COMPOSITIONAL CHANGES IN A MID-STEPHANIAN (KASIMOVIAN) FLORA IN RELATION TO ALLUVIAL PLAIN DEPOSITS DERIVED FROM WESTWARD-RECEDING MOUNTAINS AND BORDERED BY THE PALEOTETHYS: LA MAGDALENA COALFIELD, NORTHWESTERN SPAIN

Upper Barruelian, “Saberian,” and Stephanian B (Kasimovian–lower Gzhelian) strata in northwestern Spain represent a strongly subsiding alluvial plain connected to the Paleotethys and adjacent to a mountainous hinterland. The rocks have been deformed into steeply dipping, often isoclinal synclines de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaios 2011-01, Vol.26 (1), p.33-54
Main Authors: WAGNER, ROBERT H, PAZ CASTRO, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alluvial plains
biofacies
Carboniferous
Castilla y Leon Spain
Coal
Coalfields
correlation
Europe
Ferns
Flora
floral assemblage
floral list
floral studies
fluvial environment
Geology
Gymnospermae
Iberian Peninsula
Kasimovian
La Magdalena coal field
leaves
Leon Spain
León province
lithostratigraphy
Lycopsida
morphology
Paleobotany
paleoenvironment
paleogeography
Paleotethys
Paleozoic
Plantae
Pteridophyta
Pteridospermae
Sediments
Southern Europe
Spain
Spermatophyta
Sphenopsida
Stephanian
Taxa
Tectonics
Tree ferns
Upper Carboniferous
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Summary:Upper Barruelian, “Saberian,” and Stephanian B (Kasimovian–lower Gzhelian) strata in northwestern Spain represent a strongly subsiding alluvial plain connected to the Paleotethys and adjacent to a mountainous hinterland. The rocks have been deformed into steeply dipping, often isoclinal synclines delimited by foreland-directed thrust faults; a steep basin margin with paleovalleys occurs on the hinterland side. One of these tectonic outliers is the La Magdalena Coalfield, of “Saberian” age, where the quantification of a substantial floral record (140 taxa) from 85 localities in 1200 m of strata allows us to observe changes in floral composition through time matched with broad changes in sedimentary facies corresponding to increased remoteness from a receding basin margin. Within the context of a humid environment, a predominantly fluvial facies changed upward and in time into more generalized semi-lacustrine and peat-forming facies. Although pteridosperms and marattialean tree ferns (pecopterids) are dominant throughout, a proportional increase in tree ferns is observed for the higher part of the succession where calamitaceans become less common and lycopsids more noticeable. These floral changes reflect wetter sedimentary conditions, conducive to the production of coals (high ash) of limited lateral extent.
ISSN:0883-1351
1938-5323
DOI:10.2110/palo.2010.p10-004r