Abstract: | During the Albian and Cenomanian, the Pieniny Klippen Belt Basin, a part of the Carpathian geosynclinal domain, showed a clear differentiation into an axial deepest part represented by the Pieniny and Branisko successions and two marginal zones, a southern (Nizna and Haligovce successions, in Slovakia) and a northern zone (in Poland and Slovakia) represented by the Niedzica, Czertezik and Czorsztyn successions, becoming progressively more shallow towards the north. Five palaeobathymetric foraminiferal associations have been distinguished in the axial and northern marginal zone sediments of the Klippen Basin, corresponding to: ‘A’ shelf and upper slope: relatively large proportion of nodosariids and miliolids (Czorsztyn succession); ‘B1’ middle part of slope; oligotaxic planktonic assemblage dominant (Niedzica through Branisko successions and northern part of the Pieniny succession); ‘B2’ middle part of slope: larger proportion of agglutinated foraminifers, association characteristic of sediments influenced by turbidites (submarine flyschoid channels in the Branisko succession); ‘Cl’ middle and lower parts of slope: scarce microfauna, Hedbergella and textularids dominant (Pieniny succession, middle part); ‘C2’ slope/abyssal plain transition, close to foraminiferal lysocline (probably about 3500m below sea level): scarce specimens corroded and slightly dissolved (Pieniny succession, southern part). |