Blanowice Formation
The Blanowice Formation is a geologic formation in Częstochowa, Poland. It is late Pliensbachian-Lowermost Toarcian age. Vertebrate fossils have been uncovered from this formation, including tracks. Along with the Drzewica Formation is part of the Depositional sequence IV-VII of the late lower Jurassic Polish Basin, with the IV showing the presence of local Alluvial deposits, with possible meandriform deposition origin, dominated in Jagodne and Szydłowiec, while delta system occurred through the zone of the modern Budki. Deposits of sequences IV, V, VI and VII make up the Blanowice Formation, being all four sequences are of Pliensbachian age, documented by megaspores. On the upper strata, “sub-coal beds" cover the sequence VII-lower VIII, while the uppermost part of VIII is identified with the Ciechocinek Formation. The Blanowice Formation has been know for decades thanks to the abundant Plant fossils and plant roots, but mostly due to the Blanowice Brown Coals, where the oldes Biomolecules found worldwide have been recovered. The Mrzygłód mine dinocyst assemblage is taxonomically un diversified, containing specimens that are good age indicators al lowing relatively precise suggestion of its age. Luehndea spinosa, with a single recovered specimen spans between the Late Pliensbachian to the Lowermost Toarcian. Other ocal dinocysts such as Mendicodinium range Late Pliensbachian–Aalenian, a wider stratigraphic range. The lower part of the formation is coeval in age with the Gielniów Formation and Drzewica Formation, Lobez Formation and Komorowo Formation, Olsztyn Formation, the lower part of the Rydeback Member of the Rya Formation, lower Fjerritslev or Gassum Formation, lower and middle Bagå Formation, Neringa Formation. The Upper part is coeval with the lowermost upper Rydeback Member, upper Gassum Formation and lower Lava Formation.
Biota
The Blanowice Formation recovers a deltaic section on the eastern Bohemian Massif, where rivers come from the west, as proven by the Carboniferous fossil matter found on the layers of the formation, moved from the west of the Czech Republic, and deposited specially on the Parkoszowice borehole. This Borehole shows enhanced biomass contribution from aquatic algae groups, that proves a more marine influence than on other coeval boreholes, such as the Brody-Lubienia.The Blanowice Formation Brown Coal has been know since 1800 from it´s abudant deposits, where younger material has been suggested as redeposited from this deposits. The organic matter found includes the oldest known Biomolecules, that are composed by Labdanoic Acid, Ferruginol, Sugiol and 7-Oxototarol, from the “Blanowice brown coals”. These coals are generally dominated by Vitrain macerals, with exceptions where there is a greant porcentage of Inertinite. This lead ot interpret as a result of wildfire or peat fire activity, confirmed by the co-occurrence of charcoal fragments. Sesquiterpenoids and Diterpenoids where also recovered from the Coal, common in Conifers as well as in other plants such as angiosperms and bryophytes. Vitrinite has local reflectance values of 0.49-0.56 %Ro. The Cupressaceae and/or Podocarpaceae families are considered the main peat-forming plant species. Posterior revision of the Lignites of the Brown Coals had revealed a major distribution of Benzohopane derivatives in these coals and surrounding sandstones, that implicate probable differences in the degree of Biodegradation, and also a low Coalification range, typical of Lignites. Later largers studies cover a really big influence of the fires on the region. After the Toarcian Anoxic Event on the called "Kaszewy-1" the Wildfire activity was widely recorded. The Structure of the main depositional setting has been seen divided in 3 parts: on the center, near Kaszewy Kościelne there was a major restricted brackish-marine basin, with seasonal influxes of marine water. The great abundance of Charcoal is the main indicator of the fire activity locally, but also the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, whose abundance reflects an increase in wildfire activity. Coarse Charcoal particles abundance is low, while the fine Charcoal particles are more abundant on nearly all the measured samples, vinculated to small reductions of the Sea Level locally. The most abundant Polycyclic Hydrocarbon found locally is Phenanthrene, and along the Charcoal data shows how the Fires locally increased around the Carbon Isotope Excursion on the Toarcian Anoxic Event Worldwide. Along this period, mostly of the strata of the region shows at least 6 periods of fire intensification, that are coeval to anothers found on Yorkshire, Wales and Peniche.
