Major topics of the congress were proposed in the First Circular, now slightly variied and including a variety of – in part interdisciplinary - session proposals. Contributions might be placed either in a definite session or below a topic heading.

A1. Carboniferous stage boundaries, stratotype sections, and GSSPs

A1.1. The redefinition of the base of the Carboniferous Period

Markus Aretz¹, Carlo Corradini²

¹Université de Toulouse (France), markus.aretzget.omp.eu

²Università di Cagliari (Italy), corradinunica.it

The session deals with all aspects of defining and dividing the late Famennian to early Tournaisian time scale in general, and the Devonian-Carboniferous Boundary (DCB) in special. Contributions can range from detailed local stratigraphic studies to studies on global correlation, from biostratigraphy to physical stratigraphy, from descriptive to quantitative tools and approaches.

The definition of the base of the Carboniferous came back on the agendas of the subcommissions on Devonian and Carboniferous stratigraphy after the marker fossil for the base of the Carboniferous, the conodont Siphonodella sulcata, was found below the boundary just above a facies change in the GSSP in La Serre (France). Also, taxonomical prblems with Si. sulcata are well known since long time. A joined SDS/SCCS Task group was established in 2009 to redefine the base of the Carboniferous and thus to regain stratigraphical stability in this critical interval of Earth history.

Members of the DCB Task group members have been active in various aspects related to the boundary definition and a wealth of new data have become available. These new data are often based on multi-disciplinary approaches, which combine palaeontological, sedimentological, geochemical and petrophysical methods and data. In late 2016 the task group has agreed to test a proposal combining several criteria for the redefinition of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. This phase should come to an end with the Cologne Meeting marked by a vote by the working group on the suitability of the Montpellier criteria.

A1.2. The quest for a global Viséan–Serpukhovian boundary

Svetlana Nikolaeva, Hans-Georg Herbig²

¹Natural History Museum London (United Kingdom), Borissiak Paleontological Institute Moscow,  Kazan State University (Russia) s.nikolaeva@nhm.ac.uk

²University of Cologne (Germany), herbig.paleontuni-koeln.de

Due to an erosional unconformity at the present stratotype in the Moscow basin and the provincialism of ammonoids at the hitherto recognized boundary level, a task group of ISCS is searching for new boundary criteria and a suitable GSSP. The proposed FAD of the conodont Lochriea ziegleri in the phylogenetic lineage L. nodosa – L. ziegleri has been increasingly criticised in the last years due to problems in taxonomy, phylogeny, probable diachronous first occurrences and the almost complete absence of the taxa in North America, and, last but not least, an FAD considerably older than the hitherto defined Viséan-Serpukhovian boundary. Smaller calcareous foraminifers in particular, might have important potential for overcoming the problems, but other fossil groups should be not excluded as additional markers.

This session, therefore, addresses all aspects of the Viséan–Serpukhovian transition. Contributions can range from detailed local stratigraphic studies to studies on global correlation, from biostratigraphy to physical stratigraphy, from descriptive to quantitative tools and approaches. An ad-hoc workshop might be arranged for further discussion on various types of boundary markers and their prospects for future use.

A1.3. Pennsylvanian stratigraphic correlation and GSSPs

Xiangdong Wang¹, Katsumi Ueno² & Alexander Alekseev³

¹Nanjing University (China), xdwangnju.edu.cn, ²Fukuoka University (Japan), katsumifukuoka-u.ac.jp, ³Moscow State University (Russia), aaleks@geol.msu.ru

Among four stages in the Pennsylvanian Subsystem of the Carboniferous, only the Bashkirian Stage has been approved with the GSSP. The Pennsylvanian stratotype research is hindered mainly by the intense paleogeographic endemism due to the closure of the seaway between Laurasia and Gondwana and/or by the high-frequency/high-amplitude sea-level change, called cyclothems, which can be interpreted to have been formed by alternating marine transgression and regression due to the waxing and waning of coeval Gondwanan ice sheets. Although lack of continuous carbonates in major continents, multi-disciplinary and integrated paleontological, sedimentological, and geochemical studies can improve globally stratigraphic correlation. This session aims to connect researchers that are interested in establishing international correlation of the Pennsylvanian and searching for GSSPs of Pennsylvanian stages.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed sessions –

A2. Permian stage boundaries, stratotype sections, and GSSPs

- open for proposal of presentations -

A3. Carboniferous and Permian multistratigraphy and correlations (including isotope stratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, and cyclostratigraphy)

