Scholarly record
CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIGIN OF THE CIEZKOWICE SANDSTONE SILICICLASTICS SUPPORTED BY EXPERIMENTAL FLUME MODELLING (FLYSCH CARPATHIANS, POLAND) ?? PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Abstract
Residual rocky forms of the Flysch Carpathians are distinguished by their high scientific value. Some of the representative groups of such flysch tors are located in the Wisnicz Foothill and Ciezkowice Foothill. Those attractive assemblages of sandstone- to conglomeratic tors are the Stone Town Nature Reserve, the Witches Waterfall natural monument, and the quarry in Ostrusza. Other large objects are rocky forms: the Wieprzek Tors in Siekierczyna, the Devils Playground in Plawna, and the Devils Rocks in Bukowiec. The current interpretation of these siliciclastic deposits indicates their fluxoturbiditic origin, associated with a submarine fan system. Within this sedimentological paradigm, the present study constitutes an attempt to innovatively integrate experimental flume modelling, and lithofacies analysis based on lithological-sedimentological logging. Lithofacies analysis proved particularly useful for identifying key sedimentological features, including massive structures, erosional-depositional scours and channels, load structures, local large-scale cross-lamination, as well as planar-parallel and wavy lamination. The integration of field observations of the rock record, and process analogy comparison with sediment gravity flows modelled in an experimental flume allowed for the interpretation of the sedimentary processes responsible for their formation. According to the concept of process sedimentology, the analysed succession of the Ciezkowice Sandstone Member was interpreted as being dominated by massive sandstones to conglomerates, representing complexes of non-cohesive debrites deposited from recurring sandy-to-gravelly, non-turbulent (laminar) debris flows. These processes resemble subaqueous sandy-to-gravelly slope avalanches leading to the formation of siliciclastic ramp- and/or apron-like bodies. In contrast, lithofacies with well-developed lamination were interpreted as tractionites. This study demonstrates that field observations comparison with these from experimental flume modelling constitute an effective tool supporting process interpretation, as well as environmental and system reconstruction.
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