Cephalopod limestone deposition on a shallow pelagic ridge: the Tafilalt Platform (upper Devonian, eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

As a result of early Variscan tectonic movements and of differential subsidence, a platform and basin topography was created along the northern margin of the Sahara Craton during the late Devonian. In the Moroccan Anti-Atlas Mountains, the Tafilalt Platform is an approximately N-S running ridge which developed since the late Middle Devonian. It separated a slowly subsiding shallow basin in the east (Tafilalt Basin) from a rapidly subsiding furrow in the west (Mader Basin). Platform deposits are characterized by highly reduced thicknesses, shallow subtidal to supratidal deposits in the late Frasnian and by unconformities at the Lower/Upper Frasnian and the Frasnian/Famennian boundaries. After a local transgression over emergent areas in the north, water depth probably never reached more than several tens to about 100 m in the lower Famennian. Cephalopod limestones of this age, deposited on the platform, represent a very diverse facies pattern comprising quartz-rich brachiopod coquinas, crinoidal limestones, thick-bedded cephalopod limestones and nodular limestones. Sedimentation rates ranged from 1 to 5 mm/ 1000 yr. In the late Famennian more uniform marl and nodular limestone facies suggest slightly deeper environments. Platform margins are characterized by higher rates of subsidence, debris flow deposits and slump structures. In the relatively shallow Tafilalt Basin, marls with intercalated nodular limestones were deposited. In the Mader Basin, sandy and calcareous turbidites suggest deeper water conditions in the late Devonian. During the Strunian/Tournaisian the whole area was overwhelmed by a thick deltaic sequence. The general facies distribution is in agreement with depositional models of other Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous cephalopod limestones in the European Variscan orogenic belts. In all these cases, condensed cephalopod limestones occupy a distinct palaeogeographic position in predictable facies sequences that reflect pre-orogenic phases in the Variscan geodynamic cycle. Moreover, close parallels exist with condensed sequences in the Triassic and Jurassic that occur in a very similar position within the Alpine orogenic cycle.     

Deposition and diagenesis of debris flows in Upper Ordovician limestones, Hadeland, Norway

The Upper Ordovician rocks of Hadeland, Norway, form a sequence of thin bedded nodular limestones (wackestones) and shales, hosting five distinctive sedimentary breccia complexes. These breccias contain blocks of varying sizes and shapes in a wackestone and grainstone matrix. Blocks differ in lithology, and in their included biotas and cement sequences. The thin bedded limestones are interpreted as turbidites, deposited against a background of hemipelagic calcareous shales. The breccias occupy channels cut into this sequence. The lithologies and biotas of blocks in the breccias record deposition in differing sedimentary environments, whereas their cements are the results of contrasting diagenetic histories. Blocks were eroded from a diverse and mature carbonate platform, close to sea level, which probably lay 5–10 km east of Hadeland. The breccias are interpreted as debris flow deposits, transported as channellized flows. Following channel cutting events, perhaps triggered by sea level change, channels were characterized by deposition rather than erosion. Wackestones and grainstones associated with the breccias also reflect resedimentation, their less diverse biota suggesting local derivation on the slope. The reworking of calcarenaceous muds locally produced clean washed calcarenites (now grainstones). A fall in sea level resulted in emergence of the upper slope and erosion of the debris flow complex to form caverns and fissures. As sea level rose again crinoidal calcarenites, now grainstones, were deposited within these cavities. Cement sequences in blocks record early marine and burial conditions on the shelf, and also precipitation of new marine cements following downslope transport. Those cements in lithologies formed in situ document later shallowing, culminating in emergence. The localized dissolution of cements in both blocks and associated grainstones reflects the infiltration of ‘aggressive’meteoric waters through permeable channel deposits. A subsequent rise in sea level is recorded in the generation of an additional marine cement with final burial reflected in the deposition of blocky calcite. The debris flow deposits therefore maintained their distinctive character from deposition through diagenesis.     

