>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Southern offshore basins of South Africa are well known as potential provinces of hydrocarbon exploration and production. The complex nature of the Bredasdorp sub-basin’s syn-rift architecture (transform fault system) can have adverse effects on reservoir distribution due to periodic local and regional uplift of horsts and grabens. This present investigation focusses on an integrated approach of the 1AT1-V horizon or early Cretaceous sediments in the Bredasdorp sub-basin to identify the depositional environment and provenance of these sediments as well as their role in regionally complex compositional heterogeneities associated with the late stage rifting of Gondwana break-up. An integrated seismic, sedimentological (including petrography and geochemistry) and ichnologic analysis of the 1AT1-V horizon sediments showed an overall lower regressive element complex assemblage set and an upper transgressive element complex assemblage set that occurred as a >120m thick succession. The analysis identified a mixed-energy deltaic succession followed by an estuarine succession. The 1AT1-V interval (late syn-rift) consisted of nine sedimentary facies associations (and associated petrofacies) on a dipslope setting with variations occurring along the strike and the downdip depositional slope areas. Two overall sequences were identified as a lower regressive and upper transgressive sequence (Element complex assemblage sets). The regressive sequence consisted of middle to distal delta front lobe fringes, hyperpycnal event beds (sourced from basement highs), offshore migrating tidal bars (and associated inter-bar regions), distal mouth bars, terminal distributary channels (and associated inter-terminal distributary regions). The distal delta plain to proximal delta front consisted of interdistributary bays, distributary channels, crevasse splay sub-deltas, mouth bars, tidal flats and offshore embayments. In the laterally isolated depocenter, these deposits also consisted of basement high slopes with upliftment of the basement highs leading to proximal/central embayment to regressive shoreface/foreshore environments. These sequences consisted generally of low diversity and intensities (impoverished abundances) of trace fossils. The paleoclimate inference from this sequence indicates a humid climate with intermediate degrees of weathering intensities (possibly fluctuating arid-humid conditions). The transgressive sequence consisted of estuarine sedimentation with the occurrence of tidal sand ridges and compound dune fields, embayment facies and tidal bars. These sequences consisted of relatively higher ichnodiversities and intensities than their relative regressive sequences. The paleoclimate inference during these times consisted of more arid to semi-arid settings with low degrees of weathering in the source terrain. Local tectonic upliftment and subsidence, with exposed basement highs, gave rise to differential process regimes (tidal, wave and fluvial) and hence depositional facies in the diachronous updip/downdip areas (spatial) and within-stratigraphic (temporal) variations. There are several modern analogues that are similar to the 1AT1-V horizon sequence and they are the Mahakam, Ganges-Brahmaputra, Po, Burdekin deltaic and Satpara lake environments Compaction and dissolution diagenetic features as well as transportation were responsible for the major compositional heterogeneities concerning the reservoir quality and distribution. Proximal and distal sources were identified with first cycle and polycyclic sediments being deposited in the northern and southern part of the basin during the late stages of rifting in the Bredasdorp sub-basin. The provenance lithology has been identified as recycled sedimentary rocks (and their meta-equivalents) with an ultimate source terrain that was largely felsic in nature (Cape granite suite). The northern part of the studied section is suggested to have received sediments from the main metasedimentary rocks of the Cape fold belt (including the Table Mountain Group and Bokkeveld Group) whereas the southern sections received more sediments from the basement highs (recycled Malmesbury Group (and Pre-Cape sediments) and Cape granite suite), which is further supported by seismic data. Provenance analysis revealed that the Cape Fold belt (most recent collision) was possibly a provenance terrain but overprinting of several collisions are also acknowledged. The tectonic setting was envisaged to be of a rifted margin during the break-up of Gondwana. This compositional heterogeneity due to facies and provenance-related terrains had major consequences to the reservoir quality and distribution from the northern part to the southern part of the studied section

