Research paper Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian in the southwestern Barents Sea W. Radmacher a, * , J. Tyszka a , G. Mangerud b , M.A. Pearce c a ING PAN e Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Research Centre, BioGeoLab, ul. Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland b Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Postbox 7800, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway c Evolution Applied Limited, 59 Higher Lux Street, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 3JY, UK article info Article history: Received 15 January 2014 Received in revised form 17 April 2014 Accepted 18 April 2014 Available online 21 May 2014 Keywords: Dinoflagellate cysts Barents Sea Cretaceous Paleogene Zonation abstract The present study of five wells from Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian succession in the southwestern Barents Sea yields the first dinoflagellate cyst-based palynological event biostratigraphy for the area. The research focuses on the Upper Cretaceous Kveite and Kviting formations due to the lack of formal palynological documentation, and enables the formation of a biozonation of greater resolution than currently achievable by micropalaeontology. Four new interval zones and one abundance subzone are described, from base upward: Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides and Palaeohystrichophora palaeoinfusa Interval Zone (intra Early Cenomanianeintra Late Cenomanian), Dinopterygium alatum Interval Zone (? intra Early ConiacianeLate Santonian), Palaeoglenodinium cretaceum Interval Zone (Early Campanian), and the Chatangiella bondarenkoi Interval Zone (Late Campanian) encompassing the Heterosphaeridium bellii Abundance Subzone (intra-Late Campanian). The zones are well correlated to existing palynological zonations from the NorwegianeGreenland Sea, where the previously described Subtilisphaera kalaalliti Interval Zone (intra Late Albiane?intra Early Cenomanian), Heterosphaeridium difficile Interval Zone (Middle Turonian to ?intra Early Coniacian) and Cerodinium diebelii Interval Zone (Early Maastrichtian) are recognised. These data also reveal the presence of three significant unconformities of Late Cen- omanianeEarly Turonian, Middle Campanian and Late MaastrichtianePaleocene age. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Increased interest in the Cretaceous successions of the eastern Atlantic margin due to recent hydrocarbon discoveries has identi- fied the need for a refined biostratigraphic zonation, particularly in the high latitudes. A lack of local, complete, onshore study sections in the high latitudes, where more comprehensive studies can be carried e.g. macrofossils biostratigraphy, results in the need to build a composite section by combining sections from subsea wells in the Barents Sea to produce a composite Upper Albian to Lower Maas- trichtian interval. The study presented herein constitutes part of a project focused on the Cretaceous palynological assemblages of five exploration wells from the south-western Barents Sea. Wells 7120/5-1 and 7121/5-1 are from the Hammerfest Basin comprising the Lower Cretaceous Kolmule Formation to the Upper Cretaceous sand-prone Kviting Formation. Wells 7119/12-1, 7119/9-1 and 7120/7-3 are located in the Tromsø Basin around the Ringvassøy-Loppa Fault Complex, and comprise the Kolmule and Kveite formations (Figs. 1, 2). The Kveite Formation consists of mudstone and clay- stone with interbedded limestone and siltstone and has proven to be a regional seal, with excellent source rock potential (Ohm et al., 2008) and is the more distal equivalent of the Kviting Formation. The Kolmule Formation consists of dominantly claystone. To date, no significant hydrocarbon accumulation has been discovered within the Upper Cretaceous succession in the southwestern Barents Sea; however, the presence of good-quality sand is known in the area from the Hammerfest Basin (Hoare et al., 2011). As an exploration growth area, it is of significant interest. Few palynological studies have been published from the Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian in the Norwegian Arctic, although dinoflagellate cysts are extensively used for dating in the petroleum industry. Published work includes Setoyama et al. (2013) and * Corresponding author. ING PAN, OBK, ul. Senacka 1, 31-002, Kraków, Poland. Tel.: þ48 667 965 621. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected](W. Radmacher), [email protected](J. Tyszka), [email protected](G. Mangerud), [email protected](M.A. Pearce). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine and Petroleum Geology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpetgeo http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.04.008 0264-8172/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121
Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Albian to LowerMaastrichtian in the southwestern Barents Sea
W. Radmacher a,*, J. Tyszka a, G. Mangerud b, M.A. Pearce c
a ING PAN e Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Research Centre, BioGeoLab, ul. Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, PolandbDepartment of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Postbox 7800, NO-5020 Bergen, Norwayc Evolution Applied Limited, 59 Higher Lux Street, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 3JY, UK
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:Received 15 January 2014Received in revised form17 April 2014Accepted 18 April 2014Available online 21 May 2014
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.04.0080264-8172/� 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
a b s t r a c t
The present study of five wells from Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian succession in the southwesternBarents Sea yields the first dinoflagellate cyst-based palynological event biostratigraphy for the area. Theresearch focuses on the Upper Cretaceous Kveite and Kviting formations due to the lack of formalpalynological documentation, and enables the formation of a biozonation of greater resolution thancurrently achievable by micropalaeontology. Four new interval zones and one abundance subzone aredescribed, from base upward: Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides and Palaeohystrichophora palaeoinfusaInterval Zone (intra Early Cenomanianeintra Late Cenomanian), Dinopterygium alatum Interval Zone (?intra Early ConiacianeLate Santonian), Palaeoglenodinium cretaceum Interval Zone (Early Campanian),and the Chatangiella bondarenkoi Interval Zone (Late Campanian) encompassing the Heterosphaeridiumbellii Abundance Subzone (intra-Late Campanian). The zones are well correlated to existing palynologicalzonations from the NorwegianeGreenland Sea, where the previously described Subtilisphaera kalaallitiInterval Zone (intra Late Albiane?intra Early Cenomanian), Heterosphaeridium difficile Interval Zone(Middle Turonian to ?intra Early Coniacian) and Cerodinium diebelii Interval Zone (Early Maastrichtian)are recognised. These data also reveal the presence of three significant unconformities of Late Cen-omanianeEarly Turonian, Middle Campanian and Late MaastrichtianePaleocene age.
