Abstract

During Late Devonian time Pomerania area, Northwestern Poland was a relatively shallow epicontinental sea bordering the southeastern side of the Old Red Continent.

More than 30 subsurface borehole sections have been investigated to document the facies distribution and the stratigraphy within the Famennian Stage, from the Palmatolepis triangularis to Siphonodella praesulcata conodont zones.

The shallowing upward sequence, from deeper subtidal through shallow subtidal, intertidal to supratidal deposits characterizes the Pomeranian deposits. A rather deep water facies dominates most of the Frasnian succession in northern Poland, and comparable sedimentation continued into the early Famennian, up to the middle crepida Zone. Famennian carbonate buildups, probably of mud mound type, are suspected in the Upper crepida and marginifera Zones. Extensive shallow water environments are represented by high energy skeletal shoals, restricted marine facies, siliciclastic facies and, finally, by evaporite beds during late trachytera-middle expansa time.

The distribution of Famennian lithofacies and conodont biofacies in Pomerania was determined by the location of the land mass in the north and reflects a general trend of gradual southward progradation of nearshore facies with time.

A similarity between the late Famennian regressive lithofacies in Pomerania and the well known Condroz facies in Western Europe is substantiated. It is also suggested that the Condroz facies is not restricted to Western Europe, but extends eastward to Northern Poland and to Eastern Baltic areas, as well as southeastward from Northern to Southeastern Poland.