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O tema abordado nesta dissertação de mestrado é a petrogênese dos diabásios do Eocretáceo que integram o Enxame de Diques da Serra do Mar na região de Angra dos Reis (RJ). Estes diques intrudem rochas do Terreno Ocidental e do Arco Magmático Rio Negro, inserindo-se no contexto geodinâmico de fragmentação do Gondwana no Cretáceo Inferior. Essas intrusões são subverticais e orientam-se preferencialmente a N039E. Intrusões retilíneas são as mais observadas em campo. Os diabásios são compostos, essencialmente, por plagioclásio e clinopiroxênios (augita e pigeonita). Quartzo, minerais opacos, apatita e olivina ocorrem como minerais acessórios. A composição mineral secundária é marcada pela presença de biotita, uralita e saussurita. Os diabásios estudados compreendem uma série transicional com afinidade toleítica. Os estudos petrológicos revelam a existência de cinco suítes de alto-TiO2, tendo sido as mesmas discriminadas com base nas razões La/Yb de amostras com o mesmo teor de MgO. Destas, apenas a suíte 2 têm quantidade mínima de amostras para avaliação de processos evolutivos. O resultado da modelagem petrogenética aponta que o processo evolutivo mais provável para a geração dos diabásios da suíte 2 é cristalização fracionada sem mudança na assembleia fracionante. As amostras representativas dos líquidos parentais das cinco suítes apresentam razões La/Nb e La/Yb maiores que a unidade, típicas de derivação de fonte enriquecida, que, em várias províncias basálticas continentais, tem sido associada à fusão exclusiva do manto litosférico subcontinental ou a sua participação em processos de mistura de fontes. A discriminação de fontes mantélicas foi feita exclusivamente com base nos teores de elementos traços de amostras representativas de líquidos parentais das cinco suítes discriminadas na área de estudo. Os modelos indicam que todas as cinco suítes estudadas estão relacionadas a fontes harzburgíticas com granada residual. A suíte 5 da área de estudo não pode ser associada à mesma fonte mantélica geradora das suítes 1, 2, 3 e 4 que, por sua vez, se originaram por diferentes quantidades de fusão parcial (respectivamente, 44%, 35%, 31% e 25%) de uma mesma fonte. Cabe ressaltar que a ocorrência de duas suítes, com razões La/Yb muito distintas, porém geograficamente muito próximas, sugere que processos de heterogeneidade mantélica, tipicamente laterais, devem também ocorrer verticalmente. / The petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous dolerites within the Serra do Mar Dyke Swarm in the region of Angra dos Reis (RJ) is presented in this dissertation. The dykes are associated with the Gondwana breakup and intrude rocks of the so-called Occidental Terrane and the Rio Negro Magmatic Arc within the Late Proterozoic-Ordovician Ribeira Orogen. Tipically, the intrusions are subvertical bearing a N039E preferential trend with sharp, linear contacts with their country rocks. The dolerites are essentially composed of plagioclase and clinopyroxene (augite and pigeonita). Quartz, opaque minerals, apatite and olivine occur as accessory minerals. The secondary phases are biotite, eterog and eterogene. The dolerites constitute a transitional series with tholeiitic affinity. Whole-rock geochemical data reveal the existence of five high-TiO2 suites which were discriminated on the basis of La/Yb ratios for samples with similar MgO contents. Petrogenesis analysis were done for suite 2 only due to scarcity of samples in the other four suites. As such, petrogenetic interpretation and modeling points to fractional crystallization as the likely evolutionary process associated with suite 2 dolerites. Samples representing parental liquids of five the high-TiO2 suites show values of La/Nb and La/Yb ratios greater than unity which points to at least a contribution of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) for their genesis. Nevertheless, source mixing processes may have operated since the marked composition of the SCLM (as the Nb depletion, for instance) tends to obliterate most of the geochemical characteristics of other mantle sources. Petrogenetic eteroge indicates that the all five studied suites are related to harzbugitic sources with residual garnet pointing to a thick SCLM by the time of the Gondwana breakup. Suite 5 cannot be associated with the same mantle source that generated suites 1, 2, 3, and 4 which in turn can be related to different amounts of partial melting from a common mantle source (respectively, 44%, 35%, 31% and 25%). As all five suites are close related in space, processes involving vertical chemical eterogeneities within the SCLM as opposed to lateral ones should be considered when putting constraints on geodynamic models for the Gondwana breakup.