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Use of biological marker distributions to study thermal history of the Permian Kupferschiefer of the Lower Rhine Basin

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Zusammenfassung

Aus dem Bereich der heutigen Niederrheinischen Bucht wurden an 30 Kernproben des Kupferschiefers organischgeochemische Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Innerhalb des Untersuchungsgebiets nimmt die Teufe des Kupferschieferhorizonts von 350 m im Süden auf über 1000 m im Norden zu. Organisch-geochemische Reifeparameter zeigen an, daß der Kupferschiefer im Westen durch den Intrusivkörper des Krefelder Gewölbes thermisch beeinflußt worden ist. Aufgrund dieser Situation bietet sich die Möglichkeit, Unterschiede im Einfluß von kurzzeitigen und langzeitigen Temperatureinwirkungen auf die Verteilung von Chemofossilien in einem faziell einheitlichen Horizont zu studieren. Teufenabhängige Variationen der Hopan-, Steran-, Diasteran- und Diasterenverteilungen lassen sich mit den zusätzlich durch den Intrusivkörper verursachten Veränderungen vergleichen. Die Verteilungsmuster der aromatischen Steroide werden zur Deutung von Zeit-Temperatur-Effekten im Verlauf der Diagenese herangezogen. Die ermittelten Meßwerte der Reifeparameter lassen sich nur interpretieren, wenn postsedimentäre tektonische Bewegungen nach der Ablagerung des Kupferschiefers in Betracht gezogen werden. Die aus Horsten stammenden Proben zeigen höhere Reifegrade an als entsprechend ihrer heutigen Teufe zu erwarten.

Abstract

In the Central European Zechstein Basin, the Permian Kupferschiefer has been deposited under marine anoxic conditions. From a lagoon at the southwest border of the Zechstein Sea, today part of the Lower Rhine Basin, 30 core samples have been studied by means of organic geochemical methods. Within the area investigated, the depth of the Kupferschiefer horizon increases from about 350 m in the south to about 1000 m in the north. Furthermore, the Kupferschiefer has been thermally affected in the western part by the intrusive body of the so-called Krefeld High. This geological situation opens the possibility to investigate differences of short term and long term temperature effects on the biological marker distribution within a sediment layer of a largely uniform faciès type. Depth related changes in the hopane, sterane and diasterene/diasterane distributions are compared to those changes induced by the Krefeld High. The composition of aromatic steroid hydrocarbons is used to discuss time-temperature effects. It is shown that depth related values of maturation parameters can only be interpreted by taking into account post-depositional tectonic events. Samples from tectonic horst structures show higher maturation values than one would expect from the present day depth.

Résumé

Dans le bassin du Zechstein d'Europe Centrale, les Kupferschiefer permiens ont été déposés dans des conditions marines anoxiques. Dans un paléo-lagon situé à la bordure sud-ouest de la mer du Zechstein, et qui fait partie aujourd'hui du Bassin du Bas-Rhin, 30 échantillons, provenant de carottes, ont fait l'objet d'une étude de géochimie organique. Dans la région ainsi étudiée, la profondeur de l'horizon des Kupferschiefer augmente, du sud au nord, de 350 m à 1.000 m. D'autre part, les Kupferschiefer ont subi, dans leur partie ouest, l'influence thermique du corps intrusif du «Dôme de Krefeld». Cette situation géologique fournit la possibilité d'étudier les effets à long terme et à court terme de la température sur la distribution des marqueurs biologiques au sein d'un niveau sédimentaire de faciès uniforme. Les modifications dans la répartition de l'hopane, du stérane et du diastérène/diasterane en fonction de la profondeur sont comparées à celles qui sont provoquées par le Dôme de Krefeld. Les effets temps-température sont discutés à partir de la composition des hydrocarbures stéroïdes aromatiques. Les auteurs montrent que la valeur des paramètres de maturation liés à la profondeur ne peuvent être interprétés sans que l'on prenne en considération les événements tectoniques postsédimentaires. Des échantillons provenant de structures en horst montrent un degré d'évolution plus élevé que celui auquel on s'attend d'après leur profondeur actuelle.

Краткое содержание

Провели геохимическ ие исследования орга нических веществ на 30-ти про бах к ернов медистого слан ца из региона сегодняшней нижне-рейнской бухты. В исследуемой области глубина зале гания горизонта этог о сланца возрастает от 350 м на юге до свыше 1000 м на севере. Полученные ге охимические парамет ры созревания указывают на то, что эт от сланец подвергалс я на западе термическо му воздействию интру зивного тела крефельдского с вода. Это дает возможн ость изучать влияние, как к ратковременного, так и продолжительного температурного возд ействия на распредел ение хемофоссилий в гориз онте одного и того-же фация. Колебания расп ределения гопанов и с теранов не зависят от глубины залегания и их можно с читать изменениями, вызванн ыми интрузивным тело м. Распределение ароматических стеро идов привлекают для объяснения влияния э ффекта времени и темп ературы на течение процессов диагенеза. Полученны е данные параметров созреван ия можно интерпретир овать только при учете пост-седиментных тектони ческих движений. Пробы, взяты е из горстов, проявляю т более высокую степен ь созравания, чем ожид алось на основании данных и гл убине их залегания.

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Püttmann, W., Eckardt, C.B. & Schwark, L. Use of biological marker distributions to study thermal history of the Permian Kupferschiefer of the Lower Rhine Basin. Geol Rundsch 78, 411–426 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01988373

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