� 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Increased interest in the Cretaceous successions of the easternAtlantic margin due to recent hydrocarbon discoveries has identi-fied the need for a refined biostratigraphic zonation, particularly inthe high latitudes. A lack of local, complete, onshore study sectionsin the high latitudes, where more comprehensive studies can becarried e.g. macrofossils biostratigraphy, results in the need to builda composite section by combining sections from subseawells in theBarents Sea to produce a composite Upper Albian to Lower Maas-trichtian interval.
The study presented herein constitutes part of a project focusedon the Cretaceous palynological assemblages of five exploration
a 1, 31-002, Kraków, Poland.
gmail.com (W. Radmacher),@geo.uib.no (G. Mangerud),
wells from the south-western Barents Sea. Wells 7120/5-1 and7121/5-1 are from the Hammerfest Basin comprising the LowerCretaceous Kolmule Formation to the Upper Cretaceous sand-proneKviting Formation. Wells 7119/12-1, 7119/9-1 and 7120/7-3 arelocated in the Tromsø Basin around the Ringvassøy-LoppaFault Complex, and comprise the Kolmule and Kveite formations(Figs. 1, 2). The Kveite Formation consists of mudstone and clay-stone with interbedded limestone and siltstone and has proven tobe a regional seal, with excellent source rock potential (Ohm et al.,2008) and is the more distal equivalent of the Kviting Formation.The Kolmule Formation consists of dominantly claystone. To date,no significant hydrocarbon accumulation has been discoveredwithin the Upper Cretaceous succession in the southwesternBarents Sea; however, the presence of good-quality sand is knownin the area from the Hammerfest Basin (Hoare et al., 2011). As anexploration growth area, it is of significant interest.
Few palynological studies have been published from the UpperAlbian to Lower Maastrichtian in the Norwegian Arctic, althoughdinoflagellate cysts are extensively used for dating in the petroleumindustry. Published work includes Setoyama et al. (2013) and
Figure 1. Map of the southwestern Barents Sea showing location of the studied boreholes (NPD, FactPages <http://factpages.npd.no/factpages/>; Radmacher et al., 2014).
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Radmacher et al. (2014), the latter emphasising biostratigraphicalsignificance of the newly described species Heterosphaeridium belliicommon in the Upper Campanian of the southwestern Barents Seaand adjacent regions. Additional biostratigraphic data from theBarents Sea have been published by Gradstein et al. (1999) whoconducted an integrated micropalaeontological and palynologicalstudy of the uppermost Cretaceous and Palaeogene from theCretaceous seaway between Norway and Greenland. Gradsteinet al. (2010) have also provided their integrated microfossil data,available online at the Norwegian Interactive Stratigraphic Lexiconwebsites (NORLEX). Williams et al. (2005) published a case studybased on well-site palynology from the exploration well 6707/10-1in the Norwegian Sea. Comprehensive palynological work on theCretaceous and Palaeogene of Greenland was conducted by Nøhr-Hansen (1993a,b, 1994, 1996, 2012) as well as Nøhr-Hansen andHeilman-Clausen (2001), Nøhr-Hansen and Dam (1997) andNøhr-Hansen et al. (2002). Other palynological studies of the NorthSea were provided by Costa and Davey (1992), Gradstein et al.(1992), Schröder (1992) and Bell and Selnes (1997). The dinofla-gellate cysts from the Scotian Margin were described by Fensomeet al. (2008a; 2009). Global dinoflagellate cyst events publishedby Williams et al. (2004) can additionally be used for comparison.
2. Geological setting
The Barents Sea is situated in the north-western part of theEurasian continental shelf. During the Cretaceous and the Palae-ogene, prior to and during the opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, the western Barents Sea margin was reactivatedby regional faulting and shearing. This led to subsidence andwestward tilting of the shelf followed by uplift and erosion. As aresult, Upper Cretaceous strata are not present on Svalbard(Birkenmajer, 1981; Dallmann, 1999; Worsley, 2008). The south-western part of the Barents Sea is the only area where the UpperCretaceous strata of significant thickness can be found in somedepocentres (Faleide et al., 1993; Kelly, 1988; Nagy et al., 1997).
