PERMIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SVALIS-DOME, SOUTH-WESTERN BARENTS SEA

Upper Palaeozoic strata drilled at the Svalis Dome, south-western Bare nts Sea, contain sedimentary rocks which closely resemble the successi on of the Gipsdalen and Tempelfjorden groups in the Svalbard Archipela go. The Gipsdalen Group cores are dominated by fossiliferous grainston es and packstones deposited on a carbonate shelf. Two distinctive diff erent Fusulinid Faunas show close affinities to fusulinids elsewhere i n the present Arctic region. The lower Schwagerina parva assemblage in dicates a late Asselian to earliest Sakmarian age while beds with Schw agerina, kolviensis give a late Artinskian age. The Tempelfjorden Grou p cores are dominated by silicified, often fossiliferous, wackestones and fragmented siliciclastics of more basinal setting. A palynological assemblage including Scutasporites nanuki, Lueckisporites virkkiae an d Lunatisporites spp. indicates a Kazanian age for this unit. The reco rded palynomorphs resemble Upper Permian assemblages elsewhere in the present Arctic region. At the top of the succession (below the Triassi c shales), a fossiliferous packstone with productids resembles the Mis eryfjellet Formation, Bjornoya. No age diagnostic fossils are, however , recorded in this part of the succession.