Pliocene freshwater pollen-bearing deposits in the Mizerna-Nowa borehole, West Carpathians, Poland

Abstract

This pa per de scribes sedimentology and palynology of fresh wa ter plant-bear ing late Ce no zoic (Plio cene sensu lato) de posits drilled at Mizerna, the east ern part of the Nowy Targ Intramontane De pres sion, West Carpathians, southern Po land. Our data were ob tained from a newly-ana lysed 39 m thick suc ces sion from the Mizerna-Nowa bore hole, con tain ing spores, pollen and fresh wa ter or ganic-walled al gal mi cro-re mains. They shed light on the palaeoenvironmental con di tions of the Nowy Targ Intramontane De pres sion, where the Mizerna palaeolake once formed.

Neotectonic rotations in the Orava-Nowy Targ Intramontane Basin (Western Carpathians): An integrated palaeomagnetic and fractured clasts study

“…Results of subsequent palynological (e.g. Szafer, 1952;Zastawniak, 1972;Oszast, 1973;Tran, 1974;Oszast and Stuchlik, 1977;Worobiec, 1994;Birkenmajer and Worobiec, 2013) as well as faunistic (ostracods, bivalves and gastropods (Nagy et al, 1996 and references therein) studies and results of mineralogical analysis of a single bentonite intercalation (Sikora and Wieser, 1974) are interpreted as late Miocene or late Miocene to Pliocene age of the sequence. The youngest rocks underlying the Neogene sequence are the uppermost strata of the Magura Nappe, which are about 18 Ma old (Kaczmarek and Oszczypko Clowes, 2014).…”

Lichenopeltella mizerniana sp. nov. from the upper Pliocene of Mizerna (southern Poland)

“…The results of earlier palynological investigations of deposits from Mizerna confirm a humid climate and point to mild, temperate climatic conditions. In the sub-mountainous area, the annual rainfall was probably higher than in the lowlands (Birkenmajer and Worobiec 2013).…”

“…Nonetheless, we can make some assumptions on the host of Lichenopeltella mizerniana after taking into account the results of palynological investigations of the Mizerna deposits. The palynological profile from Mizerna-Nowa (Birkenmajer and Worobiec 2013) shows the considerable presence of pollen from grasses and sedges. Among the above suggested modern counterparts of fossil Lichenopeltella mizerniana, only non-lichenicolous L. ammophilae and L. palustris were found on the body of grasses.…”

“…The Mizerna-Nowa borehole was drilled in 1979 in the eastern part of the Nowy Targ Intramontane Depression, Polish Western Carpathians (49°28′ N, 20°18′ E), southern Poland. The borehole was 39 m deep and the core contained deposits of a shallow late Pliocene palaeolake (Birkenmajer and Worobiec 2013;Worobiec and Birkenmajer 2014). In the fine-grained sediments of the Mizerna palaeolake, wellpreserved spores, pollen grains, and non-pollen palynomorphs, including algae and fungal remains, were recorded .…”

“…In the fine-grained sediments of the Mizerna palaeolake, wellpreserved spores, pollen grains, and non-pollen palynomorphs, including algae and fungal remains, were recorded . The results of the palynological analysis were used to reconstruct vegetation in and around the palaeolake (Birkenmajer and Worobiec 2013). The water body was surrounded by herbaceous vegetation, with sedges and grasses, as well as by mixed and coniferous forests.…”