Structural development of the western Barents shelf was char-acterised by more intense tectonic activity compared to its easternpart (Faleide et al., 1993). The Cretaceous rifting episodes causedsubsidence and development of basins such as Tromsø, Bjørnøyaand Hammerfest. These are now separated by positive structures
with different subsidence histories. Whereas the Tromsø Basinunderwent a strong subsidence and sedimentation, the Hammer-fest Basin was characterised by relatively stable conditions duringthe Late Cretaceous (Faleide et al., 1993). The Upper CretaceousKveite Formation thickness exceeds up to over 1200 m in thecentral parts of the Tromsø Basin, but thins out eastwards, towardsthe Hammerfest Basin, where its equivalent, the Kviting Formationis less than 50 m thick.
The Early Palaeogene development of the area is connected tothe opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Seaway (Faleide et al.,2008; Hay et al., 1999), while the structural basins have a longerhistory. Shallow connections of the North Atlantic and ArcticOceans could have possibly been present as early as in the Turonian(Jenkyns et al., 2004).
3. Lithostratigraphical framework
The Mesozoic lithostratigraphical scheme of the southwesternBarents Sea (Fig. 2) was formally described byWorsley et al. (1988).The Upper Cretaceous Nygrunnen Group (Upper CenomanianeLower Maastrichtian) is divided into the Kveite and Kviting for-mations that are most completely recorded in the HammerfestBasin. The Kveite Formation consists of claystone with thin lime-stone and siltstone beds and some tuffaceous and glauconitic ho-rizons. The formation becomes thinner eastwards and changes intocalcareous sandstone with interbedded claystone and limestone ofthe Kviting Formation (Worsley et al., 1988). The Lower to UpperCretaceous Adventdalen Group (AlbianeMiddle Cenomanian;Fig. 2) consists of claystone, siltstone and sandstone. This studyfocuses on the Upper Cretaceous interval represented by KveiteFormation in the Tromsø Basin, and the Kviting Formation in theHammerfest Basin (Figs. 1, 2). A more or less continuous compositerecord of the Upper Cretaceous strata is achieved in the studiedwells.
4. Material and methods
The study is based on 85 ditch-cutting samples (DC) and 3sidewall core samples (SWC) from five exploration wells. Thesampling interval varied between 4 and 60 m with an average of10 m, depending on the availability. Samples from well 7120/7-3
Figure 2. Lithostratigraphy of the southwestern Barents Shelf, modified after Worsleyet al. (1988) and Gradstein et al. (2012).
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121 111
were processed in the Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynologyin Utrecht (The Netherlands) according to their standard palyno-logical procedure: removal of contaminants, crushing the samples,removal of carbonates and silicates with HCl and HF, removal oflarge particles by sieving with 250 mm, and small particles with15 mmmesh sieve, separation of organic material using heavy liquidand preparation of slides. Palynological slides from the wells 7119/12-1, 7119/9-1, 7120/5-1 and 7121/5-1 were prepared by twodifferent laboratories: NPD (Norwegian Petroleum Directorate) andGERH (Gearhart) laboratory. The procedure included standard aciddigestion (HCl and HF digestion), followed by various strengths ofoxidation by nitric acid applied to remove pyrite and organic debris.The palynological slides were studied under the Carl Zeiss AxioImager A2 Microscope. Light photographs were taken by AxioCamERc5s under 400�magnification. Two hundred dinoflagellate cystshave been counted in each slide when possible. Pollen, spores,
acritarchs and algae were excluded from the two-hundred count.The stratigraphical ranges of selected species are presented inFigure 3.
Due to the inherent problem of the caving of specimens in ditchcutting samples, preference is given to the last stratigraphicoccurrence of species (Table 1). Quantitative events including theabundant occurrence (AO), super abundant occurrence (SAO) andvarious acmes appeared to be useful (see Table 1). Biostratigraphicevents including the LO (last stratigraphic occurrence) of fossilsused for correlation between stratigraphic sections is described indetails by Giwa et al. (2006). Occasional reworking of specimenscan also be recognised and applied in provenance studies (Haq andBoersma, 1998; Powell and Riding, 2005). Although never as pref-erable as conventional or sidewall core samples, micro-palaeontological and palynological analyses from ditch-cuttings areroutinely carried out by the hydrocarbon industry. See also Bell andSelnes (1997), Fensome et al. (2008a, 2009), Gradstein et al. (2010,1999, 1992), Nagy et al. (2004, 1997) and Setoyama et al. (2011a,b,2013).
5. Palynological zonation
The succession of palynomorphs recorded in the studied wellscan be subdivided into distinct assemblages based on the last oc-currences (LO) and occasionally by the first occurrences (FO) ofstratigraphically important species. Significant relative abundancevariations are also indicated. The most significant bioevents areillustrated in Figures 3e5. Four palynological interval zones andone abundance subzone are described below.
The Subtilisphaera kalaalliti Interval Zone (intra Late Albiane?intra Early Cenomanian), the Heterosphaeridium difficile IntervalZone (Middle Turonian to ?intra Early Coniacian) and the Cer-odinium diebelii Interval Zone, of Nøhr-Hansen (1996, 2012) fromGreenland are recognised. Our proposed zonation and bioeventstratigraphy is shown in Figure 5, together with a comparison ofexisting zonation schemes from adjacent areas. All species aredinoflagellate cysts unless stated.