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O tema abordado nesta dissertação de mestrado é a petrogênese dos diabásios do Eocretáceo que integram o Enxame de Diques da Serra do Mar na região de Angra dos Reis (RJ). Estes diques intrudem rochas do Terreno Ocidental e do Arco Magmático Rio Negro, inserindo-se no contexto geodinâmico de fragmentação do Gondwana no Cretáceo Inferior. Essas intrusões são subverticais e orientam-se preferencialmente a N039E. Intrusões retilíneas são as mais observadas em campo. Os diabásios são compostos, essencialmente, por plagioclásio e clinopiroxênios (augita e pigeonita). Quartzo, minerais opacos, apatita e olivina ocorrem como minerais acessórios. A composição mineral secundária é marcada pela presença de biotita, uralita e saussurita. Os diabásios estudados compreendem uma série transicional com afinidade toleítica. Os estudos petrológicos revelam a existência de cinco suítes de alto-TiO2, tendo sido as mesmas discriminadas com base nas razões La/Yb de amostras com o mesmo teor de MgO. Destas, apenas a suíte 2 têm quantidade mínima de amostras para avaliação de processos evolutivos. O resultado da modelagem petrogenética aponta que o processo evolutivo mais provável para a geração dos diabásios da suíte 2 é cristalização fracionada sem mudança na assembleia fracionante. As amostras representativas dos líquidos parentais das cinco suítes apresentam razões La/Nb e La/Yb maiores que a unidade, típicas de derivação de fonte enriquecida, que, em várias províncias basálticas continentais, tem sido associada à fusão exclusiva do manto litosférico subcontinental ou a sua participação em processos de mistura de fontes. A discriminação de fontes mantélicas foi feita exclusivamente com base nos teores de elementos traços de amostras representativas de líquidos parentais das cinco suítes discriminadas na área de estudo. Os modelos indicam que todas as cinco suítes estudadas estão relacionadas a fontes harzburgíticas com granada residual. A suíte 5 da área de estudo não pode ser associada à mesma fonte mantélica geradora das suítes 1, 2, 3 e 4 que, por sua vez, se originaram por diferentes quantidades de fusão parcial (respectivamente, 44%, 35%, 31% e 25%) de uma mesma fonte. Cabe ressaltar que a ocorrência de duas suítes, com razões La/Yb muito distintas, porém geograficamente muito próximas, sugere que processos de heterogeneidade mantélica, tipicamente laterais, devem também ocorrer verticalmente. / The petrogenesis of Early Cretaceous dolerites within the Serra do Mar Dyke Swarm in the region of Angra dos Reis (RJ) is presented in this dissertation. The dykes are associated with the Gondwana breakup and intrude rocks of the so-called Occidental Terrane and the Rio Negro Magmatic Arc within the Late Proterozoic-Ordovician Ribeira Orogen. Tipically, the intrusions are subvertical bearing a N039E preferential trend with sharp, linear contacts with their country rocks. The dolerites are essentially composed of plagioclase and clinopyroxene (augite and pigeonita). Quartz, opaque minerals, apatite and olivine occur as accessory minerals. The secondary phases are biotite, eterog and eterogene. The dolerites constitute a transitional series with tholeiitic affinity. Whole-rock geochemical data reveal the existence of five high-TiO2 suites which were discriminated on the basis of La/Yb ratios for samples with similar MgO contents. Petrogenesis analysis were done for suite 2 only due to scarcity of samples in the other four suites. As such, petrogenetic interpretation and modeling points to fractional crystallization as the likely evolutionary process associated with suite 2 dolerites. Samples representing parental liquids of five the high-TiO2 suites show values of La/Nb and La/Yb ratios greater than unity which points to at least a contribution of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) for their genesis. Nevertheless, source mixing processes may have operated since the marked composition of the SCLM (as the Nb depletion, for instance) tends to obliterate most of the geochemical characteristics of other mantle sources. Petrogenetic eteroge indicates that the all five studied suites are related to harzbugitic sources with residual garnet pointing to a thick SCLM by the time of the Gondwana breakup. Suite 5 cannot be associated with the same mantle source that generated suites 1, 2, 3, and 4 which in turn can be related to different amounts of partial melting from a common mantle source (respectively, 44%, 35%, 31% and 25%). As all five suites are close related in space, processes involving vertical chemical eterogeneities within the SCLM as opposed to lateral ones should be considered when putting constraints on geodynamic models for the Gondwana breakup.

