirus
A Sea Cucumber of the Family Stichopitidae. Related with soft substrates, such as sand or rubble, this Sclerites resemble the modern genus Isostichopus, but from a larger Sea Cucumber Genus. It is found associated with Abundant Foramifera.
Modern Genus Isostichopus can be related to Syneuphronides
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