Posidonia Shale
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Posidonia Shale (german: Posidonienschiefer, also called Schistes Bitumineux in Luxembourg) geologically known as the Sachrang Formation, is an
Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic-J ...
(
Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toar ...
) geological formation of southwestern and northeast
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, northern
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, northwestern
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, southern
Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
and the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, including exceptionally well-preserved complete skeletons of fossil marine fish and reptiles.W. Etter and O. Kuhn. 2000. An articulated dragonfly (Insecta, Odonata) from the Upper Liassic Posidonia Shale of Northern Switzerland. Palaeontology 43:967-977Henrotay, M., Marques, D., Paicheler, J. C., Gall, J. C., & Nel, A. (1998). Le Toarcien inférieur des régions de Bascharage et de Bettembourg (Grand-Duché du Luxembourg): évidences paléontologiques et sédimentologiques d'environnements restreints proches de l'émersion. Geodiversitas, 20(2), 263-284. The ''Posidonienschiefer'', as German paleontologists call it, takes its name from the ubiquitous fossils of the oyster-related bivalve '' Posidonia bronni'' that characterize the mollusk faunal component of the formation. The ''Posidonienschiefer'', the German translation, takes its name from the ubiquitous fossils of the oyster-related bivalve ''" Posidonia bronni"'' (synonym of '' Bositra buchii'' and '' Steinmannia bronni'') that characterize the mollusk faunal component of the formation. The name Posidonia Shale has been used for more than a century, until revisions in 2016 proposed the Sachrang Formation as new name for the Germanic unit, in a same way Altmühltal Formation is the official name of the Solnhofen Limestone.Mönnig, E., Franz, M., & Schweigert, G. (2018). Der Jura in der Stratigraphischen Tabelle von Deutschland (STD 2016). Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, 169(2), 225-246. The Posidonia Shales where stablished as a valid vulgar name for this regions lower Toarcian Black Shales. The name Posidonienschiefer, while valid, represents another vulgar nomination, as ''Posidonia'' is an invalid genus and junior synonym of '' Bositra''. The type profile is still located on
Dotternhausen Dotternhausen is a municipality in the Zollernalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History Dotternhausen became a possession of the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1805 and was assigned to . In 1810, it was reassigned to and then to in ...
. The formation comprises finely laminated layers of
oil shale Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitut ...
s formed of fine-grained sediments intercalated with
bituminous limestone Bituminous limestone is limestone impregnated and sometimes deeply colored with bituminous matter derived from the decomposition of animal and plant remains entombed within the mass or in its vicinity. Uses The amount of bituminous matter or aspha ...
s and crops out in a number of locations in southwestern Germany, although most remains are from near the village of
Holzmaden Holzmaden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany that lies between Stuttgart and Ulm. Holzmaden is 4 km south-east from Kirchheim unter Teck and 19 km south-east of Esslingen am Neckar. The A 8 runs south from Holzmaden. The town ...
. The
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an oil shales deposited on a sea floor during the Early Toarcian in the ancient
Tethys Ocean The Tethys Ocean ( el, Τηθύς ''Tēthús''), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean that covered most of the Earth during much of the Mesozoic Era and early Cenozoic Era, located between the ancient continents ...
are described as being deposited in an
anoxic The term anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of diss ...
, or oxygen-depleted, deep water environment, although the details of the
depositional environment In geology, depositional environment or sedimentary environment describes the combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes associated with the deposition of a particular type of sediment and, therefore, the rock types that will be ...
are the subject of debate by researchers of the formation. The Sachrang member is among the most important formations of the Toarcian boundary in the Northern Alps realmEbli, O., Draxler, I., Klein, P., Kodina, L. A., & Lobitzler, H. (1991). Fazies, Paläontologie und organische Geochemie der Sachranger Schiefer (Untertoarcium) im Mittelabschnitt der Nördlichen Kalkalpen zwischen Isar und Saalach. Jahrbuch der Geologischen Bundesanstalt, 134(1), 5-14.Jacobshagen, V. (1965). Die Allgäu-Schichten (Jura-Fleckenmergel) zwischen Wettersteingebirge und Rhein. Wien: Geol. Bundesanstalt This Sachrang member is included inside the major stratigraphic groups found on the Tirol Mountains in
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
, where is equivalent to the
Saubach Formation The Saubach Formation is a geological formation in Austria and Germany, dating to about 180–174 mya (unit), million years ago.Böhm, F. (2003). Lithostratigraphy of the Adnet Group (Lower to Middle Jurassic, Salzburg, Austria) (pp. 231–268). V ...
, also from the Toarcian stage.Ebli, O., Vető, I., Lobitzer, H., Sajgó, C., Demény, A., & Hetényi, M. (1998). Primary productivity and early diagenesis in the Toarcian Tethys on the example of the Mn-rich black shales of the Sachrang member, Northern Calcareous Alps. Organic Geochemistry, 29(5-7), 1635-1647. It is part of the series of formations with the presence of Toarcian black shales, being among the most important of the Alpine-Mediterranean domain. Those Shales on the
Northern Calcareous Alps The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany ...
was sedimented based on a strong dependency on the overall palaeobathymetric situation of the region, as recovered by the microfacies types as well as in the composition of the biota. The deeper part is domain of the Sachrang Shales, with a basin radiolaria-rich lithologies, and a parallel series of submarine topographic highs a dominance of echinoderm-and mollusc-biomicrites ( Unken Shales) and a strong increase in resedimentation can be observed.