5.1. S. kalaalliti Interval Zone sensu Nøhr-Hansen 1993a
Definition: According to Nøhr-Hansen (1993a), the S. kalaallitiZone is characterised by the FO of S. kalaalliti at the base and LO ofEpelidosphaeridia spinosa at the top. The Ovoidinium sp. 1 Subzonerepresents the upper part of the S. kalaalliti Zone and is charac-terised by the interval from the FO of Ovoidinium? sp. 1 to imme-diately below the FO of E. spinosa (Nøhr-Hansen, 1993a).
Discussion: The acme of Ovoidinium sp. 1 is recorded at the baseof the studied section and the LO of E. spinosa at the top, suggestingthat the interval is a part of the S. kalaalliti Zone sensu Nøhr-Hansen1993a, assigned Late Albian to ?Early Cenomanian age.
Age: intra Late Albian to ?intra Early Cenomanian.Reference section: The Kolmule Formation: well 7119/9-1, 1820
to 1780 m. The interval was additionally recorded inwell 7119/12-1at 1110 to 1080 m, well 7120/5-1 at 1328 m and well 7121/5-1 at1115 m.
Assemblage characteristics: The assemblage is represented bythe acme of Ovoidinium sp.1, oftenwith the abundant occurrence ofPalaeoperidinium cretaceum. The LO of Rhombodella paucispinamayoccur at or close to the top.
Stratigraphic remarks: While E. spinosa may range up to Cen-omanian (Costa and Davey, 1992; Fensome et al., 2009; Gradsteinet al., 2010; Williams et al., 2004), the LO of R. paucispina is usedas a Late Albian indicator (Nøhr-Hansen, 1993a). The highest occur-rence of E. spinosa and R. paucispina in the same sample may suggesttherefore, that the lowermost Cenomanian interval is missing.
Figure 3. Stratigraphic range of dinocysts from the Cretaceous and Palaeogene sections recorded in the five boreholes of the southwestern Barents Sea.
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Table 1Explanation of abbreviations for biostratigraphical events used for the analysis.
Abbreviation Explanation Number of specimenscounted
FO/LO First/last occurrence 4 or fewerFCO/LCO First/last common occurrence 5e20FAO/LAO First/last abundant occurrence 21e80FSAO/LSAO First/last super abundant occurrence 81e150Acme The greatest numerical abundance 151e200
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121 113
5.2. P. infusorioides and Palaeohystrichophora palaeoinfusa IntervalZone
Definition: The base of this zone is located immediately belowthe FO of Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides. The LO of P. palae-oinfusa defines its top.
Age: intra Early Cenomanianeintra Late Cenomanian.Reference section: The Kveite Formation: well 7119/9-1,1765 to
1620 m. The zone was additionally recorded in well 7120/5-1 at1316 to 1256 m.
Assemblage characteristics: This interval is characterised bythe FO of P. infusorioides at the base of the zone and the LOs of thefollowing taxa within the zone (in sequential order from the topand down): P. palaeoinfusa, P. cretaceum and Litosphaeridiumsiphoniphorum. In its lower part, common to abundant occurrencesof Dorocysta litotes and abundant P. cretaceum are observed. In theupper part, assemblages are characterised by an increase in theabundance of Surculosphaeridium longifurcatum. The assemblages isdominated by the Spiniferites ramosus ‘group’ and Oligosphaeridiumcomplex.
Figure 4. Correlation of the most important
Stratigraphic remarks: The first occurrence of P. infusorioides isobserved inmost of studiedwells and suggests the Cenomanian age(Costa and Davey, 1992). The LO of L. siphoniphorum recordedslightly above the LAO of P. infusorioides, and P. palaeoinfusa occursat the top of the interval, and also indicates a Cenomanian age(Fensome et al., 2009; Williams et al., 2004), further supported bythe LO of P. cretaceum (Fensome et al., 2009). All of the recordedbioevents indicate an Early to Middle Cenomanian age. Speciesdiagnostic for the Late Cenomanian have not been recorded, sug-gesting a missing section. Similar dinoflagellate cyst assemblagehas been observed by the authors in the Norwegian Sea.
5.3. H. difficile Interval Zone sensu Nøhr-Hansen (2012)
Definition: In East Greenland the base of this zone is defined bythe FO of H. difficile together with FO of Chatangiella spp. and the LOof Odontochitina cf. rhakodes. The top is defined by the LO of Ste-phodinium coronatum occurring just above the LO of Xenascusgochtii.
Age: Turoniane?intra-Early Coniacian.Recorded section in the Barents Sea: The Kveite Formation:
well 7120/7-3, 1500e1480 m.Assemblage characteristics: In the studied area the dinofla-
gellate cyst assemblage is characterised by the common occurrenceof H. difficile.
