Abstract

In the Pyrenees, the very quiet period of the Silurian with its widespread black graptolite shales was followed by an unstable period of sedimentation during the Devonian and Carboniferous. The approaching Hercynian orogeny was announced by a conspicuous lateral facies differentiation, indicating the splitting-up of the Pyrenean region into a whole set of longitudinal basins parallel to the orogene. In these basins the Devonian is mainly characterized by a neritic limestone-shale facies; however, it nowhere obtains a typical and thick geosynclinal character. The arrangement of a longitudinal central basin with somewhat similar marginal zones on both sides, and a western area with its own slightly different characteristics has led the author to subdivide the Devonian/Carboniferous, into four major facies-areas, each of which can be subdivided into smaller subfacies-areas.

In the course of the Carboniferous the emergent, longitudinal central part of the axial zone was characterized by non-deposition or, locally, by paralic and continental deposits, and the northern and southern adjoining basins were characterized by marine near shore sedimentation during the Visean. Important limestone sedimentation was restricted to the western part of the Pyrenees.

The major structural movements, which probably began already in early Carboniferous time, increased in strength toward the Westphalian B, when the whole chain may have been attacked by erosion. The Stephanian and locally the Upper Westphalian are the first post-orogenic, unconformable sediments.

This paper represents the author’s compilation of the recent literature on the Palaeozoic stratigraphy of the Central Pyrenees amplified by his extensive field observations.