Geology

The Posidonia Shale is part of the so-called Southern German Cuesta Landscape, with the strata referred to being the principal representative of the Lower Jurassic layers in the foreland area of the Swabian and Franconian Alps, where it is one of the dominant layers of the Liassic deposition.Van Acken, D., Tütken, T., Daly, J. S., Schmid-Röhl, A., & Orr, P. J. (2019). Rhenium‑osmium geochronology of the Toarcian Posidonia Shale, SW Germany. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 534, 109294. The lithology consists mostly of carbonate concretion layers, mixed with abundant pyrite and euhedral crystals. Detrital clay, with a fine grain depositional exposure forms the bulk of the Posidonia, along with the presence of silt-sized quartz, being a component found on the lower layers of the formation. The black shales are the main component of the lithology of the Posidonia Shale, with different ratio of thickness, being more exposed on the southern German realm, specially near
Ohmden Ohmden is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Neighboring communities Neighboring municipalities are starting from North clockwise: Schlierbach, Hattenhofen, Zell unter Aichelberg , all district Göpp ...
. Studies of the shales have shown that the rise and fall of the sea level was one of the main effect of change on the Chemofacies present on the Posidonia. Posterior changes set environments for Chlorobiaceae and antiestuarine deposition. It was deposited on the Central European Basin, whose was connected on the Toarcian period with the Proto-Athlantic realm, under the sedimentary influence of the Fennoscandian deltas & sedimentation, along with several massif deposition, such as the Renic and the Bohemian, being the main representative emerged lands on the central European margin. its characterised by and abundant content of organic matter, with a presence of an up to 16% TOC, caused by
anoxic The term anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of diss ...
to
euxinic Euxinia or euxinic conditions occur when water is both anoxic and sulfidic. This means that there is no oxygen (O2) and a raised level of free hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Euxinic bodies of water are frequently strongly stratified, have an oxic, highly ...
bottom water conditions. Most of the depositional margins of the German realm were on
Pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...
marine settings, where the oxygen was the object of different changes along the layers, due to climate conditions and sea current effects. Outside the Shales, there are other types of lithology present, such as the light grey marls of the Aschgraue and Blaugraue Mergel that occur at the base of the Posidonia Shale section, which are related to sea bottom environment with a large period of well and suitable oxygen conditions, reflected on the presence of organic matter. The Black Shales are the opposite, with anoxic bottom effect and a detailed negative effect on the biota. Other elements of the Formation are the presence of
Pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
s on the Black Shales. The effects of the changes to oxygen and depositions have had visible effect, with diagenetic and syngenetic pyrite forms, being the second ones deposited in oxygenated or dysoxic bottom waters, with pores and effects of biotic interaction, and the diagenetic pyrite needing high contents of transition metals. The Posidonia Shale is also one of the Environments where the
Methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Ea ...
release on the Toarcian is better exposed. Related to worldwide effects, rapid and large-scale emissions by dissociation of methane hydrate in Europe and worldwide (Related to the Karoo Volcanism) was driven by astronomical forcing superimposed and ending on a longer-term global warming. The Jurassic sedimentation on the Sachrang member is subdivided into several different units, with drastic changes in the
Northern Calcareous Alps The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany ...
. During the Toarcian,
carbonate platform A carbonate platform is a sedimentary body which possesses topographic relief, and is composed of autochthonic calcareous deposits. Platform growth is mediated by sessile organisms whose skeletons build up the reef or by organisms (usually micr ...
s collapsed and several types of bottom reliefs were generated due to tectonic activity, where on the submarine swells the red nodular
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
s with an exposure of 20 m of the Adnet Formation were deposited on zones of basinal sedimentology, know due to the presence of grey limestone and marl on an up to 200 m layer of the Allgäu Formation. The marls of the Sachrang member are part of the Lower Toarcian "Black Shale deposition", contemporaneous of other events on central Germany and England. The Sachrang member was geologically divided in the Sachrang section, that presents typical development of a basinal area and the Unken Member, with benthic microfossils with suboxic water influence. The Toarcian Black Shale of the Sachrang member are related to the ones present on the Úrkút Manganese of
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, that is related with manganese ores that develop over more than 250 km distance in the Northern Calcareous Alps.Lantos, Z., Vető, I., Földvári, M., & Kovács-Pálffy, P. (2003). On the role of remote magmatic source and intrabasinal redeposition in the genesis of the Toarvian Úrkút Manganese ore, Hungary. Acta Geologica Hungarica, 46(4), 321-340. All the units where vinculated to the Transdanubian Range Unit, where the Sachrang member and the Úrkút Manganese shared the paleogeographic evolution present on the southern near land margin, influenced by a continuous process of Rifting present on the
Tethys Ocean The Tethys Ocean ( el, Τηθύς ''Tēthús''), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean that covered most of the Earth during much of the Mesozoic Era and early Cenozoic Era, located between the ancient continents ...
. On the Hettangian the vinculated central European platforms drowned and where affected by
Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.3 ± 2 Ma and 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian and ...
-
Pliensbachian The Pliensbachian is an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series an ...
tensional tectonic events along with marine sedimentation, reoriented by the emersion of horsts on the Úrkút area. The Pliensbachian basin had near 200 m depth, and the presence of slope environments, tectonically influenced basins are indicated on locations such as the Hiertlaz Limestone.La Vörös, A. T. T. I. (1991). Hierlatzkalk-a Peculiar Austro-Hungarian Jurassic Facies The marine sedimentation and the continuous tectonic rework let some of the local basins to last until the latest Jurassic. In the Toarcian, there was a great condensation affecting the subsided highs, where ferric components were deposited. After that, tectonics, faulting and erosion on the Cretaceous change the deposition of the region.


Stratigraphy

Is composed by various levels, starting with a lover level of basal mudstone of 4 m thick.Suan, G., Schlögl, J., & Mattioli, E. (2016). Bio- and chemostratigraphy of the Toarcian organic-rich deposits of some key successions of the Alpine Tethys. Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 49(3), 401–419. This level is composed mainly by organic filled layers that have some hiatus, occupied by continental-derived deposition. Over the mudstone level, a series represented by the Bächental bituminous marls and a Debrite is exposed. The lower part of this section is composed of greyish marls, with abundant
radiolaria The Radiolaria, also called Radiozoa, are protozoa of diameter 0.1–0.2 mm that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into the inner and outer portions of endoplasm and ectoplasm. The el ...
ns, bivalves of the genus '' Bositra'',
ostracods Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a class of the Crustacea (class Ostracoda), sometimes known as seed shrimp. Some 70,000 species (only 13,000 of which are extant) have been identified, grouped into several orders. They are small crustaceans, typical ...
, sponge spicules, and some Foraminifera. Samples from Unit 2 show varying microfacies. The stratification of the Bächental level presents a trend of marine to mesosaline conditions, as it was part of a depocenter at the south of the path between the
Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...
& the Vindelician land.Ruebsam, W., Müller, T., Kovács, J., Pálfy, J., & Schwark, L. (2018). Environmental response to the early Toarcian carbon cycle and climate perturbations in the northeastern part of the West Tethys shelf. Gondwana Research, 59, 144-158. Some of the layers at that locality expose also influence of temporal hypersaline conditions on bottom waters, due to the abundance of methylsteranes, associated with Dinoflagellates or halophylic microorganisms and gammacerane. This salinity stratification might have had an impact on the presence of organic matter on the level.


Sachrang Shales

The Sachrang Shales where cited originally on the restudy of the Alpine Upper Black Slate, composed with dark gray, somewhat sandy, disintegrating into thin but large plates of Marl. Other studies where recovering a Greenish-Gray Marl Slate levels, Black Marl limestone on the Middle Toarcian Levels, a dominant level of bituminous marl and the high presence of dark brown manganese slates. until the point that there are works that put the at Sachrang Black Shale under the name Posidonia Shale. The definition of the Sachrang Shales has been convoluted along its history of study of the location, where there are works of the North Alpine Mesozoic that prefer before calling these deposits Sachranger Shale to give it a brief different diagnosis.Tollmann, A. (1976). Analyse des klassischen nordalpinen Mesozoikums. Stratigraphie, Fauna und Fazies der Nördlichen Kalkalpen. - 580 S., Wien (Deuticke). On the Unken Syncline near Lofen, basinal deposits with abundant
Aragonite Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the three most common naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate, (the other forms being the minerals calcite and vaterite). It is formed by biological and physical processes, including pre ...
and
Calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
helped to know the major Jurassic basin geometry, where on several layers of the same age was complicated due to the posterior Alpine deformation.Channell, J. E. T., Brandner, R., Spieler, A., & Stoner, J. S. (1992). Paleomagnetism and paleogeography of the northern calcareous Alps (Austria). Tectonics, 11(4), 792–810. . Correlated Unken and Diessbach basins developed mostly during the Toarcian, with deposition of abundant material from the near Emerged Landmasses. On the Unken Syncline, the breccias associated with the normal faults were deposited until Oxfordian age.