Stratigraphic remarks: The absence of typical Early Turonianevents including the acme of H. difficile (Costa and Davey, 1992) andLO of Odontochitina rhakodes (Nøhr-Hansen, 2012) is used asnegative evidence to suggest a hiatus spanning the Early Turonianin this area. The bulk of available data suggests that S. coronatum
LO events from the analysed boreholes.
Figure 5. Late Albian and Palaeocene zonal scheme for the southwestern Barents Sea (Lebedeva, 2006).
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121114
has a highest occurrence in the latest Turonian according to i.e.Williams and Brideaux (1975); Foucher (1975); Marshall (1983);Costa and Davey (1992); Williams et al. (1993); Pearce (2000).However, Nøhr-Hansen (2012) suggests that the LO occurs higher,based on Williams et al. (2004).
5.4. Dinopterygium alatum Interval Zone
Definition: The base of this zone is defined immediately abovethe LO of S. coronatum and below the LO of D. alatum.
Age: ?intra Early ConiacianeLate Santonian.Recorded section in the Barents Sea: The Kveite Formation:
well 7120/7-3, 1470e1440 m.Assemblage characteristics: The LO of D. alatum (as Xipho-
phoridium alatum in Nøhr-Hansen, 2012) was recorded inGreenland, Norwegian Sea and south-western Barents Sea. In thestudied area the dinoflagellate cyst assemblage is additionallycharacterised by the consistent occurrence of H. difficile, LO of S.longifurcatum, D. litotes, Chlamydophorella nyei, H. difficile and the S.ramosus ‘group’. The latter decreases in relative number towardsthe top of the zone.
Stratigraphic remarks: The LO of D. alatum indicates a Santo-nian age according to Fensome et al. (2009).
5.5. Palaeoglenodinium cretaceum Interval Zone
Definition: The base of this zone is located immediately abovethe LO of D. alatum. The top is defined by the LAO of P. cretaceum.
Age: Early Campanian.Reference section: The Kveite Formation: well 7120/7-3, 1430e
1410 m.
Assemblage characteristics: The LO of Callaiosphaeridiumasymmetricum is observed close to the base of the interval. The topof the interval is characterised by LO of Circulodinium distinctum,LAO of P. cretaceum, LCO of Chatangiella bondarenkoi and variousChatangiella species.
Stratigraphic remarks: The LO of C. asymmetricum observednear the base, is typical in the Lower Campanian succession ofthe North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Scotian Margin (Costa andDavey, 1992; Fensome et al., 2009; Gradstein et al., 2010). TheLO of P. cretaceum has also been recorded in the Lower Campa-nian strata (Costa and Davey, 1992). The genus Chatangiella,abundantly occurring in this interval, does range up into theUpper Campanian. However, according to Costa and Davey(1992), Chatangiella spp. is more common and diverse in theLower Campanian in the North Sea area, resembling the obser-vations in this study. In West Greenland, C. bondarenkoi has beenrecorded in Lower or Middle Campanian successions (Nøhr-Hansen, 1996), while in the Barents Sea it is typical of theLower Campanian (Graham Bell, personal communication 2010).The zone corresponds in lower part to the foraminiferal Cau-dammina gigantea and Uvigerinamina jankoi Zone from thesouthwestern Barents Sea (Setoyama et al., 2011b).
5.6. C. bondarenkoi Interval Zone
Definition: This zone is located immediately above the LO of C.bondarenkoi. The top is defined immediately below the FO of C.diebelii.
Age: Late Campanian.Reference section: The Kveite Formation: well 7120/7-3, 1400e
1360 m.
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121 115
Assemblage characteristics: The zone is also characterised bythe LO of Raphidodinium fucatum, abundant to superabundant H.bellii, LCO of Spongodinium delitiense and LO of Raetiaediniumtruncigerum.
Stratigraphic remarks: According to Gradstein et al. (2010),R. fucatum (recorded at 1400 m in well 7120/7-3) ranges up intothe Upper Campanian, suggesting a Late Campanian age forthe lowermost part of this zone (Fig. 5). No evidence for theMiddle Campanian has been recorded. Abundant to superabun-dant occurrences of H. bellii is also characteristic for this intervaland indicates a Late Campanian age (Radmacher et al., 2014). TheLCO of S. delitiense (Costa and Davey, 1992) supports this inter-pretation. The LO of R. truncigerum has previously been describedfrom Upper Campanian successions by Williams et al. (2004).The zone corresponds to a middle part of foraminiferal C.gigantea Zone from the southwestern Barents Sea (Setoyamaet al., 2011b).
5.6.1. H. bellii abundance subzoneDefinition: The interval is defined by the FSAO to LSAO of H.
bellii. The subzone belongs to the C. bondarenkoi Interval Zone.Age: intra-Late CampanianReference section: The Kveite Formation: well 7120/7-3, 1390e
1380 m. The subzone was also recorded in wells 7119/12-1 (be-tween 1900 and 1890 m) and 7119/9-1 (at 1490 m).
Assemblage characteristics: The interval is dominated by H.bellii. The FSAO ofH. bellii together with the LO of R. fucatum definesthe base. The LO of R. truncigerum and LCO of S. delitiense occurringtogether or just above the LSAO of H. bellii, supports a Late Cam-panian age.
