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Wetterstein Formation

Coordinates:45°N20°W/ 45°N 20°W/45; -20
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Wetterstein Formation
Stratigraphic range:Ladinian-Carnian
~237–224Ma
The formation in the Wetterstein nearGatterl
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsSee text
UnderliesSee text
OverliesSee text
Thicknessup to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone,dolomite
Location
Coordinates45°N20°W/ 45°N 20°W/45; -20
RegionAlps,Central Europe
CountryAustria
Germany
Hungary
Slovakia
ExtentNorthern Limestone Alps,Western Carpathians
Type section
Named forWetterstein Mountains
Named byVon Gümbel
Year defined1861
Coordinates45°N20°W/ 45°N 20°W/45; -20
Approximate paleocoordinates4°N4°W/ 4°N 4°W/4; -4
Wetterstein limestone
Stratigraphic range:Middle—Late Triassic
Ladinian–Carnian
TypeGeological formation
Thickness600 m
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone
Location
RegionAlps,Central Europe
CountryAustria,Germany,Switzerland
Transgression of thePaleogenesediments over the Wetterstein Limestone of the Silicic Superunit,Western Carpathians.

TheWetterstein Formationis a regionalgeologic formationof theNorthern Limestone AlpsandWestern Carpathiansextending from southernBavaria,Germanyin the west, through northernAustriato northernHungaryand westernSlovakiain the east. The formation dates back to theLadiniantoCarnianstages of theLate Triassic.The formation is named after theWetterstein Mountainsin southern Germany and northwestern Austria. The center of its distribution, however, is in theKarwendelMountains. It occurs in theNorthernandSouthern Limestone Alpsand in theWestern Carpathians.

The formation is composed of mostlyreefallimestonesanddolomites,the latter the result of widespreaddiagenesis.In many areas there is a frequent alternation of limestone and dolomite facies. Local variants to indicate the Wetterstein Formation includeGerman:Wettersteinkalk(Wetterstein Limestone), Wettersteindolomit ( "Wetterstein Dolomite" ) and combinations thereof. The Wetterstein Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) with major regional thickness variations. It belongs to thetectonostratigraphicalunitAustroalpine nappes.Thecarbonate rockof the formation is from theMiddle Triassicepoch of theLadinianstage, comparable to the German stage in whichMuschelkalkrock strata were formed.

The formation has provided numerous fossils ofcorals,sponges,bivalves,gastropodsand other marine groups indicative of a shallow marine carbonate platform environment deposited at the northern end of theTethys Ocean.

Naming

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Map of the Wetterstein

The Wetterstein Formation is named after theWetterstein Mountainsin southern Germany and northwestern Austria.

Alternative names for the whole formation or parts of it in stratigraphical (vertical) or facies (lateral) sense are:

  • Wetterstein Limestone (Wettersteinkalk)
  • Wettersteinkalk Formation[1]
  • Wettersteindolomit - used inSemmeringand Kalkkögel, Austria[2]
  • Wetterstein Limestone Formation[3][4]
  • Wetterstein kalk/dolomit - used in theNorthern Limestone Alpsof Austria[2]
  • Wetterstein reef limestone Formation[5]
View of the Wetterstein

The Swiss stratigraphical lexicon uses Wetterstein Formation as "informal, but used name" with the following historical variants:[6]

  • Wettersteinkalk (von Guembel 1861, Fraas 1910)
  • Wettersteinkalk = Ladinische Stufe (Cornelius 1935)
  • Wetterstein = Wettersteindolomit = Wettersteinkomplex (Stöcklin 1949) (Fellerer 1964, Kraus 1964)
  • Calcaire de Wetterstein [sic] = Calcaire du Wetterstein = Formation de Wetterstein [sic] (Hirsch 1966)
  • Wettersteindolomit, Wetterstein-Dolomit

Subunits

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Its subunits include:

Description

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The Wetterstein Formation crops out in the light-grey blue parts of this map, mostly in Austria, with other outcrops in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia

The Wetterstein Formation, with a total thickness of up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft),[6]is a major regional stratigraphic unit of theNorthern Limestone AlpsandWestern CarpathiansinCentral Europe,spanning across four countries from southwesternBavariato northwesternSlovakia.