Bächentaler Bitumenmergel

The ''Bächental bituminous marls'' consists of a 24-m-thick succession of bituminous marls in the Bächental valley of
Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
, that recovers a marginal Marine Basin, where the major Toarcian Events where recorded, with paleoenvironmental changes within the Bächental basin, as recovered by the study of Organic Matter accumulation influenced by the global (Magmatism, opening of the Alpine Atlantic Ocean) and local scales s (Basin morphology, salinity variations).Neumeister, S., Algeo, T. J., Bechtel, A., Gawlick, H. J., Gratzer, R., & Sachsenhofer, R. F. (2016). Redox conditions and depositional environment of the Lower Jurassic Bächental bituminous marls (Tyrol, Austria). Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences, 109(2). There is not clear whether the Sachrang Shale includes or not all the Iithological type of the "Bächental layers", while subject to the most recent results. "Bächental layers" had recover the influence from the Hungarian Volcanic events that took place during the Lower Toarcian, as was located on the NW continental margin of the Neotethys Ocean and the SW continental margin of the Alpine Atlantic.Neumeister, S., Misch, D., Algeo, T.J., Gawlick, Hans.-Jü., Gratzer, R.,Sachsenhofer, R.F., Early diagenesis of organic-rich marls under shifting suboxic to euxinic conditions: The lower Toarcian of the Bächental basin, Marine and Petroleum Geology (2020), . Also, the occurrence of considerable amounts of
Smectite A smectite (from ancient Greek ''σμηκτός'' smektos 'lubricated'; ''σμηκτρίς'' smektris 'walker's earth', 'fuller's earth'; rubbing earth; earth that has the property of cleaning) is a mineral mixtures of various swelling sheet sil ...
through the entire Sachrang member suggests continuing local inputs from volcanic sources. In the Toarcian this area was located on the northwestern continental margin of the Neotethys Ocean and the southeastern of the new passive margin of the Alpine Atlantic. The Sachrang member on this Valley is dominated by the ''Bächental bituminous marls'', with a level of 0.25-m basal Mudstone (with
Quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
and clay minerals of terrigenous origin), followed by a 1.00-m-thick Debrite layer. There is also abundant charred organic material along with the
Smectite A smectite (from ancient Greek ''σμηκτός'' smektos 'lubricated'; ''σμηκτρίς'' smektris 'walker's earth', 'fuller's earth'; rubbing earth; earth that has the property of cleaning) is a mineral mixtures of various swelling sheet sil ...
that show that the volcaniclastic contribution of the sediment may have triggered the onset of OM accumulation in the Bächental basin.
Smectite A smectite (from ancient Greek ''σμηκτός'' smektos 'lubricated'; ''σμηκτρίς'' smektris 'walker's earth', 'fuller's earth'; rubbing earth; earth that has the property of cleaning) is a mineral mixtures of various swelling sheet sil ...
is also common on the other sections of the formation, suggesting continued influx of volcaniclastic material. The Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event is well recorded on this section, where as throughout the Mediterranean area and the northeastern West Tethys Shelf depositional conditions in general did not favor preservation of organic matter with low concentrations of Total Organic Matter. Also connects with the same age strata from the Réka Valley. Extensive bioturbation and relatively low Total Organic Content are indicative of normal-marine conditions without major perturbations of the carbon cycle during deposition of the Scheibelberg Formation and the ''Schrang Formation''.Neumeister, S., Gratzer, R., Algeo, T. J., Bechtel, A., Gawlick, H. J., Newton, R. J., & Sachsenhofer, R. F. (2015). Oceanic response to Pliensbachian and Toarcian magmatic events: Implications from an organic-rich basinal succession in the NW Tethys. Global and Planetary Change, 126, 62-83. Although several redox changes affected the depositional environment of the ''Bächental bituminous marls'', where Suboxic to possibly short-term anoxic conditions prevailed during deposition of several of the units.


Lithology

The Sachrang member is composed mostly by marine depositional components, where the black shales are the main part of the strata present, with a major composition of bacterial origin (as is present on the
Marne di Monte Serrone The Marne di Monte Serrone ("Monte Serrone Marl") is a geological formation in Italy, dating to roughly between 181 and 178 million years ago,Baldanza, 1989Sabatino et al., 2009 and covering the early and middle Toarcian stage of the Jurassic Peri ...
). The Sachrang Shale represent blackish gray to dark brown bituminous, fine-leaved, somewhat sandy marl slate, that lies on the profile of the strata, alternated with storage light brown (max. 4 mm) and darker layers (rarely over 2 mm) characteristic. The lighter layers present in the rock get darker while it keeps its fine-plate character. The Shale has a Dark-Gray to brownish tone, alternated with more rarely light gray shades. There is a relatively common presence of blue fittings, as well as
Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
and
Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
remains (Bones, scales). The younger strata with the fresh outcrops develops on a series of several meters thick wall, that splits into fine paper Slates when weathered. The Slate is among the most common mineral on the strata, with an average lime content of 40.2%, where maximum values are at 58% and minimum values at 26%. Bituminous Claystones are present in the Edge facies of the Sachrang Shale (="Unken Shales"), with green
Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
march engagements. There is not clear separation between "Manganese Shale" and "Bituminous shale" in the main localities of the formation, because the Bituminous content fluctuates with the manganese contents, that is always high. The Unken Shales on the Bächental locality is layered on a major Silicate component of the 60% with a pronounced dominance of
Illite Illite is a group of closely related non-expanding clay minerals. Illite is a secondary mineral precipitate, and an example of a phyllosilicate, or layered alumino-silicate. Its structure is a 2:1 sandwich of silica tetrahedron (T) – alumina ...
, along with a significant amount of
Montmorillonite Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form when they precipitate from water solution as microscopic crystals, known as clay. It is named after Montmorillon in France. Montmorillonite, a member of the smectite gro ...
. The presence of
Quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
and
Calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
is relative with other locations of the same region from also the Toarcian, while the
Pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
content is also consistently high. Finally, the Unken Shale samples also show minor levels of
Dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
and
Feldspar Feldspars are a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagioclase'' (sodium-calcium) felds ...
. There is a great abundance of
Foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...
ns and
Coccolith Coccoliths are individual plates or scales of calcium carbonate formed by coccolithophores (single-celled phytoplankton such as '' Emiliania huxleyi'') and cover the cell surface arranged in the form of a spherical shell, called a ''coccosphere' ...
s.Ebli, O. (1989). Foraminiferen und Coccolithen aus den Lias-Epsilon-Schiefern der Unkener Mulde (Tirolikum, Nördliche Kalkalpen). Mitt. Bayer. Staatsslg. Paläont. hist. Geol, 29, 61-83. Dinoflagellates are the major organic component and the most abundant microfossils.
Manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...
is present, such as in the Toarcian deposits of Hungary. The formation has a laminate Shale horizon associated with the Manganese Ores, with a transition of siliceous limestones and marls to black shales. Those are completed by the marl levels, composed by lithoclasts.
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
and
smectite A smectite (from ancient Greek ''σμηκτός'' smektos 'lubricated'; ''σμηκτρίς'' smektris 'walker's earth', 'fuller's earth'; rubbing earth; earth that has the property of cleaning) is a mineral mixtures of various swelling sheet sil ...
are the main minerals, along with
illite Illite is a group of closely related non-expanding clay minerals. Illite is a secondary mineral precipitate, and an example of a phyllosilicate, or layered alumino-silicate. Its structure is a 2:1 sandwich of silica tetrahedron (T) – alumina ...
, chlorite, and
plagioclase Plagioclase is a series of tectosilicate (framework silicate) minerals within the feldspar group. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continuous solid solution series, more pro ...
in minor amounts. Bächental bituminous marls consist mainly of quartz and carbonate minerals. Isorenieratene derivatives are highly abundant on this level, related to several processes such as sedimentary iron, influenced by anoxic conditions.Reinhardt, M., Duda, J. P., Blumenberg, M., Ostertag‐Henning, C., Reitner, J., Heim, C., & Thiel, V. (2018). The taphonomic fate of isorenieratene in Lower Jurassic shales—controlled by iron?. Geobiology, 16(3), 237-251.
Rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies bet ...
and manganese rich
calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
are present in the manganese levels, while the Black Shale levels are rich in Pirite. The lower matrix is composed by clay and carbonate minerals, such as
muscovite Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula K Al2(Al Si3 O10)( F,O H)2, or ( KF)2( Al2O3)3( SiO2)6( H2O). It has a highly perfect basal cleavag ...
and
feldspar Feldspars are a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagioclase'' (sodium-calcium) felds ...
. The presence of altered
Celadonite Celadonite is a mica group mineral, a phyllosilicate of potassium, iron in both oxidation states, aluminium and hydroxide with formula . It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and usually forms massive aggregates of prismatic crystallites or i ...
, suggest
volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
genic solutions as the most probable source, where the high amounts of dissolved manganese of continental origin was translated to the epicontinental margins of the Tethys. On the ''Bächental bituminous marls'' had a bulk mineralogy where the
Calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
is the most abundant fraction (49%), followed by
Phyllosilicates Silicate minerals are rock-forming minerals made up of silicate groups. They are the largest and most important class of minerals and make up approximately 90 percent of Earth's crust. In mineralogy, silica (silicon dioxide, ) is usually consid ...
(35%),
Quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
(11%) and
Pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
(5%).Gesteine, B., Schichten, B., Schichten, S., Schichten, H., & Gosau, K. (1988) An Organic Geochemical Study of Austrian Bituminous Rocks.Jb. Geol. B.-A.ISSN 0016-7800 While the Clay mineral distribution includes a large amount of
Illite Illite is a group of closely related non-expanding clay minerals. Illite is a secondary mineral precipitate, and an example of a phyllosilicate, or layered alumino-silicate. Its structure is a 2:1 sandwich of silica tetrahedron (T) – alumina ...
(51%),
Montmorillonite Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form when they precipitate from water solution as microscopic crystals, known as clay. It is named after Montmorillon in France. Montmorillonite, a member of the smectite gro ...
(40%) and Kaolinite (9%).


