The stratigraphy,sedimentology and palaeontology of the Pleistocene Knocknasilloge Member,Co. Wexford. Ireland

The Pleistocene Knocknasilloge Member, an upward coarsening sequence of massive and laminated muds to cross-laminated fine sands and silts, was deposited in a series of shallow lacustrine basins formed at the retreating margin of the Late Devensian Irish Sea ice-sheet. Sedimentary successions mark increased proximity to a sediment input source and a shift from lake floor suspension sedimentation to bottom traction in low-angled prodelta foresets and distributary barmouth channels. The microfauna contained within the sequence is derived from preexisting climatic stages and there is no evidence to support either an in situ interglacial or glaciomarine origin, as previously proposed.     

Late Llandovery thelodonts and conodonts from the Kilbride Formation,Co. Galway,western Ireland

Acid etching of a calcareous sandstone horizon within the lower part of the upper Llandovery Kilbride Formation, exposed at Coolin Lough, Co. Galway, has yielded a phosphatic microfauna dominated by conodont elements and thelodont scales. The thelodonts are identified as Loganellia ex gr. scotica and provide the first record of fishes from the Lower Silurian of Ireland; they suggest a Telychian age. The conodont fauna is dominated by Icriodella, indicative of a nearshore environment of deposition. The microfossils were extracted from a shell bed packed with Eocoelia curtisi curtisi Ziegler, confirming a late Telychian age and also suggesting a shallow water depositional environment. This fauna developed marginal to Laurentia and is similar to coeval assemblages from the Anglo–Welsh area and Baltoscandia. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A rigid-bodied Ediacaran Biota from Upper Cambrian strata in Co. Wexford,Eire

Two typical representatives of the Ediacaran biota, Ediacaria booleyi n.sp. and Nimbia occlusa have been found in deep-water turbidites within the Upper Cambrian Booley Bay Formation at Booley Bay in Co. Wexford, Eire. The examples of E. booleyi were transported over short distances by the turbidity currents and then impacted, in some instances at high angles, into the ocean floor muds where they formed moulds but, as their bodies decayed, these were filled by casting sand from the overlying turbidite. They preserved fine detail during transportation and impaction, thereby indicating the existence of a rigid body wall. The three-dimensional nature of their preservation allows reconstruction, which shows that Ediacaria had a discoid form with prominent relief, particularly on its dorsal side, which was divided into three main concentric zones with thin radial features, more evident at the periphery. The ventral side had lower relief, with alternate areas of coarse and fine concentric markings and numerous fine radial lines, some also thicker at the periphery. Nimbia occlusa are disc-like bodies of low relief and occur in profusion on one sole. Some show a circular outline indicating that they were preserved flat on the bedding plane, but others occur as semicircular reliefs oriented in the palaeocurrent direction. This indicates that they too were moved by the turbidity current, but their abundance and excellent preservation indicate that transport distances were short. There is no evidence in either genus for the coelenterate characteristics of a mouth and a two-layered body wall enclosing a single cavity. This, and the evidence for a rigid outer wall, adds to recent doubt on the concept of the world-wide Ediacaran fauna as dominated by soft-bodied coelenterates.     

The ordovician and other post-rosslare series Rocks in Southeast Co. Wexford

Ordovician sediments at Tagoat and Rosslare Harbour are re-described and their relationship to the underlying Rosslare Series discussed. A brief outline of their petrology is given, but it is shown that the fauna is in need of revision before reliable correlations can be made. Similar rocks are recorded near Tomhaggard; amongst these, spotted mudstones imply Ordovician or later intrusions. Undeformec dykes intrusive into the Rosslare Series are believed to be representatives of this phase.     

