Field Trip
The Lower Jurassic organic-rich facies in the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal)

This field trip will take participants to the central coastal region of Portugal, between São Pedro de Moel and Peniche, a classic area for studying the Lower Jurassic successions of the Lusitanian Basin. These outcrops provide an exceptional opportunity to examine a wide range of depositional settings, sedimentary facies, and palaeoenvironmental conditions that shaped the basin during the Early Jurassic.

The excursion will explore the stratigraphic framework and the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the basin, highlighting key lithostratigraphic transitions and the development of organic-rich intervals throughout the Lower Jurassic. Particular attention will be given to the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE) along the Western Iberian Margin, one of the most significant global perturbations of the Early Jurassic, but the programme will also emphasise the broader depositional history of the Sinemurian, Pliensbachian, and Toarcian successions that record the complex interplay between basin subsidence, climate, sea-level changes, and organic matter accumulation.

A major highlight of the field trip will be the visit to the Toarcian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) at Ponta do Trovão, Peniche. This internationally recognised site offers an unparalleled view of the Toarcian stage boundary, and participants will have the chance to examine its benchmark stratigraphy and take a memorable photo with its iconic golden spike.

The field trip will be guided by Luís Vitor Duarte (University of Coimbra), Carolina Fonseca (University of Minho), and João Graciano Mendonça Filho (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who will provide expert insights into the geology, organic petrology, and scientific significance of the visited sections.

Instructors

Prof. Dr. João Graciano Mendonça Filho

Dr. Carolina Fonseca

Dr. Luís Vitor Duarte