CLAY MINERAL ASSEMBLAGES OF MESOZOIC PELAGIC AND FLYSCH SEDIMENTS OF THE LOMBARDIAN BASIN (SOUTHERN ALPS) - IMPLICATIONS FOR PALAEOTECTONICS, PALEOCLIMATE AND DIAGENESIS

Clay mineral assemblages determined by X-ray diffraction, in the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous hemipelagic/pelagic sediments and in the Upper Cretaceous flysch sequences of the Lombardian Basin (Southern Alps) record tectonic and possibly climatic changes in the source areas and to a lesser extent, alterations during burial diagenesis. In the hemipelagic/pelagic sediments exposed in the Breggia valley in southern Switzerland, the clay fraction is dominated by illite and smectite and seems not to be altered much by burial diagnesis. The varied clay mineral assemblages of the Liassic sediments result from intense erosion of emergent source areas exposed during early rifting phases. A distinction between smectite-rich limestones and illite-rich marls in these syn-rift to early post-rift sediments could reflect short-term climatic fluctuations or, alternatively, a preferential replacement of smectite by illite during incipient burial diagenesis in the marls. The predominantly smectitic composition of the clay fraction in the upper Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous sediments documents gentle erosion of smectite-rich soils developing under a warm and seasonally humid climate on a relatively stable distant source area. In the Aptian, an increase in illite in the clay fraction of the hemipelagic Scaglia Lombarda Group points to an increased detrial influx from emergent source areas. This influx is related to the onset of orogenic movements along the Austroalpine/South Pennine active margin, resulting in Middle Cretaceous flysch sedimentation in the Austroalpine realm. Increasing influx from emergent continental crust is reflected by the high amounts of illite and chlorite in the Upper Cretaceous flysch sequences of the eastern Brianza area. However, the high amounts of chlorite in limestone turbidities in the lower part of the flysch sequence (Pontida Formation, Turonian) suggest transformation of smectite to chlorite under conditions of burial diagenesis. In the younger flysch deposits (Bergamo Flysch, Upper Santonian-Campanian) detrital clay minerals are preserved. The occurrence of kaolinite and smectite beside illite and minor chlorite suggests intense weathering and less relief during deposition of the Bergamo Flysch.