ALBERT

Description: research

Description: Morphological and geochemical comparisons between modern cryptic microbialites from Lizard Island/Great Barrier Reef and fossil counterparts in the Upper Jurassic (Southern Germany, Dobrogea/Romania) and late Lower Cretaceous (Aptian/ Albian from Cantabria/Spain) spongiolitic environments show that there are common factors controlling the crust formations mostly independent of light despite of diverging (paleo-) oceanographic positions as well as relationships of competitors. Factors such as increased alkalinity ,oligotrophy, and reduced allochthonous deposition are of major importance. Thrombolitic microbialites are interpreted as biologically induced and therefore calcified in isotopic equilibrium with the surrounding sea water. Corresponding with shallowing upward cycles, microbial mats which produce stromatolitic peloidal crusts become more important. Different biomarkers are introduced for the first time extracted and analyzed from spongiolitic limes tones ofLower Kimmeridgian age from Southern Germany.

Description: In der Zentralen Dobrogea in Ostrumänien liegen die östlichsten europäischen Vorkommen oberjurassischer Mikrobialith/Kieselschwamm-Gesteine (Spongiolithe). Im Oxfordium existierte in der Zentralen Dobrogea eine flach nach Westen geneigte Karbonatplattform (homoklinale Rampe), auf der verschiedene kieselschwamm- und korallendominierte Rifftypen auftraten. Die Entwicklung der Karbonatrampe begann mit einer raschen Transgression im unteren Oxfordium. Gegen Ende der transgressiven Phase konnten sich in Wassertiefen unterhalb ca. 25 m Schwammrasen etablieren, in der Hochstandsphase schließlich auch Kieselschwamm/Mikrobialith-Bioherme. Ein für die rumänischen Vorkommen charakteristischer ringförmiger Biohermtyp spiegelt vermutlich ein präexistierendes Relief des Untergrundes wieder. Diese Kieselschwamm/Mikrobialith-Riffe besaßen ein früh zementiertes rigides Gerüst aus mikrobiellen Automikriten, das in erster Linie von lithistiden Demospongien und von hexactinelliden Kieselschwämmen besiedelt war. Deren Skelette wurden nach ihrem Absterben ebenfalls mikrobiell zementiert und kalzifiziert. Die Reste ihrer Skelette sind in den Riffen untergeordnet überliefert, in den Biostromen dominieren sie jedoch gegenüber Mikrobialithen. Diese Mikrobialith-Kieselschwamm-Bioherme besiedelten die mittlere Rampe in Wassertiefen, die unterhalb der Schönwetter-Wellenbasis lagen und nur bei schweren Stürmen von der Sturmwellenbasis erreicht wurden. Auf der äußeren Rampe von Sturmwellen nicht erreichbar entwickelten sich gleichzeitig kleine Thrombolith-Kieselschwamm-Mudmounds, an denen vorwiegend Hexactinellida beteiligt waren. Landwärts verzahnten sich die Spongiolithe mit kalkigen Areniten. In Wassertiefen vermutlich um 10 bis 15 m traten die ersten sehr dünnplattigen hermatypen Korallen auf und bildeten weite Biostrome (Fungiiden-Biostrome). Gründe für die Ablösung der Mikrobialith-Kieselschwamm-Assoziation durch hermatype Korallen erst in so flachem Wasser sind zum einen die geringe Toleranz der Mikrobialith-Kieselschwamm-Assoziation gegenüber stärkerer Wasserbewegung mit erhöhten Sedimentations- und Sedimentumlagerungs-Raten. Zum anderen hinderte möglicherweise eine Einschränkung der euphotischen Zone durch ein zeitweise leicht erhöhtes Nährstoffangebot mit Planktonblüte und dadurch verringerter Wassertransparenz hermatype Korallen daran, in tiefere Bereiche vorzudringen. Die im oberen Oxfordium einsetzende Regression führte zur Progradation der lagunären und bioklastischen Fazies der inneren Rampe. In dieser retrograden Phase entstanden Korallen-Fleckenriffe im hochenergetischen Flachwasser und Korallen-Stromatoporen-Chaetetiden-Fleckenriffe in den flachsten Teilen der mittleren Rampe. Die Schwamm-Mikrobialith-Assoziation verschwand zuerst in der östlichen Zentralen Dobrogea. In landferner Position im Westteil der Zentralen Dobrogea wurde sie etwas später von Korallenvorkommen abgelöst.