Manganschiefer

The so-called "Manganschiefer" recovers a great part of the Toarcian Bavaric Nappe, being a series of deposits with dominant Magnese Shale, that preserved different kind of fossils, from
Ammonites Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttl ...
to
Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
. The deposits of nodule formation to submarine volcanism present on the "Manganschiefer" are related with occurrences on
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
.Germann, K. (1973). Deposition of Manganese and Iron Carbonates and Silicates in Liassic Marls of the Northern Limestone Alps (Kalkalpen). Ores in Sediments, 129–138. The local manganese mineralization is constituted predominantly of carbonate mineral phases, being the two main A Magnesium-poor paragenesis with association with
Calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...
, with or without
Dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
, alternated with a Mn-rich one with high presence of calcite, along with Kutnahorite, and Carbon rich
Rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies bet ...
.Beran, A., Faupl, P., & Hamilton, W. (1983). Die Manganschiefer der Strubbergschichten (Nördliche Kalkalpen, Österreich)—eine diagenetisch geprägte Mangankarbonatvererzung. Tschermaks mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, 31(3-4), 175-192. Associated, there is a series of second manganese minerals such as Pyrolusite,
Manganite Manganite is a mineral composed of manganese oxide-hydroxide, MnO(OH), crystallizing in the monoclinic system (pseudo-orthorhombic). Crystals of manganite are prismatic and deeply striated parallel to their length; they are often grouped togethe ...
, and a lesser presence of
Birnessite Birnessite (nominally MnO2.''n''H2O) is a hydrous manganese dioxide mineral with a chemical formula of Na0.7Ca0.3Mn7O14·2.8H2O. It is the main manganese mineral species at the Earth's surface, and commonly occurs as fine-grained, poorly crystall ...
and
Todorokite Todorokite is a rare complex hydrous manganese oxide mineral with the chemical formula . It was named in 1934 for the type locality, the Todoroki mine, Hokkaido, Japan. It belongs to the prismatic class 2/m of the monoclinic crystal system, but ...
, that appear in
Rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies bet ...
-dominated samples. On several places a manganese ore horizon goes up to a 1 m, for example on Pürzlbach to the Kallbrunnalm.Krainer, K., Mostler, Helfried, & Haditsch, J. G. (1994). Jurassische Bekkenbildung in den Nördlichen Kalkalpen bei Lofer (Salzburg) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Manganerz-Genese (pp. 257-293). na. At
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
there is an horizon made of solid
Manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...
ore along a deposited few dm of
polymictic Polymictic lakes are holomictic lakes that are too shallow to develop thermal stratification; thus, their waters can mix from top to bottom throughout the ice-free period. Polymictic lakes can be divided into cold polymictic lakes (i.e., those tha ...
and poorly sorted breccia. The breccia is composed by angular fragments of at least 7 cm large of manganese
Schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...
and Manganese ore, but also Dachstein
Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
pebbles. The Dachstein limestone blocks are composed of masses of ammonites and up to several cm in size
crinoid Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, which are ...
s, that are Fe/M impregnated. Other biota include abundant
echinoderm An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the s ...
remains. Finally, on the Dachstein limestone in the form of a poorly washed out Pelparites follows first a few mm thick, possibly due to cyanobacteria, precipitated Fe/Mn crust. The ''Manganschiefer'' on the Sachrang member consists of the lower part with gray to beige-gray Marl; fine laminated marl, partly with
Pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
and manganese minerals; dark gray, carbonate Siltstones, partly ransacked; alternating reddish and yellowish
Laminite Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s, insignificant; fine-grained layers of
Breccia Breccia () is a rock composed of large angular broken fragments of minerals or rocks cemented together by a fine-grained matrix. The word has its origins in the Italian language, in which it means "rubble". A breccia may have a variety of ...
;Slumping horizons.Jacobshagen, D. V., Schwerd, K., Hornung, T. (2014). Geologische karte von bayern 1:25000. Available on: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Hornung/publication/291974505_Geologische_Karte_von_Bayern_125000_Erlauterungen_zum_Blatt_8628_Hochvogel/links/56a8736e08aeded22e378d73.pdf The in depth mineralogy revealed that along the manganese oxides of a thin weathering crust ( Pyrolusite and
Todorokite Todorokite is a rare complex hydrous manganese oxide mineral with the chemical formula . It was named in 1934 for the type locality, the Todoroki mine, Hokkaido, Japan. It belongs to the prismatic class 2/m of the monoclinic crystal system, but ...
) there are carbonates (system – – – ) and small amounts of the silicate
Braunite Braunite is a silicate mineral containing both di- and tri-Valence (chemistry), valent manganese with the chemical formula: Mn2+Mn3+6 8, SiO4 Common impurities include iron, calcium, boron, barium, titanium, aluminium, and magnesium. Braunite ...
(syngenetic Braunite, that is directly related to warm or hot waters). The local manganese minerals are characteristically associated with several
Iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
minerals.
Rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies bet ...
,
Siderite Siderite is a mineral composed of iron(II) carbonate (FeCO3). It takes its name from the Greek word σίδηρος ''sideros,'' "iron". It is a valuable iron mineral, since it is 48% iron and contains no sulfur or phosphorus. Zinc, magnesium and ...
,
Chamosite Chamosite is the Fe2+end member of the chlorite group. A hydrous aluminium silicate of iron, which is produced in an environment of low to moderate grade of metamorphosed iron deposits, as gray or black crystals in oolitic iron ore. Like other ...
along with sulfides, mainly
Pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
and rarely
Marcasite The mineral marcasite, sometimes called “white iron pyrite”, is iron sulfide (FeS2) with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure. Both ...
, are abundant in the manganese-poor black shale facies, alternating with minor content of
Chalcopyrite Chalcopyrite ( ) is a copper iron sulfide mineral and the most abundant copper ore mineral. It has the chemical formula CuFeS2 and crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mo ...
.