Dinoflagellates
On the Mrzygłód mine samples there is a domain of land-derived phytoclasts and palynomorphs, with abundance of the cyst Nannoceratopsis, that is conidered an euryhaline genus.High amount of terrestrial organic matter shows that there was an intense supply and accumulation of land-derived organic particles from surrounding land areas, what, along with the decrease of salinity conditions, thanks to the dinocysts conclude that the assemblage represents a part of the Blanowice Formation deposited in a proximal area under brackish conditions, with possible changes on the range of salinity.| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
Nannoceratopsis |
| Dinocysts | A Dinophyceae Dinoflagellatan, type member of the family Nannoceratopsiaceae. N. sp. A differs from all Nannoceratopsis, where they have antapical horns by the shape of con cavity between these horns this has triangular shape created by two straight in near margins of the horns. The large amount of Cysts of the genus point to more diversified marine palaeoenvironments. | ||
Batiacasphaera |
| Dinocysts | A Dinophyceae Dinoflagellatan, member of the family Gonyaulacales. A rather rare genus present on a few samples. | ||
Mendicodinium |
| Dinocysts | A Dinophyceae Dinoflagellatan, member of the family Gonyaulacales. A rather rare genus present on a few samples. | ||
Luehndea |
| Dinocysts | A Dinophyceae Dinoflagellatan, type member of the family Luehndeoideae. Presence of Luehndea spinosa suggests Late Pliensbachian–earliest Toarcian age of studied assemblages. |
Palynology
The Blanowice Beds are distributed in area between Częstochowa, Dębnik, Siewierz and Olkusz in the Silesian - Cracow Monocline. The coals were mined there in the years 1818-1959. The major plant bearing strata is exposed at Kierszuła near Poręba, where a identified spore-pollen assemblage comprises higher cryptogamic plants and the gymnospermous. The Pollen of coniferous plants has been seen as connected with the Cheirolepidiaceae group, on an assemblage of herbaceous peat-bog vegetation, characterized by predominance of ferns, was most probably the parent material for that variety of coals. The presence of fairly thick laminae of Vitrain in the Kierszuła middle layers indicates some phases with share of forest assemblage marked in area of contemporary peat-bog.| Genus | Species | Location | Material | Notes | Images |
Sporopollenites |
| Spores or Pollen | Uncertain assigantion Palynological remains, that resemble both Pollen and Megaspores, with non diagnosed affinities. | ||
Rogalskaisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Sphagnopsida inside Sphagnales. Pollen nearly identical to that one found associated with the modern moss genus Sphagnum. Moss related to high humid environments. | ||
Lygodiumsporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Lygodiaceae inside Schizaeales. Spores nearly identical to that one found associated with the modern moss genus Lygodium. Arboreal moss related to high humid environments, being major fuel for peat fires. | ||
Reticulatisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Lygodiaceae inside Schizaeales. | ||
Leptolepidites |
| Spores | Affinities with Lycopsida inside Lycophyta. | ||
Foveotriletes |
| Pollen | Affinities with Lycopsida inside Lycophyta. | ||
Uvaesporites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Selaginellaceae inside Lycopodiophyta. Spores that resemble that of Selaguinella-like herbaceous flora. | ||
Apiculatisporis |
| Pollen | Affinities with Selaginellaceae inside Lycopodiophyta. Pollen nearly identical to that one found associated with the modern moss genus Selaginella. Herbaceous Fern related to high humid environments. | ||
Densoisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Selaginellaceae inside Lycopodiophyta. Herbaceous Fern related to high humid environments. The species Densoisporites rugosus can be a junior synonym of Densosporites solaris | ||
Carnisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with the genus Cynepteris inside Cynepteridaceae. Floor Ferns related to high humid environments. | ||
Todites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Polypodiopsida inside Pteridopsida. Pollen nearly identical to that one found associated with the fern leaf genus Todites or with Cladophlebis | ||
Osmundacidites |
| Spores | Affinities with Osmundaceae inside Pteridophyta. Spores nearly identical to that one found associated with the modern fern genus Osmunda. Members of the genus Osmunda have been found on coeval age strata on Sweden. | ||
Marattiopsis |
| Spores | Affinities with Marattiaceae inside Marattiales. spores nearly identical to that one found associated with the fern leaf genus Marattiopsis | ||
Marattisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Marattiaceae inside Marattiales. | ||
Concavisporites |
| Spores | Affinities with Dipteridaceae inside Gleicheniales. Spores nearly identical to that one found associated with the fern leaf genus Clathropteris | ||
Cyathidites |
| Spores | Affinities with Cyatheaceae inside Cyatheales. Cyathidites minor almost certainly belong to well known Mesozoic species Coniopteris hymenophylloides and to other fossil cyatheaceous or dicksoniaceous ferns such as Eboracia lobifolia and Dicksonia mariopteri. | ||
Chasmatosporites |
| Pollen | Named originally Pollenites apertus, they resemble pollen grains of the genus Cycas. Later works refer them to modern pollen grains that proper of wrote that resemble ?Cycadopsida. Alternatively, can be Pollen from members of Ginkgopsida. | ||
Bennettistemon |
| Spores | Affinities with Bennettitales inside Bennettitopsida. Bennetitalean Spores, coming from hebaceous to arbustive plants. | ||
Pityosporites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Pinaceae inside Coniferae. Resemble modern Pinus Pollen, probably belonging to a similar Genus. | ||
Quadraeculina |
| Pollen | Affinities with Pinaceae inside Coniferae. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants, resembling the pollen of the modern genus Picea | ||
Tsugapollenites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Pinaceae inside Coniferae. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants, resembling the pollen of the modern genus Tsuga | ||
Inaperturapollenites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Pinaceae inside Coniferae. Diploxylonoid bisaccate pollen grains of Coniferales affinity | ||
Sciadopityspollenites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Sciadopityaceae inside Coniferae. This pollen resembles the present on the modern Cupressaceae Sciadopitys | ||
Podocarpeaepollenites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Podocarpaceae inside Pinopsida. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants | ||
Pristinuspollenites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Podocarpaceae inside Pinopsida. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants | ||
Pseudopodocarpus |
| Pollen | Affinities with Podocarpaceae inside Pinopsida. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants | ||
Classopollis |
| Pollen | Affinities with Cheirolepidiaceae inside Pinopsida. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants | ||
Araucariacites |
| Pollen | Affinities with Araucariaceae inside Pinopsida. Pollen From arbustive to arboreal plants |