A putative Tournaisian and Visean volcanic-sedimentary succession in the Lublin Basin, SE Poland: depositional processes, petrological characteristics and sequence stratigraphy

The aim of this study was to establish the stratigraphic extent of a putative Tournaisian Stage within the Carboniferous succession in the Lublin Basin. The oldest part of the succession, known as the Huczwa Formation and comprising depositional sequences 1–4, was investigated based on lithofacies analysis, sequence stratigraphy and petrographic studies. The article provides descriptions of depositional sequences, parasequences (cyclothems) and lithofacies that were formed in a range of environments (elements of depositional architecture) and as a result of volcanic processes – lava and pyroclastic eruptions and chemical weathering of their products. Correlation of the sequence stratigraphy to the West European and global Carboniferous chronostratigraphic divisions, as well as to the Khoriv suite in the Lviv-Volyn Basin in adjacent Ukraine, indicates a putative late Tournaisian age for sequence 1, and a late Visean age for sequences 2–4. There is a stratigraphic gap between sequences 1 and 2, spanning probably the uppermost Tournaisian and the lower and middle Visean. The upper Tournaisian is represented by the FRST-LST deposits of sequence 1, comprising mainly volcaniclastic conglomerates and sandstones developed in braided-river channels and incised valleys with hyperconcentrated flow processes. These deposits are represented by polymictic paraconglomerate and lithic/sublithic/subarkose arenites or sublithic wackes, and contain predominantly grains of acidic and alkaline volcanic and igneous rocks. This material probably came from the Łuków-Wisznice Elevation and the Volynian Polesia region, located to the NE and E of the Lublin Basin. In the uppermost part of sequence 1, volcanic rocks and tuffs appear which developed during the activity of at least three volcanic cones in the Lublin Basin. The volcanoes were the source of alkaline lavas in the central and SW areas of the basin, and of acidic lavas in the SE area, previously undescribed. The Visean sequences 2–4 consist of the FRST-LST sediments deposited within incised valleys. The TST and HST deposits accumulated mainly in a shallow ramp-type carbonate shelf, shallow clayey shelf and deltaic environments.