Stratigraphic remarks: A similar event has been recorded inthe Western Interior Basin from the Baculites compressuseBaculitescuneatuseBaculites reesidei Zone (Palamarczuk and Landman,2011). This zone is independently calibrated to the ammonitezonation of the Western Interior of North America (Ogg andHinnov, 2012) providing a Late Campanian age (see Radmacheret al. (2014) for a discussion).
5.7. C. diebelii Interval Zone sensu Nøhr-Hansen (1996)
Definition: In East Greenland the base of this zone is definedfrom the FO of C. diebelii to immediately below the FO of pollenspecies Wodehouseia spinata.
Age: Early Maastrichtian.Recorded section in the Barents Sea: The Kveite Formation:
well 7120/7-3, 1350e1340 m.Assemblage characteristics: In the studied area the dinofla-
gellate cyst assemblage is characterised by the presence of C. die-belii, S. delitiense and Odontochitina sp. A.
Stratigraphic remarks: The LO of Odontochitina operculata andcommon S. delitiense recorded at the top of this zone indicate an ageno younger than the Early Maastrichtian. The LO of O. operculata istraditionally regarded as Early Maastrichtian event and has beenpreviously described fromvarious locations (Antonescu et al., 2001;Costa and Davey, 1992; Gradstein et al., 2010; Schiøler and Wilson,2001; Williams et al., 2004). S. delitiense has been recorded fromthe Campanian to Maastrichtian by Nagy et al. (1997) and ques-tionably by Nøhr-Hansen (2012), also supporting this age assign-ment. S. delitiense is known to range into the Maastrichtian (andeven the Upper Campanian; Pearce, personal observations), andhas not been recorded above the Cretaceous/Palaeogene contact inthis study. The zone corresponds to an upper part of foraminiferal C.gigantea Zone from the southwestern Barents Sea (Setoyama et al.,2011b).
6. Discussion
The present study has clearly demonstrated that dinoflagellatecysts can provide a robust framework enabling dating and corre-lation of the Cretaceous (Upper Albian to Lower Maastrichtian) inthe Barents Sea. Calibration to foraminiferal assemblages from thesame wells (Setoyama et al., 2011a) show consistent ages (seeFig. 5). Two foraminiferal zones, C. gigantea Zone of Early Cam-panian to early Middle Campanian age, and U. jankoi and C.gigantea Zone of late Middle Campanian to Early Maastrichtian agewere distinguished by Setoyama et al. (2011b). Setoyama et al.(2011a, b) did, however, not record the Turonian to Coniacianand Santonian intervals that we have identified in well 7120/7-3.The discrepancy in age dating between the two fossil groups arelikely to be caused by lack of foraminiferal taxa with insufficientstratigraphic resolution (Setoyama et al., 2013). Thus, the higherpotential of dinoflagellate cysts yielded more specific determina-tion of the ages. This suggests that the top Kveite Formation, is noyounger than Early Maastrichtian and the top Kolmule Formationis no younger than the Cenomanian. The lack of Middle Campa-nian strata in well 7120/7-3 and lack of Turonian to Santonian inthe other wells (Fig. 4) indicate several hiatuses of various agesacross the basin. In addition, a hiatus spanning the uppermostMaastrichtian and lowermost Paleocene supports the presence ofthe unconformity previously known from the northernmost proto-Atlantic. The Upper CretaceouseLower Palaeogene unconformityis assumed to be a result of regional uplift of the mainland (e.g.Riis, 1996), combined with sea-level lowstand in the Maastrichtian(Haq et al., 1987) followed by very low depositional rates or non-deposition in the deeper areas (see Nagy et al., 2004; Setoyamaet al., 2011a) but with shelfal erosion along the margin. Thestudied succession compares well with those from WestGreenland (Nøhr-Hansen, 1996, 2012), the North Sea (Costa andDavey, 1992), offshore Norway (Gradstein et al., 2010) and theScotian Margin (Fensome et al., 2008a, 2009). The LO of key eventscompares well with the global dinoflagellate cyst events describedby Williams et al. (2004). However, comparison may be hamperedby different sedimentary and subsidence histories in the variousbasins. In addition, minor discrepancies regarding the range ofvarious species may introduce uncertainties in the exact ages. ThePalaeocene interval has been briefly studied and can be correlatedto data from the south-western Barents Sea studied by Nagy et al.(2004, 1997). The Psammosphaera fuscaeHyperammina rugosaZone of late Early to early Late Palaeocene recorded by the Nagyet al. (2004, 1997) in well 7119/9-1 at the depth 1410e1450 mcorresponds well with the assemblage recorded in present study,confirming a presence of a hiatus spanning Upper Maastrichtianand Lower Palaeogene.
7. Conclusions
� Palynological analysis of the five wells from the south-westernBarents Sea yielded a greater biostratigraphical resolutionthan existing micropalaeontological studies.
� The dinoflagellate cyst assemblages confirm a Cenomanian toLower Maastrichtian age for the Kveite and Kviting formations.Our palynological results are comparable to those from theNorwegian Sea, Greenland and other adjacent areas and are in apartial agreement with the foraminiferal zonation from theregion.