Description: The Central Dobrogea in Eastern Romania exhibits the easternmost occurrence of Upper Jurassic microbialite/siliceous sponge facies (spongiolite facies) in Europe. The spongiolites are part of the Lower to Upper Oxfordian Casimcea Fm. which was deposited on a gently westward dipping carbonate platform (homoclinal ramp). This platform was surrounded by deep marine basins in the south, west and north, while to the east the existence of a land area with low relief is assumed. The gently sloping carbonate ramp shows an E-W facies zonation. A lagoonal belt is followed towards the open sea by a coral patch reef belt, a bioclastic-oolitic sand belt, and a spongiolitic belt. The lagoonal belt is rich in structureless to laminated microbial crusts, which occasionally exhibit prism cracks and comprise bioclasts and dark lithoclasts ("black pebbles"). Crusts are accompanied by oncoidal wackestones with Bacinella-Lithocodium oncoids. C/adocorops/s-cayeuxiid floatstones are transitional to the facies of the coral patch reef belt. Seaward of the coral patch reef belt, bioclastic and oolitic sands occupy the proximal middle ramp. The transition to deeper water is reflected by changes in sedimentary and faunal composition from moderately to poorly sorted bioclastic and intraclastic grainstones/rudstones, to oolitic sands, and eventually to fine grained bioclastic packstones. In these packstone areas, coral reef banks grew which are entirely different from coral reefs of the patch reef belt. They were constructed almost exclusively by thin laminoid fungiid corals (Microsolena sp., Comoseris sp. Thamnasteria sp.). Seaward adjacent to these packstone areas are sponge meadows with interspersed microbialite/siliceous sponge reefs. These are followed by monotonous bioclastic wackestones. Small mud mounds bearing siliceous sponge are intercalated. The different reef types occupied specific positions on the ramp. In general spongiolitic facies developed at a more distal and deeper position on the ramp than any coral-dominated facies. The development of the carbonate ramp started with a rapid transgression in Lower Oxfordian time. At the end of the transgressive phase sponge meadows could establish themselves at water depths below about 25 m. During the time of relative sea level high stand microbialite-siliceous sponge bioherms developed, interspersed into the sponge meadows. These spongiolitic reefs occasionally show peculiar ring shapes, a feature that is only observed in Romania. Their formation was most probably controlled by a preexisting uneven surface with subtle hollows. The spongiolitic bioherms had an early cemented microbialitic framework, which was settled by lithistid demosponges and hexactinellid sponges. After the death of the sponges, their skeletons were also calcified and microbially cemented. The ring-shaped bioherms developed on the distal middle ramp below fair weather wave base, where only during heavy storms waves could touch the bottom. On the outer ramp below storm wave base small thrombolitic mud mounds dominated by hexactinellid sponges developed at the same time. Landwards, on the middle ramp, the spongiolitic belt interfingered with bioclastic sands. In water depths of about 1 0 to 1 5 m very thin platy corals appeared forming wide biostromes (fungiid biostromes). One important reason why hermatypic corals did not substitute the siliceous sponge facies in deeper water as well might have been pulses of slightly elevated nutrient concentrations. These elevated nutrient concentrations stimulated growth of plankton, which reduced water transparency, limiting depth range of hermatypic corals and calcareous algae. On the other hand high water turbulence together with elevated rates of sediment input and sediment movement prevented siliceous sponges from growing in areas where fair weather waves influenced the sea-bottom. Regression started in late Oxfordian time and lagoonal and bioclastic facies of the inner ramp prograded to the west. During this phase coral patch reefs developed in very shallow and turbulent water and coral-stromatoporoid patch reefs grew on the proximal middle ramp. The microbialite-siliceous sponge association first disappeared in the eastern part of the Central Dobrogea. In the western part the spongiolitic association was substituted by coral-dominated associations only during the latest Oxfordian. All reef types bearing microbialites (all spongiolitic buildups and fungiid biostromes) developed during transgression or relative sea level highstand. Coral patch reefs in shallow water did establish themselves during the regressive phase. Two basic types of microbialite crusts are recognized in Central Dobrogea: Fenestral automicritic crusts and peloidal automicritic crusts. In fenestral automicritic crusts lamination is often indistinct and defined by dense intervals alternating with losely packed intervals where small linear arranged spar-cemented areas (fenestrae) occur. This crust type is exclusively observed in the spongiolitic belt on the outer ramp where it forms the primary 'framework' in the thrombolitic mudmounds and participates in the hexactinellid-dominated biostromes. In a slightly shallower position within the ring-shaped bioherms they play only a minor role. Peloidal automicritic crusts show a rhythmical lamination which originates from the alternation of spar-cemented peloidal intervals and thin micritic layers. The peloidal intervals have integrated a varying amount of detrital grains. A fine-grained variety of this crust type forms the rigid primary framework of the ring-shaped bioherms. Coarse-grained varieties, locally with an ooid portion, developed in somewhat shallower and more turbulent water in the fungiid biostromes and in the coral-stromatoporoid patch reefs. Like the formation of the different crust types, the early diagenesis of sponge skeletons together with their organic tissue is another example for a microbially induced formation of automicrites. In general two modes of cementation are distinguished, a dense aphanitic and a peloidal one. It is assumed that the mode of cementation of the siliceous sponges (lithistid demosponges and hexactinellids) depends on the taxonomic affiliation of the sponges and on the physical and chemical conditions of the environment where they lived and died. Lithistid demosponges always show a peloidal mode of preservation. Hexactinellids, from deep and very low energy settings, however, exhibit dense aphanitic cementation and complete preservation. In shallower, more turbulent zones (ring-shaped bioherms) they have a low preservation potential and are in general incompletely preserved with a coarse grained peloidal mode of cementation.

Description: thesis

Description: DFG, SUB Göttingen