scholarly journals High-frequency sea-level changes recorded in deep-water carbonates of the Upper Cretaceous Dol Formation (island of Brač, Croatia)

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Damir Bucković ◽  
Maja Martinuš ◽  
Duje Kukoč ◽  
Blanka Tešović ◽  
Ivan Gušić

High-frequency sea-level changes recorded in deep-water carbonates of the Upper Cretaceous Dol Formation (island of Brač, Croatia)The upper part of the Middle Coniacian/Santonian-Middle Campanian deep-water Dol Formation of the island of Brač is composed of countless fine-grained allodapic intercalations deposited in an intraplatform trough. Within the studied section 13 beds can be distinguished, each defined by its lower part built up of dark grey limestone with abundance of branched, horizontally to subhorizontally oriented burrows, and the upper part, in which the light grey to white limestone contains larger burrows, rarely branched, showing no preferential orientation. The lower, dark grey, intensively bioturbated levels are interpreted as intervals formed during high-frequency sea-level highstands, while the upper, light grey-to-white levels are interpreted as intervals formed during the high-frequency sea-level lowstands. Cyclic alternation of these two intervals within the fine-grained allodapic beds is interpreted as the interaction between the amount of carbonate production on the platform margin and the periodicity and intensity of shedding and deposition in the distal part of toe-of-slope environment, which is governed by Milankovitch-band high frequency sea-level changes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 498 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Gebhardt ◽  
Samuel O. Akande ◽  
Olabisi A. Adekeye

AbstractThe Benue Trough formed in close relation to the opening of the South Atlantic and experienced sea-level fluctuations of different magnitudes during the Cenomanian to Coniacian interval. We identify depositional environments from outcrop sections and a drilling as control record. Lines of evidence for the interpretation include facies analyses, foraminiferal assemblage composition (P/B-ratio) and the presence of planktonic deep-water indicators. While the analysis of the well data from the Dahomey Basin indicates a continuous deep-water (bathyal) environment, the succession in the Nkalagu area of the Lower Benue Trough evolved in a different and more complex way. Beginning with latest Cenomanian shoreface to shelf deposits, a long period of subsidence lasted until the middle Turonian when pelagic shales and calcareous turbidites were deposited at upper to middle bathyal depths. These conditions continued during late Turonian and Coniacian times. The general deepening trend of the Lower Benue Trough was mainly controlled by tectonic subsidence and was superimposed by eustatic sea-level changes, resulting in periodically changing palaeowater depths. We were able to identify eight sea-level rises and falls that can be attributed to 405 kyr eccentricity cycles. The amplitudes of the sea-level changes were most likely in the range of several tens to a few hundred metres. The deposition of carbonate turbidites at Nkalagu was probably triggered by eustatic sea-level lowstands.


2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. AURELL ◽  
B. BÁDENAS

The outcrops of the Sierra de Albarracín (NE Spain) allow a precise reconstruction of the shallow sedimentary domains of a late Kimmeridgian carbonate ramp, developed in western marginal areas of the Iberian Basin. The sedimentary record shows a hierarchical sequence stratigraphic organization, which implies sea-level changes of different frequencies. The studied succession is arranged in a long-term transgressive–regressive sequence, which is likely to reflect local variation in the subsidence rates. This sequence includes four higher-order sequences A to D, which have variable thickness (from 3 to 21 m). The similar sedimentary evolution observed in distant localities suggests the existence of high-frequency sea-level fluctuations controlling the sequence development. The average amplitude of these cycles would range from 5 to 10 m. The precise estimation of their duration (some few hundreds of kyr) and their possible assignment to any of the long-term orbital cycles (the 100 or the 400 kyr eccentricity cycles) is uncertain. Sequences A and B, formed during the long-term transgressive interval, are relatively thin (from 3 to 9 m) give-up sequences that were never subaerially exposed. These sequences are locally formed by five shallowing-upward elementary sequences. Sequences C and D are catch-down sequences with evidence of emersion of subtidal facies. Sequence C, formed during the stage of maximum gain of long-term accommodation, is the thickest sequence (from 13 to 21 m) and includes coral–microbial reefs (pinnacles up to 16 m in height). The increased production rates were able to fill part of the accommodation created during the early stage of high-frequency sea-level rise and the shallow platform was eventually exposed to subaereal erosion and meteoric cementation.


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