� Four new palynological interval zones and one new abundancesubzone are defined, based mainly on the last occurrences ofage diagnostic dinoflagellate cysts (from base up): P. infusor-ioides and P. palaeoinfusa Interval Zone (intra Early Cen-omanianeintra Late Cenomanian), D. alatum Interval Zone (?
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121116
intra Early ConiacianeLate Santonian), the P. cretaceum IntervalZone (Early Campanian) and the C. bondarenkoi Interval Zone(Late Campanian) and supplement the S. kalaalliti Interval Zone(intra Late Albiane?intra Early Cenomanian), H. difficile IntervalZone (Middle Turoniane?intra Early Coniacian) and C. diebeliiInterval Zone (Early Maastrichtian) previously described fromEast Greenland.
� The H. bellii Abundance Subzone (of the C. bondarenkoi IntervalZone) is assigned an intra-Late Campanian age based on corre-lation to similar palynological assemblages recorded fromammonite dated beds in the Western Interior Basin.
� Several hiatuses spanning the Upper Cenomanian to LowerTuronian, Middle Campanian and significantly the UpperMaastrichtian to lowermost Palaeocene intervals are identified.The timespan of hiatuses differs from region to region, caused bydifferent geological history of the basins.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Norwegian Petroleum Direc-torate for providing palynological slides and to Statoil ASA forproviding samples. WR is grateful to Przemys1aw Gedl for intro-duction to the field of palynology and to Graham Bell for hiscontinuing tremendous support and introduction to issuesinvolving biostratigraphy at the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Wethank Henk Brinkhuis for the access to the Laboratory of Palae-obotany and Palynology in Utrecht (the Netherlands) where someof the samples were been processed. We are grateful to journalreviewers for critical reading and helpful suggestions. This workwas supported by technical assistance funds of the EEA FinancialMechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (Grant no.FSS/2011/V/D3/W/0074/WS/U/0048) within the framework of theScholarship and Training Fund and partly by the ING PAN internal“MICRO” project.
Appendix 1. Systematics
Complete list of dinoflagellate-cyst species recorded in thesouthwestern Barents Sea during this study. Details and referencesnot provided are given in Fensome and Williams (2004), Fensomeet al. (2008b, 2009). Chosen species are illustrated at Plates 1e3.
Callaiosphaeridium asymmetricum (Deflandre and Courteville,1939) Davey and Williams, 1966b
Cerodinium diebelii (Alberti, 1959b) Lentin and Williams, 1987Chatangiella bondarenkoi (Vozzhennikova, 1967) Lentin and
Williams, 1976Chatangiella ditissima (McIntyre, 1975) Lentin and Williams,
1976Chatangiella granulifera (Manum, 1963) Lentin and Williams,
1976Chatangiella spp.Chlamydophorella nyei Cookson and Eisenack, 1958Circulodinium distinctum (Deflandre and Cookson, 1955) Janso-
nius, 1986Coronifera oceanica Cookson and Eisenack, 1958Desmocysta plekta Duxbury, 1983Dinopterygium alatum (Cookson and Eisenack, 1962) Fensome
et al., 2009Dorocysta litotes Davey, 1970Eisenackia margarita (Harland, 1979a) Quattrocchio and Sar-
jeant, 2003Epelidosphaeridia spinosa Cookson and Hughes, 1964Florentinia deanei (Davey and Williams, 1966b) Davey and Ver-
dier, 1973Heterosphaeridium bellii Radmacher et al., 2014
Heterosphaeridium difficile (Manum and Cookson, 1964) Ioan-nides, 1986
1937Isabelidinium? viborgense Heilmann-Clausen, 1985Litosphaeridium siphoniphorum (Cookson and Eisenack, 1958)
Davey and Williams, 1966bOdontochitina costata Alberti, 1961Odontochitina operculata (Wetzel, 1933a) Deflandre and Cook-
son, 1955Odontochitina sp. A (Plate 2, fig. f)1992 Odontochitina sp. A Costa and Davey Plate 3.10, fig. 5.STRATIGRAPHIC RANGES.Barents Sea: abundant occurrence e Upper Campanian (this
study).North Sea: Upper Campanian to Lower Maastrichtian (Costa and
Davey, 1992).REMARKS. This form is a species of Odontochitina otherwise
resembling Odontochitina diducta Pearce (2010) but differing bypossessing a characteristically thickened endophragm and a finerendophragm, and in being cornucavate. No written descriptionwasprovided by Costa and Davey (1992), and was illustrated only by asingle specimen.
Odontochitina spp.Oligosphaeridium complex (White, 1842) Davey and Williams,
1966Ovoidinium sp. 1 (Plate 2, figs g, h)1993a Ovoidinium? sp. 1 Nøhr-Hansen: 91, pl. 21, figs 5e14.STRATIGRAPHIC RANGES.Barents Sea: acme Upper Albian (this study).East Greenland: LO uppermost Albian (Nøhr-Hansen, 1993a).REMARKS. The specimens recorded in the Barents Sea represent
mostly one of the two morphological types described by Nøhr-Hansen (1993a). It is characterised by an ovoidal outline,composed of two closely appressed layers. Pentagonal pericystdescribed from Greenland has been observed sporadically. Similarspecimens were previously recorded from the Upper Albian tolowermost Cenomanian of the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea(Bell, personal communication 2010).