Acritarchs from the Lower Palaeozoic succession on the south County Wexford coast,Ireland: new age constraints for the Cullenstown Formation and the Cahore and Ribband Groups

Lower Palaeozoic sediments crop out on the southern coast of County Wexford, Ireland, comprising three distinctive lithostratigraphical units: from west to east the Cahore Group, the Blackhall Formation of the Ribband Group and the Cullenstown Formation. The three units are largely devoid of macrofossils and thus their ages have to date been uncertain and, in the case of the Cullenstown Formation, speculative. In the Cahore Group, a diverse assemblage of acritarchs composed of seventeen species has been recorded indicating a middle Early Cambrian age. This is similar to the age of the lithologically identical Bray Group to the north, in County Wicklow. In the Ribband Group, two very distinct assemblages have been noted. Both are poorly preserved, but diagnostic species have been determined giving a biostratigrapical range of early Mid‐Cambrian to Llanvirn. Palynomorphs have been recorded for the first time from the Cullenstown Formation allowing comparison with eastern Newfoundland where a similar, less diverse assemblage has been recorded. The age indicated is latest Mid‐Cambrian to early Late Cambrian. Overall, despite generally poor preservation of the organic matter, some 45 acritarch species have been distinguished, among which one new combination is proposed: Retisphaeridium postae instead of Cymatiosphaera postae. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An ordovician fauna from Lough Shee,Partry Mountains,Co. Mayo,Ireland

An hitherto undocumented early Ordovician fauna from mudrocks at Lough Shee in the Partry Mountains contains species of sponge, machaeridian, bivalve, gastropod, cephalopod, brachiopod, and trilobite, together consistent with a deep-water setting marginal to the North American province. The trilobite and brachiopod data suggest a correlation of the Lough Shee mudrocks with the upper Whiterock Stage (equivalent to a level near the D. ‘bifidus’ – D. murchisoni boundary, within the middle Llanvirn). The sparse, low-diversity assemblage is specialized and demonstrates the development of aspects of the Whiterock fauna in the South Mayo Trough.     

Scaling relationships of joint and vein arrays from The Burren,Co. Clare,Ireland

We present a study of the systematics of veins and joints in Carboniferous limestones of The Burren, Ireland. Scaling relationships were established for fracture arrays mapped from low elevation aerial photographs that image fractures on numerous limestone pavements for areas up to ca 1 km². The veins and joints occur in the same sequence, but have contrasting scaling properties. The veins strike north-south and cut many beds to form vertically persistent, non-stratabound arrays. They are strongly clustered and have scale invariant geometric properties. Vein geometries suggest they grew sub-critically under relatively high differential stresses, during north-south directed Variscan compression. The joints form stratabound arrays, with regular spacings that scale with bed thickness. They show greater strike variation than the veins and have lognormal length distributions. The joints formed during uplift, under low-differential stress conditions. The contrasting scaling properties of the joints and veins are attributed to different overburden stresses at the time of formation. The veins formed at greater depths than the joints, in conditions that favoured fracture propagation across mechanical discontinuities, resulting in the development of non-stratabound scaling properties.     

A multi‐technique study of the glacial stratigraphy of Co. Clare and Co. Kerry,southwest Ireland

A multi‐technique approach has been adopted in a study of the lithostratigraphy of glacial deposits in southwestern Ireland, including clast lithological analysis, fine sand geochemistry, low frequency mass specific susceptibility and fine sand calcium carbonate (equivalent) content. A revised lithostratigraphical scheme is suggested for the Quaternary glacial deposits of the region, together with a simple strategy that may be adopted for stratigraphical studies in other regions of southern Ireland. It appears that geochemical determinations via inductively coupled plasma–atomic absorption spectrometry are particularly useful in characterising and discriminating between till units within local stratigraphical studies and may be used to inform the applicability of other utilitarian techniques for use on a regional scale. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of lower carboniferous (Dinantian) boreholes from West Co. Meath,Ireland

