Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the marginal marine Middle and Upper Miocene of the eastern Campine area, northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

A stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental analysis with organic-walled palynomorphs of the Bolderberg and Diest formations provides new insights in the depositional history during Miocene times at the southern border of the North Sea Basin. The Neogene transgression invaded Belgium from a north-northwestern direction and fully marine sediments were deposited in the northern part of Belgium. The age and the palaeoenvironment of the deposits at the very border of the southern North Sea Basin remained till a few decades ago incomplete. The recovered dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and green algae from the Bolderberg Formation in the Wijshagen Borehole indicate a marginal marine depositional environment during late Burdigalian and Langhian times in the eastern Campine area, in contrast to the deeper marine conditions prevailing to the north-northwest. The relative dating of the Bolderberg Formation confirms that maximum flooding occurred during Langhian to early Serravallian times. Deposition apparently took place during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, and ended when the climatic deterioration set in at around 14 Ma. A hiatus spanning ca. 2 Ma separates the Middle Miocene Bolderberg Formation from the Upper Miocene Diest Formation in the eastern Campine area at the border of the North Sea Basin. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.