Organic matter from the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) deposits of Lithuania: Compositions, sources and depositional environments

This study presents the first organic geochemical and petrographical investigation of the Callovian deposits of the eastern part of the Central European Basin. It is shown that in both the terrigenous Papilė Formation (Lower Callovian) and shallow- to deeper-marine facies of the Papartinė and Skinija formations (Middle and Upper Callovian, respectively), terrestrial organic matter predominates. This is reflected by the carbon preference index values higher than 1.2 for all samples and in some cases higher than 2, as well as the occurrence of characteristic higher plant biomarkers like cadalene, dehydroabietane, simonellite and retene. Moreover, in the case of the Papilė Formation, sugiol – a natural product terpenoid produced by distinct conifer families, has been detected in clay sediments. The occurrence of such a biomolecule in the Middle Jurassic clays is reported for the first time. Its occurrence is probably connected with the presence of small wood debris in the clay sediments. In samples of the Papilė Formation, charcoal fragments co-occurring with unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected, indicating that wildfires took place during the Early Callovian of Lithuania and/or neighbouring areas. In the Middle and Upper marine Callovian sediments of Lithuania there is no evidence of anoxic conditions occurring in the water column. However, periodic anoxic or strongly dysoxic episodes may have occurred, most probably below the photic zone, during the deepest phase of the Late Callovian transgression, as is evidenced from pyrite framboid diameter distribution and general impoverishment of benthic fauna. Huminite reflectance (Rr) values for the investigated area are in the range of 0.21–0.31%, suggesting the occurrence of immature organic matter. Such values indicate that these investigated deposits were close to the surface during their whole diagenetic history, and the thickness of younger cover did not exceed ca. 500 m. This is also supported by a biomarker analysis in which less thermally stable ββ-hopanes and hopenes significantly dominated.