L'étude biostratigraphique intégrée des ammonites et des nannofossiles calcaires de trois coupes du SE de la France (Vergol, Courchons et Berrias) a permis de proposer un nouveau schéma de biozonation solide pour l'intervalle Berriasien supérieur – Valanginien inférieur. Cette étude devrait permettre d'appuyer la proposition de la coupe de Vergol comme GSSP de la base du Valanginien. Pour ce qui concerne les ammonites, une exploitation intensive banc par banc et une révision taxonomique de l'ensemble des groupes ont montré un grand renouvellement faunique et ont amené à préciser le schéma zonal. Le Berriasien supérieur est caractérisée dans sa partie haute par une nouvelle zone, la zone à Alpillensis, qui remplace la partie supérieure de la zone à Boisseri sensu Le Hégarat. La zone à Alpillensis est subdivisée en deux sous-zones, à Alpillensis et à Otopeta. Pour le Valanginien inférieur, il a été reconnu la zone à Petransiens, pour laquelle deux nouvelles sous-zones, à Premolicus et à Salinarium, sont proposées, et la zone à Neocomiensiformis. Pour ce qui concerne les nannofossiles calcaires, plusieurs événements caractérisent la limite Berriasien/Valanginien, ainsi qu'un changement important des assemblages mis en évidence par une Analyse en Composante Principale. Ces changements sont liés probablement à une régression globale pendant la zone à Alpillensis suivie par une transgression pendant la zone à Pertransiens. Les Associations Unitaires ont mis en évidence une AU 1 dont le sommet se situe au dessus de la première apparition du nannofossile C. oblongata et de l'ammonite « Thurmanniceras » pertransiens. La succession de ces trois événements (« T. » pertransiens, C. oblongata et sommet de l'AU 1) m'ont amené à proposer l'identification de la limite Berriasien/Valanginien avec la première apparition de « T. » pertransiens / The integrated biostratigraphic study of ammonites and calcareous nannofossils in three sections from SE France (Vergol, Courchons, and Berrias) allowed a solid new biozonation scheme to be proposed here. This study should enable us to strengthen the proposition of the Vergol section as GSSP for the lower boundary of Valanginian. Concerning ammonites, an intensive exploitation bed by bed coupled to a taxonomic revision of all groups have shown a faunal renewal and brought to the proposal of a new zonal scheme. The Upper Berriasian is characterized in its upper part by a new zone, the Alpillensis zone, which replaces the upper part of the Boisseri zone sensu Le Hégarat. The Alpillensis zone is subdivided into two subzones, Alpillensis and Otopeta. For the Lower Valanginian, the Pertransiens (with the introduction of two new subzones, Premolicus and Salinarium) and Neocomiensiformis zones have been recognized. Concerning calcareous nannofossils, many events are recorded across the Berriasian/Valanginian boundary, underlying a major change in the assemblages as indicated by Principal Component Analysis. These changes are very likely linked to sea level changes. In fact, a major regression occurred in the Alpillensis zone, followed by a transgression in the Petransiens zone. Unitary Associations resulted in an UA 1 whose topmost part occurs just above the first occurrences of the nannofossil C. oblongata and of the ammonite « Thurmanniceras » pertransiens. The stratigraphic succession of these three events (namely, the FOs of « T. » pertransiens and of C. oblongata and the top of UA 1) allow us to identify the boundary between the Berriasian and Valanginian in this work with the FO of « T. » pertransiens

Macroscopical and microscopical observations on extant and fossil plants have been made. Observations on extant plants led to study the effects of volcanic gases on the cuticle ultrastructure of Pinus halepensis and Erica arborea sampled in the volcanic area of Phlegrean Italy. TEM observations on P. halepensis cuticles fumigated or not by volcanic gases revealed: 1) insignificant thickness variations of the cell wall plus cuticle among current- and first-year-old needles of both fumigated and not fumigated trees; 2) a calcium oxalate accumulation in fumigated leaves; 3) moreover, in respect to the cell surface, fibrils are disposed parallel to the surface of the cuticle. In specimens of E. arborea fumigated or not by volcanic gases, 1) the total thickness of cuticles varies significantly; 2) in plants experiencing chronic fumigation the A2 layer increases its thickness. As for fossil plants, the cuticles of Cretaceous Fossil-Lagertätten of Cusano Mutri and Pietraroja have been studied. In the former: 1) numerous taxa belonging to conifers have been identified; 2) the new species Frenelopsis cusanensis has been described; 3) Montsechia vidalii has been found outside of Spain. Taxonomical studies allowed the description of typical Euro-Sinian fossil plants. Sedimentological and taxonomical studies suggest semi-arid or arid conditions in a subtropical or tropical climate. It is worth noting as for Cusano Mutri locality, evidence of wildfire (fusain) suggests a periodic combination of arid periods, high temperatures and lightning strikes.