The 2-km deep Athboy Borehole (1439/2) together with the lower part of boreholes EP30 and N915 form a standard type section for strata of Dinantian (Courceyan to Asbian) age in west Co. Meath. Above a thin basal red-bed siliciclastic sequence, the marine Courceyan shelf succession is almost 600 m thick. It comprises the Liscartan, Meath, and Moathill Formations of the Navan Group and the Slane Castle Formation of the succeeding Boyne Group. The shallow-water limestones include micrites, oolites, and sandy bioclastic packstones and grainstones with subordinate skeletal wackestones and shales. Lateral facies changes from north to south in the Navan area suggest deepening across a shelf towards a depocentre further to the south around Trim. The deeper-water Waulsortian Limestones of late Courceyan to Chadian age (Feltrim Formation, ca. 213 m thick) form a series of five sheet-like mudbanks, interbedded with generally thin units of nodular crinoidal limestones and shales. The mudbanks are formed of bryozoan-rich peloidal wackestones and lime-mudstones with phase C and D components. Rare soft-sediment breccias occur at the bottom and top of banks. The succeeding Fingal Group commences with a thin interval (3–20 m) of black shales, laminated packstones, and micritic limestones of Chadian age, the Tober Colleen Formation. This is followed by the Lucan Formation (Chadian to Asbian) predominantly of laminated and graded calciturbidites, laminated sandstones, cherts, and black shales, which is over 1300 m thick. Ten sedimentary units have been informally defined, based on lithofacies and facies associations. The oldest unit, the Tara Member, is characterized by proximal debris-flow breccia deposits and nodular mudstones. A thick bioturbated micrite and shale unit (Ardmulchan Member) in the middle of the formation is overlain directly by a coarse oolitic and crinoidal grainstone unit (Beauparc Member). Near the top of the formation is a distinctive unit of coarse-grained laminated sandstones and shales (Athboy Member). The highest rocks in the Borehole are clean thickly-bedded limestones of the Asbian Naul Formation (>90 m thick). The youngest Dinantian strata in the area, the Brigantian Loughshinny Formation, marks a return to shale-dominant basin sedimentation. The significance of this work lies in the fact that the Athboy borehole is the longest continuously cored borehole in the Carboniferous of Ireland and provides a continuous sedimentary and biostratigraphic record for the northern part of the Dublin Basin. Foraminiferal biozones (Cf2–Cf6) have been recognized in this and in borehole N915, and Stage boundaries identified, which can be applied throughout the Basin. The sedimentary record for the Lucan Formation indicates four tectonic pulses during the Viséan, in the late Chadian/early Arundian, mid-Arundian, Holkerian, and late Holkerian/early Asbian.     

Palaeoenvironmental application of magnetic measurements from inter-drumlin hollow lake sediments near Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland

Measurements of palaeomagnetic horizontal remanent intensity, saturation isothermal remanence, coercivity of remanence, high field remanence and magnetic susceptibility, have been made on lateglacial and postglacial sediments from two small, inter-drumlin hollow lakes from central Northern Ireland. These magnetic measurements have been compared with pollen and chemical analyses from the same profiles and with complementary mineral magnetic data from local soils. Representative sediment samples have also been divided into a range of particle size fractions and each fraction has been subjected to magnetic investigation. Five distinctive stratigraphic horizons have been identified on the basis of the magnetic mineralogy. Two horizons relate to phases of pronounced erosion. One of these is connected with solifluction processes in the lateglacial and the other to an intensive period of farming activity which started in Medieval times. Two horizons are associated with periods of very high iron and manganese deposition and are possibly related to the precipitation of magnetic minerals within the lake. Hydrological changes during periods of local anthropogenic activity appear to produce magnetic mineral assemblages indicative of stream bed/bank substrate sources. The particle size data also support the suggestion that downcore changes in the mineral magnetic record are mainly caused by changes in the sediment source rather than particle size or sedimentological effects.     

Ore structures and genesis of the lead-zinc-deposit Tynagh,Ireland

Several ore structures of sedimentary, diagenetic and organic origin occuring in the Pb-Zn-deposit Tynagh are presented. Different facts suggest the presence of a N-S-structure. The channelway for metalbearing fluids is located at the cross of the E-W North Tynagh Fault and this postulated N-S-structure. The environment of the flank of a carbonate mud bioherm gave reason for precipitation of the ore minerals. Dying organisms and bacterias localy produced reducing conditions. Barite indicates a pre-evaporitic environment. The sulphide ores and an ironformation, somewhat northern, are of the same hydrothermal-exhalative-nonmagmatic origin. The main mineralization of the primary orebodies took place synsedimentary to syndiagenetical and was very weak altered during early diagenesis.