COMPARISON. The species might resemble genus Ascodinium.However, Ascodinium is characterised by the presence of eccentri-cally located, short and acuminate antapical horn on the left side.The forms described by Nøhr-Hansen (1993a) and those recorded inthe studied area often have pericyst with two antapical lobs.
1966Trichodinium castanea Deflandre, 1935Trithyrodinium suspectum (Manum and Cookson, 1964) Davey,
1969b
Plate 1. Dinoflagellate cysts from the southwestern Barents Sea. Fig. a. Callaiosphaeridium asymmetricum, well 7119/9-1, DC (ditch-cutting sample), 1660 m, EF (England Finderreference): K48/3. Fig. b. Cerodinium diebelii, well 7119/9-1, DC, 1440 m, EF: M56/2. Fig. c. Chatangiella bondarenkoi, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1420 m, EF: U34/1. Fig. d. Chatangielladitissima, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1031 m, EF: 31X. Fig. e. Chatangiella granulifera, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1420 m, EF: M35/3. Fig. f. Chlamydophorella nyei, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1031 m, EF: 36L.Fig. g. Circulodinium distinctum, well 7119/12-1, DC, 1080 m, EF: A51/4. Fig. h. Desmocysta plekta, well 7120/5-1, DC, 1163 m, EF: W58/3. Fig. i. Dorocysta litotes, well 7119/9-1, DC,1660 m, EF: K37/2. Fig. j. Eisenackia margarita, well 7119/9-1, DC, 1440 m, EF: J45/2. Fig. k. Florentinia deanei, well 7120/5-1, DC, 1316 m, EF: J52/1. Fig. l. Heterosphaeridium bellii, well7120/7-3, DC, 1380 m, R36/3.
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121 117
Plate 2. Dinoflagellate cysts from the southwestern Barents Sea Fig. a. Heterosphaeridium difficile, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1043 m, EF: V35/1. Fig. b. Hystrichodinium pulchrum, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1043 m, EF: L40/4. Fig. c. Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum, well 7121/5-1, DC, 998 m, EF: W36/4. Fig. d. Odontochitina costata (operculum), well 7120/7-3, DC, 1450 m, EF: R38/3. Fig. e. Odontochitina operculata, well 7119/9-1, DC, 1660 m, EF: C24/2. Fig. f. Odontochitina sp. A, well 7119/12-1, DC, 980 m, EF: C41/3. Fig. g. Ovoidinium? sp. 1, well 7121/5-1, DC,1115 m, EF: L24/4. Fig. h. Ovoidinium? sp. 1, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1115 m, EF: U25/1. Fig. i. Palaeocystodinium cf. bulliforme, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1350 m, EF: D38/3. Fig. j. Palae-ohystrichophora palaeoinfusa, well 7120/5-1, DC, 1328 m, EF: P51/1. Fig. k. Palaeoglenodinium cretaceum, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1410 m, EF: E29/2. Fig. l. Palaeoperidinium cretaceum, well7120/5-1, DC, 1316 m, EF: Q52/3.
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121118
Plate 3. Dinoflagellate cysts from the southwestern Barents Sea Fig. a. Palaeoperidinium pyrophorum, well 7120/5-1, DC, 998 m, EF: Q35/1. Fig. b. Raetiaedinium truncigerum, well7120/7-3, DC, 1480 m, EF: U38/4. Fig. c. Raphidodinium fucatum, well 7119/12-1, DC, 950 m, EF: 37S/1. Fig. d. Spongodinium delitiense, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1370 m, EF: Q40/4. Fig. e.Stephodinium coronatum, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1490 m, EF: M30/4. Fig. f. Subtilisphaera kalaalliti, well 7119/12-1, DC, 1080 m, EF: F42/1. Fig. g. Surculosphaeridium longifurcatum, well7120/7-3, DC, 1490 m, EF: M28/3. Fig. h. Trichodinium castanea, well 7120/5-1, DC, 1256 m, EF: Q44/1. Fig. i. Trithyrodinium suspectum, well 7121/5-1, DC, 1031 m, EF: M34/1. Fig. j.Palambages morulosa (algae), well 7121/5-1, DC, 998 m, EF: E33/3.Fig. k. Bisaccate pollen, well 7121/5-1, DC, 986 m. Fig. l. Foraminiferal test lining, well 7120/7-3, DC, 1370 m.
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121 119
W. Radmacher et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 57 (2014) 109e121120
Repository
Two of the palynological slides from borehole 7120/7-3 (depth1370 and 1380 m) are lodged at the Paleontological Museum ofOslo, Norway. The others belong to Statoil and are stored in Sta-vanger. The slides from wells 7119/12-1, 7119/9-1, 7120/5-1 and7121/5-1 belong to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and arestored at Professor Olav Hanssens vei 10, Stavanger, Norway.
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