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In the middle Miocene Badenian gypsum basin of the Carpathian Foredeep, west Ukraine, three main zones of gypsum development occur in the peripheral parts of the basin. Zone I consists entirely of stromatolitic gypsum formed in a nearshore zone. Zone II is located more basinward and is characterized by stromatolitic gypsum in the lower part of the section, overlain by a sabre gypsum unit. Zone III occurs in still more basinward areas and is characterized by giant gypsum intergrowths (or secondary nodular gypsum pseudomorphs of these) in the lowermost part, overlain by stromatolitic gypsum, sabre gypsum and then by clastic gypsum units. Correlation between these facies and zones has been achieved using lithological marker beds and surfaces. Of particular importance for correlation is a characteristic marker bed (usually 20–40 cm thick) of cryptocrystalline massive gypsum occurring in zones II and III. The marker was not distinguished in zone I, possibly because this bed is older than the entire gypsum section of that zone. These new results strongly suggest that the deposition of giant gypsum intergrowth facies and stromatolitic gypsum facies was coeval. In some sections of zones I and II, limestone intercalations have been recorded within the upper part of the gypsum sections. Considerable scatter of the δ18O and δ13C values of these limestones indicates variable diagenetic overprints of marine carbonates, but a marine provenance of the limestones is confirmed by microfacies analysis. Some of the limestones are coeval with an intercalation of gypsarenitic, mostly laminated gypsum occurring in the sabre gypsum unit of zones II and III. Badenian gypsum formed in extremely shallow-water to subaerial environments on broad, very low relief areas of negligible brine depth, which could be affected by rapid transgressions. Stable isotope (δ34S, δ18O) studies of the gypsum demonstrate that the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhalite deposits in the Zechstein (Upper Permian) of northern Poland occur in the Lower Werra Anhydrite. In the Zdrada Sulphate Platform, the polyhalite appears to be a very early replacement of anhydrite. The replacement was caused by the halite-precipitating brines which contained potassium and magnesium ions. The formation of polyhalite was preceded by the syndepositional anhydritization of the original gypsum deposit which has often preserved its primary textures. This anhydritization on the platform and its slopes was a reaction of the precipitated gypsum in a hydrologically open evaporite basin, with brines of salt basins adjacent to the sulphate platform. These brines, when nearly saturated with respect to halite, and potassium and magnesium rich, reacted with anhydrite to precipitate polyhalite along the slopes of the Zdrada Platform. The oxygen and sulphur isotopic compositions of sulphate evaporites indicate that marine solutions were the only source of sulphate ions supplied to the Zechstein basin, and that anhydrite was transformed to polyhalite by reaction with marine brines more concentrated than those that precipitated precursor calcium sulphate minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary gypsum is the main evaporite mineral in the middle Miocene (Badenian) of the West Ukraine. The lower part of the gypsum sequence is built of autochthonous gypsum while the upper part is composed of allochthonous gypsum that formed following a major, tectonically induced, change in basin morphology. This change resulted in the destruction of the gypsum deposited on the margins of the basin and formation of redeposition features. Autochthonous gypsum facies were deposited in two main environments: (1) giant gypsum intergrowths precipitated from highly concentrated brines; (2) very shallow subaqueous gypsum deposited in a vast brine pan. The brine pan was characterized by a facies mosaic that reflects an interplay of concentrated brines from the central part of the evaporite basin and diluted brines due to the influx of continental meteoric waters. The facies continuum, microbial gypsum-bedded selenite -- massive selenite -- sabre gypsum, indicates increasing salinity of the brine with time. This type of facies pattern has been established in recent salines that are analogous to Badenian gypsun in their lateral facies changes However, the pattern of facies distribution with respect to the open sea in the Badenian basin is opposite to that found in recent salinas. The pattern of the Badenian gypsum facies in the Ukraine indicates that facies repetition may have been related to climatically controlled salinity changes and not to depth changes, as is commonly used to explain the repetition of sulphate facies in a vertical succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Werra Anhydrite (Zechstein, Upper Permian) deposits of the Leba area originated in deep basin setting, in shallow to deep water conditions. Facies changes occur within small distances and suggest fluctuating boundaries between well defined basins and platforms. This pattern of local platforms and adjacent basins developed during deposition. In basinal areas, the sequence is clearly transgressive, whereas on platforms accumulation kept pace with subsidence after an initial transgression. Nodular anhydrite represents a polygenetic deposit which formed at different times with respect to deposition. Massive anhydrite with pseudomorphs after upright-growth gypsum crystls suggest rapid precipitation in a subaqueous environment and/or fluctuating, but generally high, salinity conditions. Massive clastic sulphate originated due to periodic high energy events and resedimentation, or due to brecciation possibly connected with salinity fluctuations and the dissolution of the halite. Massive, textureless anhydrite is locally porous and passes upward into breccia, indicating a strongly saline environment. Bedded anhydrite is considered to form in shallow water environment and laminated anhydrite in deep water. Bedded anhydrites contain portions which are graded. Intercalations of sulphate turbidities and upright-growth gypsum suggest fluctuating water depths, with comparatively deep water during turbidite deposition, but shallower conditions during upright-growth gypsum deposition. The sequence observed in slope zones at platform-basin margins, detital (parautochthonous) sulphate sand to graded beds to basinal laminites, indicates that redistribution processes were important. At the onset of the Lower Werra anhydrite deposition bathymetric relief existed between the central part of the basin and its margins, where carbonate platforms remained subaerially exposed. Formation of local platforms and adjacent basins required a relatively high subsidence rate, as... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies earthquake-induced resedimentation in the Badenian gypsum of southern Poland. Association between gypsum breccias and laminated gypsum deposits; Stratiform geometry of the breccias; Role of local tectonism.

Dolomitization of the Zechstein (Late Permian) Main Dolomite carbonates of northern Poland was penecontemporaneous and/or very early diagenetic. Well-ordered, stoichiometric dolomites are associated with the basinal facies. The platform dolomites are relatively poorly ordered and usually non-stoichiometric. Most samples are highly enriched in [sup13]C, as in other Zechstein carbonates. δ[sup18]O values show large variations from —5·1%[sub0] to + 7·4%[sub0]. There is an isotope zonation of the examined dolomites. The isotope signature indicates that dolomites formed from variable solutions of meteoric water, seawater, and evaporitic brines of possible marine or continental origin. Once initiated, dolomitization proceeded despite the evolution of dolomitizing brines. This evolution explains the occurrence of lagoonal dolomites with common evidence for dissolution in the lower part of sections compared with well-developed rhombohedra in the upper part. Crystal zoning suggests the initiation of dolomite growth in hypersaline water and progressive dilution by fresh water. There is isotopic evidence for migration of continental waters into the basin, presumably following sea-level fall at the end of the deposition of the Main Dolomite. Influence of fresh water on syndepositional dolomitization, well established in the Main Dolomite, strongly suggests that similar relationships may be characteristic for other evaporite-associated dolomites as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Proterozoic Pedro Leopoldo facies (Bambui Group) in the vicinity of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, compriss alternating laminated microsparitic limestones (10-35 mm thick beds) and fibrous limestones (10-55 mm thick). The latter are composed of a mosaic of sparry calcite crystals. These irregularly cross-cut rays and fans are composed of feathery precursor crystal bundles with squared-off growth zones. Ghosts of an original fibrous mineral, hexagonal in cross-section, are visible. The petrographic characteristics, very high strontium content and low magnesium content of the fibrous beds, as well as microspar beds, strongly argue for an original aragonitic mineralogy. The rays are interpreted as having formed by precipitation at the sediment-water interface, whereas the micrite was precipitated from the water column prior to deposition on the sea floor. The lack of emergence features suggests widespread aragonite precipitation under persistently subtidal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]