Knowledge of the stratigraphic development of pre-Carboniferous strata in the subsurface of the Netherlands is very limited, leaving the lithostratigraphic nomenclature for this time interval informal. In two wells from the southwestern Netherlands, Silurian strata have repeatedly been reported, suggesting that these are the oldest ever recovered in the Netherlands. The hypothesised presence of Silurian-aged strata has not been tested by biostratigraphic analysis. A similar lack of biostratigraphic control applies to the overlying Devonian succession. We present the results of a palynological study of core material from wells KTG-01 and S05-01. Relatively low-diversity and poorly preserved miospore associations were recorded. These, nonetheless, provide new insights into the regional stratigraphic development of the pre-Carboniferous of the SW Netherlands. The lower two cores from well KTG-01 are of a late Silurian (Ludlow–Pridoli Epoch) to earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) age, confirming that these are the oldest sedimentary strata ever recovered in the Netherlands. The results from the upper cored section from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well KTG-01 and the cored sections from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well S05-01 are more ambiguous. This inferred Devonian succession is, in the current informal lithostratigraphy of the Netherlands, assigned to the Banjaard group and its subordinate Bollen Claystone formation, of presumed Frasnian (i.e. early Late Devonian) age. Age-indicative Middle to Late Devonian palynomorphs were, however, not recorded, and the overall character of the poorly preserved palynological associations in wells KTG-01 and S05-01 may also suggest an Early Devonian age. In terms of lithofacies, however, the cores in well S05-01 can be correlated to the upper Frasnian – lower Famennian Falisolle Formation in the Campine Basin in Belgium. Hence, it remains plausible that an unconformity separates Silurian to Lower Devonian strata from Upper Devonian (Frasnian–Famennian) strata in the SW Netherlands. In general, the abundance of miospore associations points to the presence of a vegetated hinterland and a relatively proximal yet relatively deep marine setting during late Silurian and Early Devonian times. This differs markedly from the open marine depositional settings reported from the Brabant Massif area to the south in present-day Belgium, suggesting a sediment source to the north. The episodic presence of reworked (marine) acritarchs of Ordovician age suggests the influx of sedimentary material from uplifted elements on the present-day Brabant Massif to the south, possibly in relation to the activation of a Brabant Arch system.

中文翻译：

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志留纪的孢粉学迹象——荷兰最早的泥盆纪地层

荷兰地下前石炭纪地层的地层发育知识非常有限，因此该时间间隔的岩石地层命名法是非正式的。在荷兰西南部的两口井中，多次报告志留纪地层，这表明这些是荷兰有史以来发现的最古老的井。志留纪时代地层的假设存在尚未通过生物地层学分析进行检验。类似的缺乏生物地层控制也适用于上覆的泥盆纪序列。我们展示了 KTG-01 和 S05-01 井的岩心材料的孢粉学研究结果。记录了相对低多样性和保存不良的小孢子关联。尽管如此，这些，为荷兰西南部前石炭纪的区域地层发展提供新的见解。KTG-01 井下部的两个岩心属于晚志留纪（Ludlow-Pridoli 纪）至最早的泥盆纪（Lochkovian）年龄，证实这些是荷兰有史以来发现的最古老的沉积地层。KTG-01井前石炭系岩层上部取芯剖面和S05-01井前石炭统层序取芯剖面结果比较模糊。在荷兰目前的非正式岩石地层学中，这种推断的泥盆纪地层被分配给 Banjaard 组及其下属的 Bollen Claystone 组，假定为 Frasnian（即晚泥盆纪早期）年龄。然而，没有记录到表明年龄的中泥盆纪晚期孢粉形，KTG-01 和 S05-01 井中保存不佳的孢粉关联的整体特征也可能表明早期泥盆纪时代。然而，就岩相而言，S05-01 井的岩心与比利时 Campine 盆地的上 Frasnian - 下 Famennian Falisolle 组相关。因此，荷兰西南部的志留纪至下泥盆纪地层与上泥盆纪（弗拉斯期-法门期）地层之间存在不整合，这仍然是合理的。一般来说，大量的微孢子关联表明在晚志留世和早泥盆世时期存在植被腹地和相对近但相对较深的海洋环境。这与今天比利时南部布拉班特地块地区报告的开放海洋沉积环境明显不同，暗示北部有沉积物来源。奥陶纪重新加工的（海洋）acritarchs 的偶发性存在表明沉积物质从现今布拉班特地块上的隆起元素流入南部，可能与布拉班特拱门系统的激活有关。