Nas últimas décadas, os Lagerstätten estiveram no centro das discussões relativas à história paleobiológica e geológica da Terra. Em particular, o Membro Crato da Formação Santana (Bacia do Araripe, Nordeste do Brasil) é um dos mais significantes Lagerstätten do Cretáceo já que registra invertebrados, vertebrados e plantas excepcionalmente preservados em sedimentos carbonáticos de um palaeolago. O principal objetivo desta dissertação é lançar luz sobre os processos de preservação responsáveis pela fossilização de insetos e peixes com tecidos moles em 3D. Lâminas petrográficas e diversas técnicas paleométricas - micro-Espectroscopia Raman, Fluorescência de raios-X (FRX) convencional, micro-FRX com fonte de luz sincrotron (RS-µFRX), emissão de Raios-X induzida por partículas (PIXE), microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de Raios-X (EDS) - foram empregadas para caracterizar a rocha matriz, a morfologia e fidelidade de preservação dos tecidos moles e as composições elementares e moleculares dos fósseis em escala de centímetros e mícron. Os resultados revelam que, enquanto insetos e tecidos moles de peixes encontrados nos denominados calcários beges (BL) são substituídos por pseudomorfos de pirita framboidal (após oxidação da pirita), os quais ocorrem juntamente com possíveis substâncias poliméricas extracelulares secretadas por bactérias (EPS), tecidos de peixes dos calcários cinza (GL) são querogenizados. Em insetos, existe variação de tamanho dos framboides para dentro dos fósseis, que é aqui interpretada como produto do equilíbrio entre as taxas de difusão e de nucleação dos minerais. Além disso, a distribuição preferencial de Zn e Cu em estruturas piritizadas de insetos e peixes em comparação com a sua matriz é aqui considerada como sendo o resultado da fixação de elementos químicos em biofilmes bacterianos. Zn concentrado nos ossos de peixes com querogenizados e Fe/Cu observados em seus tecidos moles são considerados como tendo sido incorporados durante a vida dos peixes. No caso particular de peixes, modelo originalmente proposto para a preservação de metazoários do Pré-cambriano é aqui aplicado para explicar a variação de fossilização entre as fácies BL e GL. Lâminas petrográficas revelam que os GL têm geralmente teor de argila/matéria orgânica maior do que os BL, implicando que as taxas de soterramento poderiam ter sido mais intensas nos GL. Isto teria colocado carcaças em decomposição mais rapidamente na zona sedimentar de metanogênese, sendo formado o querogênio. Por outro lado, carcaças depositadas na fácies BL poderiam ter passado período mais longo na zona de redução de sulfato, o que teria levado à piritização generalizada. Além disso, a baixa porosidade do microespato, o cimento e a argila poderiam ter diminuído a migração de aceptores de elétrons dos processos de respiração bacteriana anaeróbia - particularmente redução de sulfato (RS) e metanogênese - e de seus produtos biogeoquímicos, estreitando a zona de RS, o que teria reduzido a influência da piritização em alguns níveis. Enquanto que a piritização resultou na preservação de fibras musculares em 3D, sarcolema, possíveis núcleos celulares, tendões e olhos, a querogenização preservou tecidos conjuntivos, tegumento e fibras musculares distorcidas e compactadas. Em conclusão, é aqui proposto que fácies influenciadas por processos paleoambientais e geobiológicos produziram fósseis com gradiente diferencial de fidelidade de preservação de acordo com cada via tafonômica seguida. / Over the past decades, the so-called Fossil Lagerstätten have been in the core of discussions concerning the palaeobiological and geological history of the Earth. In particular, the Crato Member from the Santana Formation (Araripe Basin, north-east Brazil) is one of the most significant Cretaceous Lagerstätten since it records exceptionally well-preserved fossil invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants, deposited in palaeolake carbonate beds. The main aim of this dissertation is to shed light on the preservational processes responsible for the fossilization of insects and fishes still retaining 3D soft tissues. Petrographic thin sections and several palaeometric techniques - micro-Raman Spectroscopy, conventional X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Synchrotron micro-XRF (SR-µXRF), Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) - have been employed to characterize the host rock, soft-tissue morphology and preservational fidelity, and fossil elemental and molecular compositions in centimetre to micrometre scale. The results reveal that while insects and fish soft-tissues found in the so called beige limestones (BL) are replaced by framboidal pyrite pseudomorphs (after pyrite oxidation) occurring together with putative bacterially-secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), labile tissues of fishes from the grey limestones (GL) are kerogenized. In insects, there is a variation of framboid size inward the fossils, which is here interpreted as a product of the balance between