Silesian (series)
The Silesium (also shortened to Siles ) (or no longer correct Siles - stage) is in the Earth's upper regional and supra- regional subsystem (or series, earlier stage) of the carbon in Central and Western Europe and the equivalent of the European Upper Carboniferous. It follows the regional or supra- regional subsystem of the Dinantium and is overlaid by Permian system. The lower limit is within the global subsystem of the Pennsylvanian, the upper limit is also not the same as the lower limit of the Permian system, but ends previously in the Gzhelium - stage, ie it can not be equated with the Pennsylvanian. In absolute numbers that enough Silesium of about 345.3 million years to 299 million years ago.
History and naming
It is named after the New Latin expression for Silesia Silesia, where coal deposits have been found from this geological period. The other major coal deposits in Europe originated in the Upper Carboniferous. The term was introduced in 1958 by the 4th Congrès pour l ' avancement of études de stratigraphy Carbonifère in Heerlen (The Netherlands ) on the recommendation of the Subcommission on Carboniferous - Sratigraphie. The Silesium received the rank of a subsystem. In international usage, but the Silesium could not prevail. 2004 ratified the International Union of Geological Sciences, the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian as subsystems of the Carboniferous. Since then, the Silesium is used only at regional or supra- regional level. However, some authors do not recommend the further use of the term Silesium and Upper Carboniferous.
Definition and correlation
The lower limit of Silesium and Namurium is ( Leion = Emstites ) defined by the onset of ammonite species " Cravenoceras " Leion. The upper limit and thus the limit to the regional stage of the Autunium is extremely problematic because this time range contains no marine fossils in Central Europe. At least in the lithostratigraphic sense the Central European Upper Carboniferous ends well before the global Carboniferous / Permian boundary in the Gzhelium since the Central European Permian (with its basal regional level Autunium ) still extends into the global carbon. In chronostratigraphic sense, it corresponds to the Pennsylvanian (except in its highest parts) and the highest part of the global Mississippian.
Subdivision
The Silesium is traditionally in the regional levels ( sometimes referred to as series)
- Stefanium
- Westfalium (sometimes is to find the spelling Westphalium )
- Namurium
Subdivided.
Alternatively took place in England and Western Europe, the division into the following regional levels:
- Barruelium
- Cantabrium (also Kantabrium )
- Asturium
- Bolsovium
- Duckmantium
- Langsettium
- Yeadonium
- Marsdenium
- Kinderscoutium
- Alportium
- Chokierium
- Arnsbergium
- Pendleium
The terms are rarely used in publications that deal with the stratigraphy of the Central European Carboniferous.
The Silesium in Central Europe
In Silesium grew in the paralic fringes of the Variscides large forests, which later became the Steinkohlenflözen Central and Western Europe. The higher the Variscan orogeny Silesium ended.