Dating

According to sedimentologic and palynologic features, a tidally influenced transgressive development within the Lower Toarcian is inferred. It is the reference formation for this interval. The Posidonia Shale of
Dotternhausen Dotternhausen is a municipality in the Zollernalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History Dotternhausen became a possession of the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1805 and was assigned to . In 1810, it was reassigned to and then to in ...
and Schesslitz is well dated on the basis of ammonite and microfossil biostratigraphy. The Lower Toarcian sections are subdivided into three ammonite biozones ( Dactyloceras tenuicostatum,
Harpoceras ''Harpoceras'' is an extinct genus of ammonite belonging to the family Hildoceratidae. These cephalopods existed in the Jurassic period, during the Toarcian age from the Falciferum zone to the Commune subzone of the Bifrons zone.Sepkoski, JacSep ...
falciferum, and Hildoceras bifrons) and several subzones. The Posidonia Shale is considered to be the reference formation for the Lower Toarcian section. On the other hand, Black shale formation in the Toarcian of NW Germany is associated with a major turnover in phytoplankton assemblages interpreted as the response to lowered salinities in surface waters of the epicontinental sea. The presence of the Turnover is essential for the datation and the preservation of the fauna of the formation, with detailed index ammonites preserved. The study of the different layers and strata of the Posidonia Shale has given different data about the chronology of the formation. Dormettingen shales have been calculated biochronologically and with isochron data, giving and approximate age of 183.0 million years old, being close to the
Pliensbachian The Pliensbachian is an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series an ...
boundary based on the recent revisions of the Early Jurassic Subperiods. The Toarcian and the Pliensbachian are considered as strongly constrained in terms of chronology, although that doesn't imply that all the formations labelled to one of the two periods have to be limited; for example Lithuanian Neringa Formation whose upper strata matches with the lowermost Toarcian (183.0). The rich Shale of the foreland area of the Swabian and Franconian Alb have been recovered as part of the Posidonia, with samples that expose an age between 183.0 and 181.1, thus recovering the Lower Toarcian strata. Although the east margin of the formation has yield strata with an age of 179.7 m.a, showing the presence of the depositional environment in Middle Toarcian times.


History

The Posidonia Shale has been a focus of scientific interest for the last 100 years. The first fossils were recorded in 1598 by the medical doctor Johannes Bauhin, who interpreted the local ammonites as “metallic things” in rocks and as “miraculous tricks” of nature, while the crinoids where interpreted as either huge flowers or heads of medusa, and evidencie of the biblical flood.Schmid-Röhl, A. P. (2021). The Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale in the Swabian Alb Geopark–Geoeducation in an Industrial Environment. Geoconservation Research. Many people did important geological and paleontological research on the Swabian Posidonia Shale, including Carl Hartwig von Zieten (1785–1846), Eberhard Fraas (1862–1915), Bernhard Hauff senior (1866–1950) and Adolf Seilacher (1925–2014).


1800s

The first related studies with the Posidonia Shale Strata were done in the early 1800s. At first, the Formation was not identified as a separated unit. The first fossils were recovered on several Collections, some since the Modern Age, present on localities like the pits near the Banz Abbey. Among the oldest examples of fossils found on the formation is included the crocodylomorph Steneosaurus in 1824, but being identified as a Gharial. It was in the 1820s when major studies of the fossil finds were done. Boué in 1829 did a study of the general geology of the Jurassic along Germany, recovering limestone and shale facies, with a superficial assignation of what he considered most of the main Jurassic Strata, without classifying the layers on a concrete subperiod. And in 1830 the pterosaur Dorygnathus was described, being the first one from the Formation. In the 1830–40s, more works were done, becoming more concrete a recovering different data, setting the first assignations for the Lias & Dogger strata along Germany. Buch did a large study about the evolution of the Jurassic on the German realm, identified that most of the layers were associated with marine facies and sedimentation, interpreting a change of the emerged lands, with epicontinental deposits on the Southern German Realm. The found facies were compared with ones from the Baltic Sea deposits. The Posidonienschiefer and the Black Jurassic facies were recovered on an 1837 work that studied the deposition on the Rhenish Transitional Mountains, although it was left as a group of strata related to Lias-Dogger transition. A second edition recovered that the facies were similar to those deposited on tropical settings, like Tanzania & other similar settings, especially on near fluvial deposits. Quenstedt did a major recompilation of the Jurassic in 1843 focused on Würtemberg, covering the Black Shales and the Black Jura as only Liassic in age. The first insight on the flora was done in 1845, with partial leaf fragments. After that, several works were done searching on the Posidonienschiefer, such as Roemer in 1844, returning to the Rhenish Transitional mountains, with the previous works revisited, with a mineral research study for the Posidonia Layers. That was complemented with paleontological studies along other parts, such as Thuringia. The fish genus Lepidotes was recovered on various layers assigned to the Black Jura, being the first main fish genus identified related to the strata. After 1850, the number of studies grew, from general studies recovering the petrology, comparing it to other deposits found several parts of Germany petrified small animals, composition in terms of minerals present, chemistry of the process recovered on the strata, applications for the mineralogical industry, the
Foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...
ns present on marine rocks with its affinities and ecological implications, the Crinoids associated to rafting woods, resemblances with the other liassic strata know on central Europe and implications for the general lias sedimentology or for the geology and sedimentology respect to other units along Germany. with research on North Germany, where new deposits were found. And finally, recompilations of the previous discoveries along the last decades, compared to the finds on new pits and its layers.


