I 



TRANSLATIONS AND NOTICES 



OF 



GEOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 



On the Geology of Ban at. By M. J. Kudernatsch. 



[Proceedings Imp. Acad. Sciences Vienna, May 8, 1856.] 



In this memoir by the late M. Kudernatsch, communicated to the 

 Academy by Dr. Hochstetter, the central mountain-chain of Banat 

 was described as consisting of strata grouped around a huge granitic 

 nucleus which has been erupted through an enormous fissure, and 

 has an altitude of 3000 feet. The gneiss, resting on the granitic 

 mass, is overlaid by sedimentary strata folded into three great anti- 

 clinals or saddles (at Steierdorf and at Natra), and three chief basins. 

 These rocks have been traversed in a direction parallel to the long 

 axis of the saddles by fissures now forming valleys, on the bare sides 

 of which the lias, together with the brown and white jura, are seen 

 cropping out and immediately overlying the gneiss. The basins or 

 synclinals are occupied by extensive deposits of lower and upper neo- 

 comian limestones, raised up into elevated ranges or forming plateaux, 

 analogous to those of the Karst as regards their funnel-shaped de- 

 pressions, caverns, &c. 



The coal-deposits of Steierdorf and Domau belong to the upper 

 keuper or lower lias sandstone ; and wherever the saddles are fissured, 

 these coal-beds are seen to overlie a red sandstone of still unascer- 

 tained age. Five seams of excellent coal, characterized by remains 

 ofZamia and Pecopteris, have been found within a thickness of from 

 24 to 30 feet of strata. These coal-bearing deposits are overlaid by 

 brown and white jura and by cretaceous strata, both rich in organic 

 remains. Sphserosiderite forms regular beds in a liassic shale, and in 

 the calcareous plateaux large accumulations of pisiform iron-ore 

 occur. 



The small basin of Szekul was the only known locality of the true 

 carboniferous deposits in Banat before the late M. Kudernatsch had 

 ascertained that they occurred extensively in the imperfectly known 

 south-eastern portion of the Banatian mountains beyond the Almas. 

 These strata, still lying untouched amid extensive primaeval forests, 

 may become highly important in the future progress of industrial 

 activity. [Count M.] 



VOL. XII. — PART ir. E 