diffusion and mineral nucleation rates. Moreover, the preferential distribution of Zn and Cu in pyritized insect/fish labile structures in comparison to their rock matrix is here considered as being the result of element fixation in bacterial biofilms. Zn concentrated in bones of kerogenized fishes and Fe/Cu occurring in their soft tissues are considered to have been incorporated during fish life. In the particular case of fishes, a model originally proposed for metazoan preservation in the Precambrian is here applied to explain the variation of fossilization between the BL and GL facies. Petrographic thin sections reveal that GL have generally higher clay/organic matter contents than BL, thus implying that burial rates might have been more intense in the former. This could have placed decaying carcasses more quickly in the methanogenesis sedimentary zone, in that way being kerogenized. On the other hand, carcasses deposited in the BL facies could have spent a longer period in the sulphate-reduction zone, which would have accounted for pervasive pyritization. Additionally, microspar low porosity, cement and clay could have diminished both downward migrations of electron acceptors for anaerobic bacterial respiration processes - particularly sulphate-reduction (SR) and methanogenesis - and of their biogeochemical products, narrowing the SR zone, which would have lowered the impact of pyritization in some levels. While pyritization has recorded 3D muscle fibres, sarcolemma, putative cell nuclei, tendons and eyes, kerogenization has yielded connective tissues, integument and compressed/distorted muscle fibres. In conclusion, it is here proposed that palaeoenvironmental/geobiological-influenced facies have yielded fossils with a variable preservational-fidelity gradient, accordingly to each taphonomic pathway followed.

Des observations macroscopiques et microscopiques sur les plantes actuelles et fossiles ont été effectuées. Sur les plantes actuelles ont été effectué des observations relativement aux effets des gaz volcaniques sur l’ultrastructure des cuticules de Pinus halepensis et de Erica arborea récoltés dans l’aire volcanique des Campi Flegrei, Italie. Les observations conduites au TEM sur les cuticules de P. halepensis, influencé et non influencé par les gaz volcaniques, ont montré que : 1) l'épaisseur totale de la CM (cuticule) + CW (paroi pectocellulosique) ne subit pas de variations significatives d'épaisseur ; 2) la cuticule des aiguilles influencée par les gaz volcaniques montre une accumulation d’oxalate de calcium ainsi que 3) un réarrangement des fibrilles disposées parallèlement à la surface. Les observations conduites sur E. arborea ont permis de 1) constater que les épaisseurs totales des cuticules, influencées ou non par les gaz, sont significativement différentes ; 2) en présence de gaz volcaniques la couche externe A2 subit un accroissement d’épaisseur significatif. Par rapport aux macro-restes végétaux fossiles, les localités du Crétacé de Cusano Mutri et Pietraroja ont été étudiées. Le première site fossilifère a permis 1) d’identifier plusieurs taxa appartenant aux conifères; 2) de décrire une nouvelle espèce de conifère: Frenelopsis cusanensis; 3) de trouver l’angiosperme ancestrale Montsechia vidalii. L’étude taxonomique a permis de décrire des entités typiques de la Province Euro-Sinienne. L’étude sédimentologique et systématique montre un climat plutôt tropical-subtropical, des abondants fusains montrant des incendies naturels. / Macroscopical and microscopical observations on extant and fossil plants have been made. Observations on extant plants led to study the effects of volcanic gases on the cuticle ultrastructure of Pinus halepensis and Erica arborea sampled in the volcanic area of Phlegrean Italy. TEM observations on P. halepensis cuticles fumigated or not by volcanic gases revealed: 1) insignificant thickness variations of the cell wall plus cuticle among current- and first-year-old needles of both fumigated and not fumigated trees; 2) a calcium oxalate accumulation in fumigated leaves; 3) moreover, in respect to the cell surface, fibrils are disposed parallel to the surface of the cuticle. In specimens of E. arborea fumigated or not by volcanic gases, 1) the total thickness of cuticles varies significantly; 2) in plants experiencing chronic fumigation the A2 layer increases its thickness. As for fossil plants, the cuticles of Cretaceous Fossil-Lagertätten of Cusano Mutri and Pietraroja have been studied. In the former: 1) numerous taxa belonging to conifers have been identified; 2) the new species Frenelopsis cusanensis has been described; 3) Montsechia vidalii has been found outside of Spain. Taxonomical studies allowed the description of typical Euro-Sinian fossil plants. Sedimentological and taxonomical studies suggest semi-arid or arid conditions in a subtropical or tropical climate. It is worth noting as for Cusano Mutri locality, evidence of wildfire (fusain) suggests a periodic combination of arid periods, high temperatures and lightning strikes.