A3.1. Late Carboniferous to Early Triassic continental successions of Central-Western Europe: updated stratigraphic, sedimentologic, paleontolological and geochemical constraints

Ausonio Ronchi¹, José López Gómez² & Sylvie Bourquin³

¹Università di Pavia (ITALY), ausonio.ronchi@unipv.it;

²Universidad Complutense Madrid (Spain), jlopezgeo.ucm.es;

³Université de Rennes, CNRS (France), sylvie.bourquinuniv-rennes1.fr

Late Carboniferous, Permian to Early-Middle Triassic continental successions are wonderfully exposed in different Countries of current south-western and Central Europe such as Spain, France, Italy and Germany up to northwestern Africa. Many of these successions were investigated since the beginning of last century; nonetheless modern methodologies permitted in recent years to acquire new data on sedimentology, geochemistry, petrography, geochronology and paleontology, to further deepen their knowledge under various perspectives. This session aims at showing these advances in various field, using traditional and innovative methods, concerning terrestrial key-sections of different Countries, which have led to more detailed stratigraphic correlation and paleogeographic to paleogeodynamic reconstructions.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed session –

A4. Late Carboniferous to Triassic non-marine – marine correlation

Spencer Lucas¹, Jörg Schneider² & Frank Scholze³

¹New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque (USA), spencer.lucasstate.nm.us

²TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), Joerg.Schneidergeo.tu-freiberg.de

³Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt (Germany), Frank.Scholzehlmd.de

B1. Carboniferous and Permian marine biota: taxonomy, palaeoecology, palaeogeography

B1.1. Marine frontier groups

Michael Amler¹, Andrej Ernst², Hans-Georg Herbig¹

¹University of Cologne (Germany), michael.amleruni-koeln.de, herbig.paleontuni-koeln.de; ²University of Hamburg (Germany), Andrej.Ernstuni-hamburg.de

We define marine frontier groups as minor or less well studied fossil groups that are often underrepresented or even neglected in palaeontological research. Reasons are manifold: they might be rare, difficult to classify due to scarce morphological differentiation or, vice versa, because of very complex skeletons. Often, they are just considered to be “useless” compared with major groups, such as the ammonoids, rugose corals, brachiopods or foraminifers. However, inadequate consideration will result not only in a biased picture on biodiversity – also in palaeontological databases – but also fails to explore the stratigraphic, palaeobiogeographic and palaeoecological importance and further interpretations relying on these fossils. In a self-enhancing process minor consideration will result in further decrease of studies and of interested researchers, and increase of biased knowledge. Therefore, we invite colleagues to present and discuss all kind of available palaeontological data and interpretations on taxonomic frontier groups like bivalves, bryozoans, tabulate corals, chaetetids, radiolaria, agglutinating foraminifers, and others not mentioned herein. We also welcome studies on new methodologies that will contribute to a better understanding and usage of these groups.

B1.2. Applied concepts in microfacies analysis and micropaleontology

¹Holger Forke, ²Geraint Wyn Hughes

¹Millennia Stratigraphic Consultants (United Kingdom) holger.forkegmx.de

²Applied Microfacies Limited (Wales/United Kingdom), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia) and Natural History Museum London (United Kingdom)

This session aims to highlight the range of applied techniques in microfacies analysis and/or micropaleontology. It will include presentations from academic and industrial/petroleum system researchers who have used applied microfacies/micropaleontology to provide innovative solutions to geological/geotechnical problems.

These techniques have been preferably applied to interpret biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, stratigraphic correlation, (paleo)ecology, (paleo)environments, (paleo)climates and (paleo)oceanographic systems.

It invites scientists working in both industry and academia who use microfacies concepts and microfossil groups as practical tools. We would particularly like to see presentations highlighting examples where an applied technique has been used to solve a specific problem.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed sessions –

B2. Carboniferous and Permian non-marine biota and plants: taxonomy, palaeoecology, palaeogeography

- open for proposal of presentations –

C1. Carboniferous and Permian carbonate environments – from platforms and basins to mounds and reefs

- open for proposal of presentations -

C2. Carboniferous and Permian siliciclastics and shales

C2.1.1. Marine Black shales – depositional systems, palaeoenvironmental conditions and resource potential
Hartmut Jaeger

