Report 2009-12
Meeting report - 10-12-2009
Present
Frieda Bogemans, Frédéric Boulvain, Marie Coen-Aubert, Michiel Dusar, Eric Goemaere, Luc Hance, Alain Herbosch, Vanessa Heyvaert, Piet Laga, Stephen Louwye, Noël Vandenberghe, Jacques Verniers, Johan Yans
Excused
Eddy Poty,
1. Report of last NCS meeting (4-06-2009)
No comments and report is approved
2. General recommendations
a. If a unit (Fm or Mbr) is approved with minor changes by the NCS, it is the responsibility of the corresponding subcommission (its president or secretary) to control that required modifications are brought to the text and figures.
b. Include an open forum page for each subcommission and insert there the units which didn't reach yet a consensus on a proposal to NCS. When the consensus is reached, the units are shifted to the page : "Accepted by the subcommission and submitted to NCS" and then "Modifications accepted by NCS".
3. Reports of the subcommissions annual meetings
a. Cambrian - Ordovician
Due to the lack of continuous sections and poor outcropping conditions locally, Cambro-Ordovician lithological units cannot always be documented by a stratotype and moreover, bottom and top surfaces are rarely exposed. NCS recommend however that new units refer to the best representative outcrops with indication of GPS coordinates.
The Jodoigne, Blanmont, Tubize and Oisquercq Fm are approved.
The Hospice de Rebecq Fm is still under discussion and the text will be moved to the forum page.
Mousty FM will be included as approved by NCS, but changes from 2001 volume concern only the age.
b. Devonian
Brayelles and La Boverie Members are approved.
The Famenne Group, as defined in 2001, appears not easy to use in the field. The subcommission considers the suppression of this Group. It implies to reconsider accordingly the definition and stratigraphic hierarchy or status of the Senzeille and Mariembourg FM and their lateral equivalent, the Hodimont Fm.
MD : What about the Devonian (and Carboniferous) units from the Campine Basin. Even if not used for surface mapping a correlation should be proposed with surface equivalents. MD will critically go through the Campine framework for discussion with the subcommission members.
c. Carboniferous
Nothing is new from the 2001 volume. LH discussed the problem of lateral dolomitic equivalents of well defined Fm. NCS support the opinion that a different name should be given as the dolomitic composition is a typical lithostratigraphic criterium that allows distinction from other non dolomitic units.
d. Permian - Trias - Jurassic
The President recommends charging the subcommission about the Permian also, in order to include the Malmedy Conglomerate.
FB mentions that the Lorraine geological maps are finished and that it should bring stability to the Trias and Jurassic framework.
MD points out that thick units are identified in the Campine Basin, but not named. They correlate with equivalent in the North Sea Basin. Elements for discussion will be included in the forum page.
e. Cretaceous
The Nevele Fm is approved, but authors are requested to submit a slightly more condensed version, following the 2001 structure.
MD answering a question of NV: The Gulpen Fm contains a succession of lithologies , only one of which is similar to the proposed Nevele Fm; the chronostratigraphic range of the Nevele Fm is also wider than the Gulpen Fm and in this sense the Nevele Fm could be compared to the Dutch Ommelanden Fm.
f. Paleogene-Neogene
As the ICS and IUGS have decided to grant Period/System status to the Quaternary, meaning the same rank as the Paleogene and Neogene, Tertiary is no longer a stratigraphic category in official use. Therefore provisionally, the President suggests changing the subcommission name to Paleogene - Neogene; the subcommission will later decide on their name.
A working group will update the work of S. Geets. Particularly, the Landen and Haine Groups require revision.
g. Quaternary
The subcommission members are dealing mainly with the Pleistocene Loess stratigraphy. A synthesis table is in progress. A text will soon be included in the forum page.
4. Update of the 2001 volume
The President support the idea that having a full digital version of the 2001 and to update it regularly with the changes approved by NCS will be the most efficient way to keep one single official framework. Original texts have to be kept and amendments clearly indicated, with author and dates.
The digital version of the complete volume is no more available. A letter will be sent to each author to request a copy of their original files (text and drawings) and asking for their approval to use their text in this way proposed by NCS.
5. Varia
" The "4ème Congrès Français de Stratigraphie" will take place from August 30 to September 2/2010 in Paris (see attachment). JY support the idea that the NCS should present a talk.p
" A report about the work of NCS will be included in Miscellanea twice a year (March - September).
" Martin Laloux (RW - Geological map of Wallonia) and Katrien De Nil (Vlaamse Administratie - Databank Ondergrond Vlaanderen) will be invited to the next meeting.
6. Next meeting
Next meeting in June, with announcement in April
Luc Hance Noël Vandenberghe
Secretaris Président