Fossil angiosperm wood and its host deposits from the periphery of a dominantly effusive ancient volcano (Doupovské hory Volcanic Complex, Oligocene-Lower Miocene, Czech Republic): systematics, volcanology, geochronology and taphonomy
Abstract
Variety of fossil woods occur on the N margin of the Doupovské hory Mts. in NW Czech Republic. The woods were buried by three different processes.
Large area between the towns of Kadaň and Klášterec is covered by up to 100 m thick sequence of lahar and debris avalanche deposits. These flows gathered woods of Liriodendron, Lauraceae, Spiroplatanoxylon, Cercidiphyllum, Craigia and Coryloxylon on both the volcanic complex slopes and adjacent plains.
Rich assemblage of fossil woods with thermophilous elements as Lauraceae and palms was preserved by a monogenic cone. Shallow lake formed to the side of the volcanic complex, where Spiroplatanoxylon trunks were fossilized in the travertine.
The wood of Liriodendron has never been recorded on the localities representing volcano foothills, but is common in the lahar deposits. This distribution leads us to hypothesize that Liriodendron forests dominated higher topographic levels of the Doupovské hory Volcanic Complex, reaching 1 000 m a.s.l.