GeoResources STC, Leimen (Germany), jaegergeoresources.de

Marine organic-rich ’black’ shales are well known from many places worldwide in the Carboniferous and Permian. Although Upper Permian shales (Kupferschiefer) were partially of economic interest, for a long time most shale units were poorly studied regarding the depositional processes and basin development. During the last 10 years this has changed completely due to the rise of unconventional hydrocarbon shale resources. Significant scientific and petroleum exploration activities have been focused on shales systems across the globe, particularly on Carboniferous ’black’ shales. This has led to a significant increase in the understanding of shale systems, from depositional patterns, palaeoenvironmental conditions and basin development to diagenetic processes and the maturation of shales. Increased recognition and understanding of the high complexity of shale sedimentary systems and the interaction of different shale features have significantly contributed to the better understanding of the generation of shale resources, like the unconventional hydrocarbon potential within shale systems, but also other resources (e.g. ore mineralization). This session aims to further improve the understanding of marine shale systems and its interaction with the development of shale resources. Therefore contributions are invited from sedimentology (particularly high-resolution analysis), palynology and palynofacies, organic petrology, organic and inorganic geochemistry, palaeontology and mineralogy.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed session –

C3. Non-marine basins and environments of the Variscides and beyond

C3.1. The Permian basins of Central Europe – the state of the art

Tadeusz M. Peryt¹ & Jörg W. Schneider²

¹Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute, Warsaw (Poland), tadeusz.perytpgi.gov.pl; ²TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), Joerg.Schneidergeo.tu-freiberg.de

The session on the Permian basins of Central Europe is aiming to present the achievements reached during the last decade and to offer a synthesis of current geologic knowledge on a vast range of problems such as stratigraphy, palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and basin history, in a time interval representing the maximum stage of Pangean continental assembly. The rocks of Permian age in Central Europe host large hydrocarbon concentrations, very extensive evaporite deposits including a variety of potash salts, and economically important deposits of copper and silver, and hence the Permian basins of Central Europe are of key importance to numerous areas of scientific and economic investigations.

C3.2. Environments of late Palaeozoic wetlands and wet spots: lessons from palaeontology, organic petrology and geochemistry

Christoph Hartkopf-Fröder¹, Ralf Littke² & Stanislav Opluštil³

¹Geological Survey of North Rhine-Westphalia, Krefeld (Germany), hartkopf-froedergd.nrw.de;

²RWTH Aachen University, Aachen (Germany), ralf.littkeemr.rwth-aachen.de;

³Charles University Prague (Czechia), oplustilnatur.cuni.cz

Late Palaeozoic wetlands were the habitat of a rich and varied flora and fauna. As wetlands were mostly located in non-erosional areas with high preservation potential much is known about their depositional environments and ecosystems. The vast Euramerican tropical to subtropical peatlands of Pennsylvanian age were dominated by lycopsids, tree ferns and calamites. Starting in the late Pennsylvanian the climate changed from ever-wet through seasonally-dry to very dry conditions so that the ever-wet vegetation was restricted to narrow riparian corridors and wet spots. By contrast, on southern Gondwana the Permian high-latitude mires with seed ferns and gymnosperms developed under cool temperature. Besides palaeontology, studies using sedimentology, organic petrology and geochemistry have considerably improved our understanding of the evolution of wetlands during the late Palaeozoic, e.g. the temporal succession from topogenous to ombrogenous mires, the importance of wildfires in mires or microbial reworking of the terrestrial organic material.
This session is devoted to all environmental and ecological aspects of late Palaeozoic wetlands and wet spots. Studies that use various proxies are especially welcome.

In case that we are notified about a sufficient number of relevant contributions, we are planning to publish the proceedings of the session as a special volume in a high-impact international journal. Deadline for manuscript submission will probably be end of 2019.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed session -

C4. Permo-Carboniferous basins and environments from Gondwana

- open for proposal of presentations -

C5. The Permo-Carboniferous glaciations, end-Permian extinction and early Triassic recovery

C5.1. Ecosystem response to environmental change in the Permian

David Bond¹ & Yadong Sun²

¹University of Hull (United Kingdom), D.Bondhull.ac.uk; ²Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) yadong.sunfau.de

The Permian was one of the most dynamic intervals in Earth history as the transition from icehouse to greenhouse was accompanied by evolutionary innovation as well as two major mass extinctions, in the Capitanian and at the end of the Permian. This session explores the complex links between environmental change, evolution and extinction. Recent advances in the stratigraphic record and dating of the Permian crises, and newly developed proxies for anoxia, ocean acidification, and global warming, have stimulated intense mass extinction research in the past decade. There is growing evidence that large igneous province eruptions (e.g. of the Emeishan and Siberian Traps during the Middle and Late Permian) might be the driver of proximal kill mechanisms, but the link between those phenomena is still not well understood. We welcome contributions on Permian change from the fields of geochronology, geochemistry, mineralogy, palaeontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, palaeomagnetism, volcanology and geophysics.

