Starek D. & Šimo V., 2015: Trace fossils from Eocene turbiditic deposits: A case study from the Slovak-Moravian Carpathians. Acta Geologica Slovaca, 7, 2, 129–138.

Trace fossils from Eocene turbiditic deposits: A case study from the Slovak-Moravian Carpathians

Fosílne stopy v eocénnych turbiditických uloženinách: príklad zo Slovensko-moravských Karpát

Dušan Starek & Vladimír Šimo

Earth Science Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Geological Division, Dúbravská cesta 9, 842 36 Bratislava

Abstract

Well exposed, poorly bioturbated turbiditic sandstones of the Kýčera Beds (Zlín Formation; Eocene) in the Bieščary Quarry contain the deep-sea Nereites ichnofacies. The trace fossils Ophiomorpha rudis, Halopoa annulata and Scolicia strozzii are mainly common in thick-bedded sandstone packages. They represent the Ophiomorpha rudis ichnosubfacies. Paleodiction strozzii, Nereites irregularis, and Zoophycos brianteus occur in a series of thin- to medium bedded fine grained turbiditic sandstones intercalated with mudstone shales. They belong to the Paleodictyon–Nereites ichnosubfacies. The sedimentological interpretation of the turbidity facies and the distribution of the trace fossils suggest that the recognized ichnosubfacies probably express a non-bathymetric facies trend from channel axis, levee to overbank or inter-channel/interlobe areas of a deep sea fan. The distribution and preservation of trace fossils depend mostly on lithology, sedimentation rate, erosion and amalgamation of beds in the proximal mid fan areas, bulldozing effect during colonization as well as on the hardly quantified effect of bottom oxygenation and supply of nutrients.

Key words: Western Carpathians, Eocene, turbidites, trace fossils, palaeoenvironment

Manuscript received: 2015-01-30

Revised version accepted: 2015-09-25