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Zusammenfassung Aus der Lagerstätte Tynagh werden zahlreiche sedimentäre, diagenetische und organogene Erzstrukturen vorgestellt. Verschiedene Faktoren deuten auf die Existenz einer N-S-Struktur. Der Aufstiegsweg der metallführenden Lösungen ist offenbar an den Kreuzungspunkt der E-W verlaufenden North Tynagh Fault mit dieser N-S-Struktur gebunden. Die Ausfällung der Erzminerale wird auf das Milieu im Flankenbereich eines karbonatischen Schlamm-Bioherms zurückgeführt. Absterbende Lebewesen und Bakterien versursachten lokal schwach reduzierende Bedingungen. Baryt deutet auf ein präevaporitisches Ablagerungsmilieu. Sowohl die Sulfiderze als auch die sich nördlich daran anschließende Ironformation sind hydrothermal-exhalativ-nichtmagmatogen gebildet worden. Die Hauptmineralisation der Primärerzkörper fand synsedimentär bis syndiagenetisch statt und wurde nur geringfügig während der Frühdiagenese umgewandelt.

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Résumé Les minerais du gisement de Tynagh en Irlande montrent de nombreuses structures d'origine sédimentaire, diagénétique et organogène. Différents facteurs indiquent l'existence d'une structure nord-sud. La montée des métallifères semble être liée à l'intersection de cette structure nord-sud et de la »North Tynagh Fault« d'allure E-W. La précipitation des minerais est attribuée au milieu causé par le flanc d'un bioherme, formé de vase calcaire. Des organismes morts et des bactéries ont déterminé localement des conditions faiblement réductrices. La barytine indique un environnement préévaporittique. Les minerais sulfurés ainsi que la »Ironformation« qui s'y accole au nord, résultent de la même genèse non magmatique, de type hydrothermal à exhalatif. La minéralisation principale des masses primaires de minerais s'est produite par voie synsédimentaire à syndiagénétique, et n'a seulement subi qu'une légère transformation pendant les premiers stades de la diagénèse.

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Origin and granite alteration effects of hydrothermal fluid: isotopic evidence from fluorite veins, Co. Galway, Ireland

The Costelloe Murvey Granite is a chemically evolved, high heat production, leucocratic component of the 400 Ma old Galway Granite batholith and is host to hydrothermal fluorite-quartz-calcite veins. A previously reported clinopyroxene ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age of 231±4 Ma obtained from a pre-mineralization dolerite dyke is reinterpreted as dating this mineralization. The hydrothermal fluid extensively altered its granite wallrocks, leading to lower Sm and Nd and higher Rb concentrations in altered granite, disturbing both its Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systems. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the hydrothermal fluid from which fluorite and calcite precipitated ranged from 0.7101 to 0.7139. These ratios are very much lower than in the Costelloe Murvey Granite at the time of mineralization, precluding the granite as a source for more than 2% of the hydrothermal Sr. The initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratio varies between fluorite in different veins due to Nd derivation from local wallrocks, and between fluorite of petrographically distinct growth phases within a single hand specimen, highlighting the difficulty of Sm-Nd isochron dating of fluorite in cases where there are multiple sources of hydrothermal Nd. It is proposed that fluorite and calcite precipitated where hot, dilute fluids rising through the granite mixed with cooler, more saline fluids of basinal origin migrating through Lower Carboniferous limestone which then overlay the granite. Received: 3 August 1995 / Accepted: 11 April 1996     

Chironomid‐inferred late‐glacial summer air temperatures from Lough Nadourcan,Co. Donegal,Ireland