1900s

While there are paleontological works since 1880, the formation itself gets a deeper view on the 1900s. One of the first main discoveries at the start of the century was the description of the ichthyosaur Stenopterygius in 1904. With also renovated data about the different minerals present of the rocks of the formation. The changes on the deposits of the formation where also recovered, where the thickness changes from North to South deposits become know, and was vinculated mostly to influence of the Glacial erratics. The influence of the Cuaternary events on the strata was compared and proved on latter studies. On 1921, Hauff do the main research of the found fossils from Holzmaden on the previous decades, finding exquisite specimens, some of them nearly complete, including
Ammonites Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttl ...
,
Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
and Marine reptiles, such as Plesiosaurs and Icthyosaurs. It also recovered that the chemology and know most of the sedimentation of the formation was marine, with pelagic fauna, influenced by marginal marine to deep basin deposits. All with the implications for the Industry, updated from previous works. Hauff described in 1938 "Acidorhynchus" (Saurorhynchus), the latest surviving of the Saurichthyiformes. The stratigraphical works were done after 1930 to corroborate the Pelagic affinities of the locations, along with comparations with other Middle and Late Juarssic deposits. As a result of those works on the strata, organic substances, related to carbonate particles, where found and studied on the late '40s. Also fragments of metallic particles where studied. The Posidonienschiefer was studied after the 60s focusing on some points bituminous shales, and the nature of them, due to the finds on the '30s–'50s. The study of the Shales led to recover data and compare to similar settings to the objective of find similar sedimentation settings, being found that the Pelagic deposits where influenced by changes on the Oxygen composition, that led to decrease the presence of scavengers, and let excepcional preservation of vertebrates and invertebrates to happen. On 1978, Wild described the First and only know Dinosaur Fossil from the formation, what he named Ohmdenosaurus, a small sized Sauropod. As the setting and the importance of the Oxygen levels get important to study the ecological boundary of the formation, new data was provided to expose the influence of the deposits, the fauna, minerals, and other components. The Ecological perspective of the formation had change, being seen as a Stagnant Basin Model, influenced by paleocurrents from the North and the South of the Central European Basin. The newest studies of the Black Shale recovered that its formation was related to anoxic changes, with temporal changes on the fauna, led by the oxygen levels. Due to that, the major fossil collections where re-observed, looking for traces of the new discovered data about the Shale. Also proliferate works recovering all the history of the formation, the previous studies and the changes seeing trought the reexamination, with a retrospective of the new knowledge about the changes on the deposition.Oschmann, W., Röhl, J., Schmid-Röhl, A., & Seilacher, A. (1999). Der Posidonienschiefer (Toarcium, Unterer Jura) von Dotternhausen (Exkursion M am 10. April 1999). Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins, 231-255. That included the revision of older specimens, and historical finds on the formation.


2000s

Recent work has recorded and rewritten data from previous works, and focused more on the appearance of the environment and the study of earlier found specimens, distribution of the sediments and its implication to the Sea currents during the Toarcian. New Flora Fragments where reported from the layers near Holzmaden and along the strata on the seashore sections on the Bohemian region, implying terrestrial deposits nearby. The Hauff Museum, where most of the specimens were housed, was revisited for the study of some of the forgotten fossils on the collection. The Black Shales were recovered has biomarkers for the lower Toarcian subperiod of the Lower Jurassic, based on foramifera and algae microfossils.Frimmel, A. (2003). Hochau. ösende Untersuchungen von Biomarkern an epikontinentalen Schwarzschiefern des Unteren Toarciums (Posidonienschiefer, Lias ε) von SW-Deutschland. Using Gamma-Ray measurements was found the deposition started on the lowermost Toarcian stage, around 182.5 million years ago, where on some pits the lower layers start with the presence of index Ammonites and Bivalves. Along with the data and the North German Facies, where recovered new Facies on Austria and the Netherlands. The main works referred to the sedimentation where done on relationship with the Toarcian Anoxic Event. The nannofacies show that the anoxic changes where the main reference to follow to see the changes on the bottom of the seas along the Toarcian Boundary, being discovered irregularities along the different regions of the Posidonia Shale. That find also that the deposition of the Shales was restricted on some parts of the formation, what led to changes on the currents, and thus influenced the different stratification on series of layers. Also, Posidonia Shale was present on abundant works relating the impact of the Anoxic event with other formations of same age.Montero-Serrano, J. C., Föllmi, K. B., Adatte, T., Spangenberg, J. E., Tribovillard, N., Fantasia, A., & Suan, G. (2015). Continental weathering and redox conditions during the early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event in the northwestern Tethys: Insight from the Posidonia Shale section in the Swiss Jura Mountains. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 429, 83-99. Or even changes of the behaviour of the fauna. The most recent finds have been related to old specimens, where fossil Icthyosaurs have reported preserved skin or pathologies. Also the recover of considered synonymous taxa, such as Mystriosaurus.


Paleogeography

The Posidonia Shale was a mostly marine unit, influenced by various highs and emerged lands that provided most of the terrestrial matter found along the Formation. The Main structure of the formation was disposed along the modern southern Germany, recovering the locations of
Holzmaden Holzmaden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany that lies between Stuttgart and Ulm. Holzmaden is 4 km south-east from Kirchheim unter Teck and 19 km south-east of Esslingen am Neckar. The A 8 runs south from Holzmaden. The town ...
,
Ohmden Ohmden is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Neighboring communities Neighboring municipalities are starting from North clockwise: Schlierbach, Hattenhofen, Zell unter Aichelberg , all district Göpp ...
, with Niedersachsen facies at the north, and others appearing along the east, such as the related to the Banz Abbey strata or the near-Bohemia facies. The Formation was divided into various sections, including the Southwest German Basin, the main unit, where the most detailed fossils have been found, including the Icthyosaurus and Plesiosaurs housed at the Hauff Museum. The SW German Basin was a pelagic deposit, with the influence of open sea currents from the North and the South, with an estimated water depth of 500 m to 1.5 km. Abyssal depression sedimentation has not been found for now.Röhl, H. J., & Schmid-Röhl, A. (2005). Lower Toarcian (Upper Liassic) black shales of the Central European epicontinental basin: a sequence stratigraphic case study from the SW German Posidonia Shale. Connected to the SW German basin where the Paris Basin, that recovered central France, with correlated sedimentation to the Shale deposition on Germany. The Paris Basin was also mostly a Pelagic to open-shelf deposit, without a major abyssal sedimentation. At the North, the Wenzen Well provide a deeper basinal setting for facies coming from the main continental land present anywhere nearby the formation, Fennoscandia.Littke, R., Leythaeuser, D., Rullkötter, J., & Baker, D. R. (1991). Keys to the depositional history of the Posidonia Shale (Toarcian) in the Hils Syncline, northern Germany. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 58(1), 311-333. The main terrestrial units present along the main Posidonia Body, where the Rhenish High at the west, being a small land of the size of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
, and on the east, the
Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...
with the Vindelician High, the major units present on the Central European basin on the Toarcian. The Topography of the Massif is believed to be hereditary of the Paleozoic Transgressions that happened on the central European margin, with possible elevated facies, where the major topographical accidents would be situated along the southern coast. The Vindelician Land/High has been represented as a peninsula to the Bohemian Massif, or an isolated landmass, that is due to its connections that had not been recovered in depth, being considered a mostly plain emerged sedimentary structure. Finally, the southernmost part of the Formation, the Bern High (Allemanic Swell) recovered the modern north of
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, a small terrestrial setting with similar conditions to Sardinia. Out of the main basin, the layers of the formation extend to the Danish Central Graben, that deposited on the Baltic coast of Germany and Denmark.Jenkyns, H. C. (1985). The Early Toarcian and Cenomanian-Turonian anoxic events in Europe: comparisons and contrasts. Geologische Rundschau, 74(3), 505-518. The Danish Central Graben was a depositional shelf basin, with depths around 1–2 km maximum, with abundant facies related to Volcanic deposits, coming mostly from the southern Fennoscandia Central Skåne Volcanic Province. The extension of the Facies of the Posidonia Shale come near the London-Brabant Massif, with a similar topography to modern Creta. At the northern shores of the Massif was present the West Netherlands Basin, a seashore to epicontinental deposit, with abundant terrestrial facies.