C5.2. Great Permian-Triassic Transition: biotic, environmental and climatic changes in ocean and on land

Zhong-Qiang Chen¹, Satoshi Takahashi² & David Bond³

¹China University of Sciences Wuhan (China), zhong.qiang.chencug.edu.cn; ²University of Tokyo (Japan), stakahashieps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; ³University of Hull (United Kingdom), D.Bondhull.ac.uk

The 20-million-year interval from the Late Permian to Middle Triassic was a critical period for the evolution of life on Earth. It witnessed the most protracted Phanerozoic crisis consisting of two major episodes, at the ends of the Guadalupian (Middle Permian) and the Lopingian (Late Permian), respectively. The latter extinction itself is also episodic, and similar biotic crisis and environmental perturbations have also repeated numerous times during the Early Triassic. A more sustained recovery of ecosystems did not occur until the early Middle Triassic. The extended Permian–Triassic transition therefore has attracted increasing attentions from worldwide paleontologists and geologists. IGCP 630 is organizing a thematic session addressing environmental and organismal changeovers during the great Permian-Triassic transition. This session gathers timely research results of biostratigraphic, paleoecologic, sedimentologic, and geochemical studies focused on environmental, climatic and biotic variations from marine to terrestrial ecosystems during the Late Permian to Middle Triassic interval. These contributions enhance our understanding of organism-environment interactions during this critical period of Earth history.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed sessions -

D1. Carboniferous and Permian palaeooceanography

D2.1. Climate, Oceanic Circulation, and Global Change in the Carboniferous and Permian– Geochemical Evidence

Ethan Grossman¹, Yadong Sun² & Michael Joachimski³

¹Texas A&M University College Station (USA), e-grossmangeos.tamu.edu; ²Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), yadong.sunfau.de; ³Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), michael.joachimskifau.de

Evolution and environment are inescapably linked, as revealed by studies of major extinction events in the past and at present. With the development of new geochemical methods, new clues are emerging about, for example, past ocean anoxia, acidification, and chemical composition with new paleothermometers (e.g., clumped isotopes) improving our understanding of the interdependence of climate, global change, and biodiversity. The robust sedimentary record of the Permian and Carboniferous presents an excellent opportunity to understand (1) the Earth system prior to and during Earth's most dramatic extinction event, and (2) Earth’s last transition from an Icehouse to Greenhouse climate mode, revealing clues to the future of the planet. Our session strives to connect researchers who apply geochemical methods, whether new and novel (e.g., metal and clumped isotopes) or time-tested (e.g., C, O, N, S, and Sr isotopes), with sedimentologists and paleobiologists to better understand the interconnection between Permo-Carboniferous life and environment.

D2. Carboniferous and Permian plate tectonics and the evolution of relief (building and deconstruction of mountains)

- open for proposal of presentations -

E1. Carboniferous and Permian coals and evaporites

- open for proposal of presentations -

E2. Carboniferous and Permian conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon systems

- open for proposal of presentations -

E3. Carboniferous and Permian geothermal resources

E3.1. Mississippian carbonate rocks in North-West Europe –Reservoir for deep geothermal energy

Martin Salamon & Anna Thiel

Geological Survey of North-Rhine Westphalia, Krefeld (Germany), Martin.Salamongd.nrw.de, anna.thielgd.nrw.de

Dinantian Carbonates are coming into focus as an important reservoir for deep hydrothermal energy in North-West Europe. They are abundant in the subsurface of France, Belgium, Germany Ireland and the UK.  These Carbonates are the “proven” reservoir for deep geothermal energy, as deep geothermal plants in Belgium and the Netherlands show. National (UGD, SCAN) and transnational (DGE-ROLLOUT, INTERREG) research and application projects focussing on Dinantian Carbonates as reservoir for deep hydrothermal energy are ongoing at the moment.  The session will focus on their facies, subsurface and surface distribution, stratigraphic range and sequence stratigraphic interpretation, multitemporal karstification, reservoir properties and the applied used of these rocks as hydrothermal reservoir. The session will also be part of the project meeting of DGE-ROLLOUT.

- open for proposal of further presentations outside the proposed session -