Western Ireland, located adjacent to the North Atlantic, and with a strongly oceanic climate, is potentially sensitive to rapid and extreme climate change. We present the first high‐resolution chironomid‐inferred mean July temperature reconstruction for Ireland, spanning the late‐glacial and early Holocene (LGIT, 15–10 ka BP). The reconstruction suggests an initial rapid warming followed by a short cool phase early in the interstadial. During the interstadial there are oscillations in the inferred temperatures which may relate to Greenland Interstadial events GI‐1a–e. The temperature decrease into the stadial occurs in two stages. This two‐stage drop can also be seen in other late‐glacial chironomid‐inferred temperature records from the British Isles. A stepped rise in temperatures into the Holocene, consistent with present‐day temperatures in Donegal, is inferred. The results show strong similarities with previously published LGIT chironomid‐inferred temperature reconstructions, and with the NGRIP oxygen‐isotope curve, which indicates that the oscillations observed in the NGRIP record are of hemispherical significance. The results also highlight the influence of the North Atlantic on the Irish climate throughout the LGIT. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ammonites from the Lias Group (Lower Jurassic,Sinemurian and Pliensbachian) of White Park Bay,Co. Antrim,Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's Jurassic succession has received relatively little detailed investigation. Late Sinemurian and early Pliensbachian strata are present in parts of north Antrim but they are poorly exposed at outcrop and have been penetrated by just a single borehole, at Portmore, in which parts of the succession are missing. Collecting from White Park Bay over more than two decades, augmented by examination of museum material, has established the presence within the Rathlin (North Antrim) Basin of ammonite zones and subzones additional to those proven in the Portmore Borehole. This suggests that parts of the Sinemurian and Pliensbachian stages, from the Obtusum Zone through to the Davoei Zone, and possibly even higher, may be preserved in onshore or nearshore parts of the basin. Despite the generally poor exposure, the material recovered encompasses more than 40 ammonite species, including several taxa that are poorly represented elsewhere in the UK, of which two, Vicininodiceras dalriatense sp. nov. and Cheltonia howarthi sp. nov., are previously undescribed.     

Lower Carboniferous (Dinantian) stratigraphy and structure of the Walterstown-Kentstown area,Co. Meath,Ireland

Stratigraphic units are defined and described for the Lower Carboniferous succession in the Walterstown-Kentstown area of Co. Meath, Ireland. A complete (unexposed) Courceyan succession from the terrestrial red bed facies of the Baronstown Formation to the Moathill Formation of the Navan Group has been penetrated in several boreholes. Although the lower part of the sequence is comparable with the Courceyan succession at Navan and Slane, the middle part of the sequence differs markedly in the Walterstown-Kentstown area and two new members, the Proudstown and Walterstown Members, are defined in the upper part of the Meath Formation. Syndepositional faulting was initiated during the Courceyan, probably in latest Pseudopolygnathus multistriatus or early Polygnathus mehli latus time. Movement on the ENE trending St. Patrick's Well Fault influenced the deposition of the Walterstown Member and the overlying Moathill Formation and was probably associated with the development of the East Midlands depocentre to the south of the area. A second episode of tectonism in the latest Courceyan or early Chadian resulted in uplift and erosion and the development of ‘block and basin’ sedimentation. Subsequent transgression of the uplifted block led to the establishment of the Kentstown Platform, bounded to the north, west and south by rocks of basinal facies. The Milverton Group (Chadian-Asbian), confined to this platform, unconformably overlies Courceyan or Lower Palaeozoic strata and is subdivided into three formations: Crufty Formation (late Chadian), Holmpatrick Formation (late Chadian-Arundian) and Mullaghfin Formation (late Arundian-Asbian). The Walterstown Fault controlled the western margin of the Kentstown Platform at this time. Contemporaneous basinal sediments of the Fingal Group (Lucan and Naul Formations) accumulated to the west of the Walterstown Fault and are much thicker than age-equivalent platform facies. Platform sedimentation ceased in latest Asbian to early Brigantian time with tectonically induced collapse and drowning of the platform; platform carbonates of the Mullaghfin Formation are onlapped northwards by coarse proximal basinal facies of the Loughshinny Formation. A distinct gravity anomaly in the Kentstown area suggests the presence of a granitoid body within the basement. The Kentstown Platform is therefore considered to have formed on a buoyant, granite-cored, footwall high analogous to the Askrigg and Alston Blocks of northern England.