Oil

Recent studies have shown that the petroleum generation potential of the PS is high in all studied regions due to the high TOC and Hydrogen Index. However, differences exist which can be expressed by SPI values. The latter are highest for northern Germany, where the PS is richest in TOC and has the highest HI values combined with a thickness of 30 to 40 m at most places. Since the first serious evaluations in the 2000s, different organic samples were extracted to revise the changes and potential presence of the Shale Oil on the main quarries of the southern realm. Based on several core samples with abundant organic material (Dinoflagellate cysts and other microorganism fragments, such as microscopic algae) different thermal maturity has been found, especially on the samples from the Hils Syncline strata. The maturation of this strata has implied losing organic carbon and loss of hydrogen index values. Beyond that, the status of the samples has been stable during at least 40 measured years.


Ecology

The Lower Toarcian is characterized by the widespread occurrence of organic-rich mudstones, termed black shales, in western Europe and other parts of the world. It is considered to represent mostly marine units, including
Pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...
, epicontinental and on a more less presence, deltaic and seashore environments. Near Shore sections are filled with algal fragments and pollen, that suggest interceded dunar environments with proximal water and Halophile flora, and probably water flooded forests. Most of the fossilized environments are open sea and marine settings, with abundance of shells and coral fragments. The relation between the sea environments and the less present terrestrial match with the paleogeography of the Lower Toarcian of Europe, where a main sea covered most part of the modern countries, with emerged lands such as the Amoricanian Massif or the
Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...
.


Marine environments

The early Toarcian stage was characterized with the presence of a general deposition of mudrocks along with organic matter mostly on marine strata, showed by different kind of succession in marine strata, that can be observed nowadays worldwide. The Black shales present in the Posidonia Formation are related to deposits present on Lithuania, Canada and several other countries & Continents. This suggests the presence of a general deposition of organic matter, driven by several global events and changes present on the surface. This caused changes on the bottom of the seas, with abundant deposition of organic matter. It is related to a change in carbon-isotope excursion in marine and terrestrial life, and was probably a perturbator of the carbon cycle. Global seawater has been proved to be approximately, for the interval of the negative carbon-isotope excursion, close to 1.45‰, less than modern values, with estimated 2.34‰. Waters interchange were one of the major effects on the palatine de-oxygenation showed on most of the Lower Toarcian Layers around the word, with the connection with the Viking Corridor as one of the main effects, due to the arctic waters freshening and breaking the oceanic circulation. The effect was consequently negative on the German realm, where the environments expose a tropical fluctuation, with conditions similar to the modern Caribbean Sea, which hosted a high variety of sea fauna, except on the bottom layers, where only a few genera were able to survive when oxygen conditions get slightly better. The changes on the bottom floor oxygen where common, with most of the animals dying without being scavenged by bottom-dweller organisms, and sessile life (Except some Polychaetans on higher oxygen conditions). Posterior facies of the middle Toarcian show changes on the Environments, getting more oxygen and different depositional settings with the presence of trace fossils such as Chondrites and Phymatoderma granulata, surfacing deposit-feeding animals, being adapted for effective nutrient searching, becoming more common on the uppermost layers. The sea levels where transgressive, as it is shown on layers across Bavaria where major events set the fate of the nearshore environments. One example is the case of the Monotis–Dactylioceras beds, that had an extent of +500 km, that has been linked with a possible Tsunami. There is not major indicative of synsedimentary faulting in South Germany, but is present on the western Tethyan Shelf, with breccias created from earthquakes, present on Toarcian levels of the Austrian Adnet Formation. It would start as an initial wave propagation affecting the Altdorf High aiming for the south, where it would have hitten the shoreline of the Bohemian Island.Arp, G., & Gropengießer, S. (2016). The Monotis–Dactylioceras Bed in the Posidonienschiefer Formation (Toarcian, southern Germany): condensed section, tempestite, or tsunami-generated deposit?. PalZ, 90(2), 271-286.


Terrestrial environments

The main Terrestrial environments of the Posidonia Shale are the near emerged lands where the Black Forest High (know thanks to strata containing fine sand in the tenuicostatum Zone, ‘Glaukonit und viel Feinsand’, at Obereggenen im Breisgau), located at 70 km at the west and the Vosges Massif (know by the abundant detrital quartz from the EST433 borehole located near Bure, Meuse). Mostly of this lands where of Paleozoic origin, from the London-Brabant Massif at the west, the French Central Massif at the south, the Vindelician High and
Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...
at the east, with minor lands present whose emerged nature on the Toarcian is controversial, including the Vlotho Massif at the northwest, the Swedish Bern high at the south, Rhenish Massif on the Center and the Fuenen High in the north. The Fennoscandian province was the major continental realm, that provide most of the freshwater for the nearshore environments. The Bern high was characterised with being one of the southernmost environments on the formation, with a terrestrial setting characterised by tropical climate, with the presence of enhanced rainfall and river freshwater inputs together with recurrent discharges of northern waters. Is compared with a modern Bahamian setting, with relative humid flora and the presence of abundant rivers, although it is believed to have a more vertical topography. The Vlotho Massif is one of the most interesting cases on the realm, being capable of generate a thermal influence on nearshore waters. With a high deposition of metals, the layers of the High show instead a climate varied between 21° to 26° and a more dry climate, being a Mediterranean climate zone. Same is applied to the Bohemian Shores, populated by large Araucarian and Cycadales. The Environments were influenced by monsoonal conditions, and large scale rains that hit most of the nearshore settings, causing the large accumulation of Insect remains found on the epicontinental layers. Southern summers with humid south-west monsoonal conditions occur on most of the emerged lands, getting a winter with dry north east trade winds. Those were related to the seasonal occurrence of wood rafts on the formation and linked to the life cycle of the stem crinoids. On the land, probably where the main source of seeds and help to interchange species between landmasses.


