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Palaeoenvironments and palynofacies of a pulsed transgression: the late Devonian and early Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous) rocks of southeast Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

J. R. Davies ,
A. McNestry  and
R. A. Waters
J. R. Davies
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Bryn Eithyn Hall, Llanfarian, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 4BY, U.K.
A. McNestry
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, U.K.
R. A. Waters
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Bryn Eithyn Hall, Llanfarian, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 4BY, U.K.
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Abstract

Two boreholes in the Vale of Glamorgan have provided new data on the nature of the early Dinantian (Courceyan) transgression in South Wales. This transgression is manifested by the transition from the largely fluviatile, late Devonian, Upper Old Red Sandstone (Quartz Conglomerate Group) to the predominantly marine, early Dinantian, Lower Limestone Shale Group. The marine sequence comprises five shoaling upwards cycles, constructed from a suite of sedimentary lithofacies which record deposition in environments ranging from coastal plain, peritidal, lagoon, barrier and embayment to subtidal, open marine shelf. Each cycle represents a pulse of the transgression, and each successive pulse appears to have been larger than the preceding one, introducing progressively less restricted and more distal marine environments.

Thirty-seven samples were processed for palynological analysis. Miospore biozonation supports the cycle correlations between the two boreholes, suggested by the sedimentary event stratigraphy. Detrital kerogens from the samples comprise both terrestrially derived and marine types in varying proportions. Each kerogen type is described as well as the size, sorting and preservation of each assemblage. A palynofacies profile is presented for eachof the depositional environments recognized.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 128 , Issue 4 , July 1991 , pp. 355 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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