Bifertenfirn-Formation

Retour à massif de l'Aar

Représentation et statut

Index
P-Bi
Couleur CMYK
(23%,0%,13%,39%)
Couleur RGB
R: 120 G: 155 B: 135
Rang
Formation lithostratigraphique
Usage
Ce terme est en usage.
Status
terme informel

Nomenclature

Deutsch
Bifertenfirn-Formation
Français
Formation du Bifertenfirn
Italiano
Formazione del Bifertenfirn
English
Bifertenfirn Formation
Origine du nom

Bifertenfirn (GL), am Tödi

Variantes historiques

Anthracitschiefer von Tödi (Paulcke 1906), Bifertenfirn Metasediments (Franks 1968 p.59), Bifertenfirn Formation (Berger et al. 2017)

Hiérarchie et succession

Unité hiérarchiquement supérieure

Âge

Âge au sommet
  • Paléozoïque moyen
Âge à la base
  • Paléozoïque précoce

Paléogéographie et tectonique

Termes génériques
Type de protolithe
  • sédimentaire

Références

Révision
Berger Alfons, Mercolli Ivan, Herwegh Marco, Gnos Edwin (2017) : Geological Map of the Aar Massif, Tavetsch and Gotthard Nappes. Geological Special Map 1:100'000, Explanatory Notes 129

p.34: OBERHÄNSLI et al. (1988) attribute to FRANKS (1968 b) the definition of the Bifertenfirn Formation, but in fact FRANKS (1968 a, b) refers to this sequence as the “Bifertenfirn metasedimentary rocks”. For the present map sheet, the term Bifertenfirn Formation was chosen since the informal use of the term “ formation” for a distinct sequence of Carboniferous clastic and volcanic rocks has become current in the Aar Massif (e.g., Diechtergletscher and Trift Formations). HÜGI (1941) and FRANKS (1968b) described the rocks outcropping at the northern end of the Bifertenfirn as a well-layered sequence of hornfels and “Knotenschiefer” derived from argillaceous siltstone and fine-grained sandstone. They suggested that the overprint is the result of the intrusion of the Tödi Granite Complex (HÜGI 1941), hence of contact-metamorphic origin. The porphyroblasts occur mainly as replacement structures and were interpreted as former andalusite or cordierite. The matrix is dominated by albite, quartz and white mica. In some places minor amounts of chlorite are present. Primary bedding is visible in form of variations in the quartz/mica content (FRANKS 1968 b). Apophyses and dykes emanating from the Tödi Granite Complex frequently crosscut the metasedimentary rocks. The rocks of the younger, Late Carboniferous Bifertengrätli Formation (hB) unconformably overlie the plutonic rocks of the Tödi Granite Complex (HÜGI 1941, FRANKS 1968 b) permitting reconstruction of the relative chronology of events. Furthermore, FRANKS (1968 b) correctly correlated the Bifertenfirn Formation with the Val Gliems Formation, but unfortunately did not recognise the volcaniclastic character of some of the metasedimentary rocks.

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