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Silurian deposits in the territory of Belarus

Abstract

The paper proposes an improved Stratigraphic chart of the Silurian deposits of Belarus. The general stratigraphic scale shows the division of the system into two subsystems: lower and upper. There are not two series, as was previously accepted in the Stratigraphic chart of the Silurian deposits of Belarus (2010), but four, according to the International Chronostratigraphic (2024) and General stratigraphic charts (2024): Llandovery, Wenlock, Ludlow and Pridoli. The substages introduced into the previous chart of 2010 have now been transferred to the rank of stages, of which there are seven in the above-mentioned International Chronostratigraphic and General stratigraphic charts, but only five of them have been established on the territory of Belarus. So, the upper part of the Llandovery series, which begins the section of the Silurian in the territory of the country, is included to the Telichian stage; the Wenlock series is subdivided into the Sheinwoodian and Homerian stages; the Ludlow series is subdivided into the Gorstian and Ludfordian stages; the Pridoli series does not include any stages. In addition to the above-mentioned innovations, the Stratigraphic chart of the Silurian of Belarus also includes an updated sequence of standard graptolite zones and the D. P. Plax’s established zones for ichthyofauna are presented. The regional stratigraphic chart of the Silurian of Belarus was used by independent sequence of the regional stages, which was based on the study of sections of the Podlasie-Brest Depression. The territory of this depression is divided, as was previously accepted, into western and eastern parts, each of which is characterized by a certain sequence of formations and members. The section of the correlation of local stratigraphic units of Belarus is supplemented by six new local stratigraphic subdivides – formations, introduced by the D. P. Plax. Within the Volyn Monocline these are the Komarovka, Kladnev, Rytets and Priborovo Formations, and within the Baltic Monocline these are the Ostrovets and Vileyka Formations. The Silurian deposits of Belarus were correlated with coeval sediments in the Polish part of the Podlasie-Brest Depression, Volyn area (northwest Ukraine), Central and Eastern Lithuania, and Estonia.

About the Author

D. P. Plax
Belarusian National Technical University
Belarus

Dmitry P. Plax – Ph. D. (Geology and Mineralogy), Associate Professor of the Department of Mining

65, Nezavisimosti Ave., 220013, Minsk



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Plax D.P. Silurian deposits in the territory of Belarus. Nature Management. 2025;(2):131-145. (In Russ.)

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