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Aptian to Cenomanian Deeper-Water Hiatal Stromatolites from the Northern Tethyan Margin

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STROMATOLITES: Interaction of Microbes with Sediments

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 18))

Abstract

A suite of deeper-water hiatal (DWH) stromatolites has been identified in the phosphatic and glauconitic sediments of Aptian to Cenomanian age in the alpine Helvetic thrust-and-fold belt, which represents the former northern Tethyan margin. The most important occurrences date from the latest Early to Late Aptian, the late Early to early middle Albian, and the Early Cenomanian. They are invariably associated with condensed phosphatic beds and occur preferentially on top of hardgrounds or on reworked pebbles and fossils. The zone of optimal stromatolite growth and preservation coincides with the zone of maximal sedimentary condensation, in the deeper parts of phosphogenic areas. The DWH stromatolites show variable morphologies, ranging from isolated laminae (“films”) to internally laminated columns and crusts. They reach thicknesses of maximal 10 cm and are either preserved in phosphate or micrite. In the latter case, they may show peripheral impregnations of phosphate or iron oxyhydroxides. The quasi-complete lack of macroscopic sessile organisms suggests that the DWH stromatolites grew close to the upper boundary of an oxygen-minimum zone. Electron-scanning microscopic images show that the Early Cenomanian examples preserved in micrite consist of filamentous structures, which form spaghetti-like assemblages. They are interpreted as the remains of poikiloaerobic, heterotrophic microbes.

Coeval DWH stromatolites are known from the entire European segment of the northern Tethyan margin, and shallow-water counterparts are commonplace on Tethyan carbonate platforms. This indicates that, in general, paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental conditions were appropriate for stromatolite growth and preservation. The here-described DWH stromatolites proliferated especially in time windows, which followed upon the oceanic anoxic periods OAE 1a (Early Aptian), 1b (latest Aptian and earliest Albian), and 1d (latest Albian). They may represent pioneer ecosystems, which thrived during the recovery phases following the “mid”-Cretaceous OAEs.

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 Acknowledgments

We thank Vinod C. Tewari for his invitation to contribute a chapter to this book. Jacob Zopfi, Christina Glunk, and Eric Verrecchia of the University of Lausanne are acknowledged for their valuable insights on present-day microbial ecosystems and stromatolites in general. A first version of this contribution was carefully and constructively reviewed by Agustin Martín-Algarra and Krysztof Krajewski. Their comments greatly improved this paper. We are grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation, which generously supported us during various stages of our career.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Lausanne, Anthropole, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Karl B. Föllmi

  2. Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse, 38380, Saint-Pierre-de Chartreuse, Grenoble, France

    Michel Delamette

  3. Wanner AG, CH-4501, Solothurn, Switzerland

    Pieter Jan Ouwehand

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  1. Karl B. Föllmi
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Correspondence to Karl B. Föllmi .

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  1. , Sedimentology Group, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, General Mahadeo Singh Road 33, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India

    Vinod Tewari

  2. University of Jerusalem, Mevo Hadas 20, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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Föllmi, K.B., Delamette, M., Ouwehand, P.J. (2011). Aptian to Cenomanian Deeper-Water Hiatal Stromatolites from the Northern Tethyan Margin. In: Tewari, V., Seckbach, J. (eds) STROMATOLITES: Interaction of Microbes with Sediments. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0397-1_8

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