Micropaleontology

In Austria, the ''Unken Member'' of the Formation Recovers Deep Basinal Deposits, while the ''Salzburg member'' is related with Epicontinental to Shallow Nearshore Waters. On the After the
Pliensbachian The Pliensbachian is an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series an ...
-
Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toar ...
locally is observed a significant decrease in the Crinoid skeleton elements, also that of the Ophiurida; the Echinoids take their place, where really blossomed at that time. Pedicellaria are observed very often. On the ''Bächental bituminous marls'' there is a great abundance of saturated Hydrocarbons in the hexanesoluble fraction. Methyl and Methylene (compound), Methylene where found along long-chain paraffinic molecules (n-alkanes). Benzenemethanol resins are especially strong for the Benzene-Methanol fraction. While the occurrence of charred Organic Matter is commonly connected to Wildfire activity, the presence of Alginite as the dominant maceral group in ''Bächental bituminous marls'' suggests a mainly marine algal source. The main maceral found is Lamalginite, which may derive from thin-walled planktonic and benthic organisms, including Green Algae, Cyanobacteria, and Bacterial mats. There is a clear low frequency of Vitrinite and Inertinite, what suggests that terrestrial inputs of organic matter to be of less importance, although, the main part of OM contained in the basal mudstone, including charred material, was derived from terrestrial sources. This Mudstone contains charred organic material typically connected to Wildfires along with large amounts of expandable
Smectite A smectite (from ancient Greek ''σμηκτός'' smektos 'lubricated'; ''σμηκτρίς'' smektris 'walker's earth', 'fuller's earth'; rubbing earth; earth that has the property of cleaning) is a mineral mixtures of various swelling sheet sil ...
possibly derived from alteration of volcanic ash, what indicated a clear contribution of volcanic-derived detritus during deposition of the ''Bächental bituminous marls'', whose genesis was probably linked to the rift history of the Valais, and Piemonte-Liguria domains (
Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.3 ± 2 Ma and 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian and ...
-Callovian), and the Toarcian break-up of the Ligurian-Penninic oceanic realm. There is measurements of reduction of the local salinity on the water where elevated inputs of freshwater due to an accelerated hydrological cycle resulted in a surface-water layer.


Paleontological significance

In addition to their ''Posidonia bronni'', the shales contain some spectacularly detailed fossils of other Jurassic sea creatures—ichthyosaurs, and plesiosaurs, spiral-shelled ammonites and
crinoid Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, which are ...
s, or sea-lilies. The best-preserved fossils found on the Early Jurassic can be the ones from the Posidonia Shale. There are also abundant fish fossils (including genera such as ''Pachycormus (fish), Pachycormus'', ''Ohmdenia'', ''Strongylosteus'' and chondrichthyes like ''Hybodus'' or ''Palaeospinax''). Most of the fauna is marine, with several terrestrial specimens, and some of them being semiaquatic, such as the sphenodont ''Palaeopleurosaurus''. Flora has been found, especially the genus ''Xenoxylon'', but also ''Otozamites'', ''Equisetites'' and ''Pagiophyllum''.


Urweltmuseum Hauff

The Main Museum with the taxa Found on the Posidonia Shale, the Hauff Museum recovers the best specimens found in the last 150 years, and it is situated on
Ohmden Ohmden is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Neighboring communities Neighboring municipalities are starting from North clockwise: Schlierbach, Hattenhofen, Zell unter Aichelberg , all district Göpp ...
. With different expositions, the museum has several spaces for the marine fauna, where it is exposed, including a disposed strata with the layer showing the provenance of every taxon and its fossil. The Museum has been working since the 1900s, and was founded by Bernhard Hauff, using his private collection of fossils as a base, as an opposite to Alwin Hauff who wanted to use the layers for industrial production. The Museum was reformed on between the years 1967–71. On the year 2000, an external park with Dinosaur models was added. The museum has several halls with different kinds of fauna found on the layers of the formation, where the vertebrate specimens are exposed on the main parts, including on those Icthyosaur remains and several fishes. The Museum has the world's largest colony of sea lilies, measuring an approximate size of 100 square metres. Rolf Bernhard Hauff is the actual director of the museum.Urweltmuseum Hauff - Jurassic sea life
/ref>


Gallery

File:Lepidotes elevensis 01.JPG, ''Lepidotes elevensis'' exquisite fossil from the formation File:Loligosepia aalensis - Holzmaden.jpg, ''Loligosepia aalensis'' fossil from the formation File:Harpoceras & Ichtyosaure (p).jpg, Ammonite & ichthyosaur fossil in same rock File:Ichtyosaurier Stenopterygius crassicostatus v. Huene mit 5 Embryonen 02.jpg, Fossil ''Stenopterygius crassicostatus'' with embryo File:Hauff Urweltmuseum Holzmaden 01.jpg, Exposition with the fossils over the strata File:HolzmadenHauff.jpg, Hauff museum entrance with vintage sculptures File:Dinosaurier Museum von Holzmaden - panoramio.jpg, Hauff museum dinosaurs, dinosaur sculptures File:Leptopterygius burgundiae.JPG, Hauff museum ''Temnodontosaurus burgundiae'' skull with sculpture at the background File:Stenopterygius holzmaden (8077615401).jpg, Fossil ichthyosaur from the Formation File:Seirocrinus subangularis 01.jpg, Fossil Crinoid from the Formation File:Steneosaurus bollensis, view 2, Early Jurassic, Toarcian Age, Posidonia Shale, Holzmaden, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany - Houston Museum of Natural Science - DSC01846.JPG, ''Steneosaurus bollensis'' specimen


See also

* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany * Toarcian turnover * :Toarcian Stage, Toarcian formations **
Marne di Monte Serrone The Marne di Monte Serrone ("Monte Serrone Marl") is a geological formation in Italy, dating to roughly between 181 and 178 million years ago,Baldanza, 1989Sabatino et al., 2009 and covering the early and middle Toarcian stage of the Jurassic Peri ...
, Italy ** Calcare di Sogno, Italy ** Mizur Formation, North Caucasus **
Saubach Formation The Saubach Formation is a geological formation in Austria and Germany, dating to about 180–174 mya (unit), million years ago.Böhm, F. (2003). Lithostratigraphy of the Adnet Group (Lower to Middle Jurassic, Salzburg, Austria) (pp. 231–268). V ...
, Austria ** Úrkút Manganese Ore Formation, Hungary *** Irlbach Sandstone, Germany ** Ciechocinek Formation, Germany and Poland ** Krempachy Marl Formation, Poland and Slovakia ** Djupadal Formation, Central Skane ** Lava Formation, Lithuania ** Azilal Group, North Africa ** Whitby Mudstone, England ** Fernie Formation, Alberta and British Columbia *** Poker Chip Shale ** Whiteaves Formation, British Columbia ** Navajo Sandstone, Utah ** Los Molles Formation, Argentina ** Mawson Formation, Antarctica ** Kandreho Formation, Madagascar ** Kota Formation, India ** Cattamarra Coal Measures, Australia


References


External links


Images of fossils in the Urwelt-Museum Hauff (Holzmaden)
{{Authority control Posidonia Shale, Geologic formations of the Czech Republic Geologic formations of Germany Geologic formations of the Netherlands Geologic formations of Switzerland Jurassic System of Europe Jurassic Germany Shale formations Open marine deposits Source rock formations Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Europe Paleontology in Germany