Extent

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The Tauern Window in the Alps with the Northern Limestone Alps in cyan

The formation crops out to the north of theHohe Tauern windowand is part of theAustroalpine nappes.

Stratigraphy

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In the Semmering area of Austria, where the name Wettersteindolomit is used, the formation is unconformably overlain by theKapellener Shaleand overlies theReifling Formation,in the Kalkkögel andRadstadt Tauernthe dolomite overlies thePartnach Formationand is overlain by theRaibl Formation,while inTyrolthe formation, called Wettersteinkalk/dolomit unconformably overlies theGutensteinandSteinalm Formationsand unconformably underlies theReingraben Formation.[2]

In theAggtelek-Rudabányamountains of Hungary, the formation, called Wetterstein Limestone Formation overlies theReiflingandSteinalm Formationsand is overlain by theSzádvárborsa Formation.[3]

Regional correlations

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In Austria the Wetterstein Dolomite correlates with theAlberg Formationof theLinz Dolomites,the Wetterstein kalk/dolomite with the lower part of theHallstatt Formationof the Northern Limestone Alps and with theSchlern Dolomite,or Schlern Formation, in theSouthern Limestone Alps.[3]

In Hungary, the formation is time-equivalent with theBerva Formationof theBükk,theBódvavölgyi Ophiolite,SzentjánoshegyandDerenk Formationsof the Aggtelek-Rudabánya range and theCsanádapáca Formationof theBékés Zone.[3]In theDinarides,the formation is time-equivalent with theGrivska FormationofBosnia.TheKopaonik Formationin its eponymousmountain rangeinSerbiais considered a distal, more deep water equivalent of the Wetterstein platform sediments.[7]

Diagenesis

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Dolomitization of the Wetterstein Carbonate Platform is a widespread phenomenon, especially in the Tirolic units of the Northern Calcareous Alps. At the Clessinsperre, thetype localityfor the underlying Steinalm Formation, intense dolomitization has altered the microfacies characteristics of the Wetterstein Carbonate platform – typical are fore-reef carbonates, later reefal and back-reefal carbonates topped by lagoonal carbonates, making the original features hardly visible.[8]

Fossil content

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Because, duringdolomitisation,traces of fossils are largely lost as a result of recrystallisation, fossils in the Wetterstein dolomite are harder to distinguish, and even in thin sections may be barely recognizable. Wetterstein dolomite is rarely asbituminousas typicalMain Dolomiteand therefore tends to be much more pure and brighter-coloured. Otherwise, there are no fundamental differences with the Wetterstein limestone.

Among others, the following fossils have been described from the Wetterstein Formation:

Group Unit Fossils Notes
Sponges Wettersteinkalk, Austria Alpinothalamia bavarica,Follicatena cautica,Colospongia catenulata,Cryptocoelia zitteli,Solenolmia magna,Uvanella irregularis,Vesicocaulis alpinus,V. depressus,V. oenipontanus [9]
Wetterstein reef limestone, Hungary Paravesicocaulis concentricus,Senowbaridaryana triassicus,Vesicocaulis multisiphonatus [10]
Brachiopods Wettersteinkalk, Austria Stolzenburgiella baloghi [11]
Corals
Gastropods
Bivalves

See also

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References

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  1. ^Wettersteinkalk FormationatFossilworks.org
  2. ^abcPiller & Erhart, 2004
  3. ^abcdCsászár, 1997, p.23
  4. ^Wetterstein Limestone FormationatFossilworks.org
  5. ^Wetterstein reef limestone FormationatFossilworks.org
  6. ^abWetterstein Formationat Strati.ch
  7. ^Schefer et al., 2010, p.106
  8. ^Gawlick et al., 2013, p.182
  9. ^Karwendel reefatFossilworks.org
  10. ^Alshóhegy plateauatFossilworks.org
  11. ^Siblik, 1994, p.370

Bibliography

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Further reading

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  • McCann, Tom (2008),The Geology of Central Europe: Mesozoic and Cenozoic,vol. 2, Geological Society, pp. 1–736,ISBN978-1-86239-265-6
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