四川宣汉盘龙洞上二叠统长兴组沉积相与岩石地层精细划分

盘龙洞剖面长兴组与普光气田同属于川东北的碳酸盐台地边缘相礁滩相层序,其岩石地层和沉积相研究结果对于认识普光气田、龙岗气田的储层发育和分布规律具有很好的参考作用。根据对薄片的仔细观察分析以及对相关地层的认识,对剖面长兴组的结晶白云岩地层进行了原岩恢复。根据古生物面貌及岩石组构特征,将盘龙洞剖面长兴组自下而上划分四段:下生屑岩段、礁灰岩段、上生屑岩段、微生物岩段。下生屑岩段包括了下部含小型有孔虫的深水陆棚相泥晶灰岩、以及上部含腕足类和棘皮类的浅水陆棚相生屑泥粒岩。礁灰岩段厚达108m,由海绵骨架岩和障积岩组成。上生屑岩段厚约45.3m,已经白云石化为细晶白云岩,导致前人往往误划分为蒸发台地相。仔细观察后仍然可以进行原岩恢复,主要由生屑泥粒岩、粒泥岩组成,含棘皮类、有孔虫、粗枝藻、等组成的群落。微生物岩段厚约8.7m,不仅地层以不规则薄层状为特征,而且含有特征的微生物群落。与普光6井、湖北利川见天坝长兴组剖面对比后发现,它们有相似的沉积层序:下部的深水相灰岩、中部的生物礁岩、上部的开阔台地相或相似环境的生屑灰岩。这应代表台缘礁滩相带的典型层序,可作为认识台缘礁滩相储层的基础。前人研究未能识别长兴组顶部的微生物岩段。这直接导致了二叠系—三叠系界线的无法正确确定。本文提出可以把微生物岩段作为一个岩石地层单位对待,可以作为确定二叠系—三叠系界线的标志层,把界线放在微生物岩段的中部。     

桂林泥盆纪碳酸盐台地的发育

桂林地区中、晚泥盆世大量发育的碳酸盐岩构成了一个东西宽近４０ｋｍ、南北长近８０ｋｍ的浅海碳酸盐台地，其岩相变化复杂，生物群落丰富。本文论述了碳酸盐台地形成各阶段的岩相和生物相特征，阐明了影响碳酸盐台地形成的因素，认为从滨岸碎屑环境变为成熟碳酸盐台地中间阶段的沉积物──混积岩及滩（补丁礁）和滩间沉积物在碳酸盐台地形成过程中不可忽视。     

Late Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous) platform carbonate stratigraphy of the Buttevant area North Co. Cork,Ireland

A thick sequence of late Dinantian (Asbian–Brigantian) carbonates crop out in the Buttevant area, North Co. Cork, Ireland. A mud-mound unit of early Asbian age (the Hazelwood Formation) is the oldest unit described in this work. This formation is partly laterally equivalent to, and is overlain by, over 500 m of bedded platform carbonates which belong to the Ballyclogh and Liscarroll Limestone Formations. Four new lithostratigraphic units are described within the platform carbonates: (i) the early Asbian Cecilstown Member and (ii) the late Asbian Dromdowney Member in the Ballyclogh Limestone Formation; (iii) the Brigantian Templemary Member and (iv) the Coolbane Member in the Liscarroll Limestone Formation. The Cecilstown Member consists of cherty packstones and wackestones that are inferred to have been deposited below fair-weather wavebase. This unit overlies and is laterally equivalent to the mud-mound build-up facies of the Hazelwood Formation. The Dromdowney Member is typified by cyclic-bedded kamaenid-rich limestones possessing shell bands, capped by palaeokarst surfaces, with alveolar textures below and shales above these surfaces. The carbonates of this unit were deposited at or just below fair-weather wavebase, the top of each cycle culminated in subaerial emergence. The Templemary Member consists of cyclic alternations of subtidal crinoidal limestones capped by subtidal lagoonal crinoid-poor, peloidal limestones possessing coral thickets. Intraclastic cherty packstones and wackestones characterize the Coolbane Member, which is inferred to have been deposited below fair-weather wavebase but above storm wavebase. The early Asbian Cecilstown Member has a relatively sparse micro- and macrofauna, typified by scattered Siphonodendron thickets, archaediscids at angulatus stage and common Vissariotaxis. Conversely, macro- and microfauna is abundant in the late Asbian Dromdowney Member. Typical late Asbian macrofossils include the coral Dibunophyllum bipartitum and the brachiopod Davidsonina septosa. The base of the late Asbian (Cf6γ Subzone) is recognized by the first appearance of the foraminifers Cribrostomum lecompteii, Koskinobigenerina and the alga Ungdarella. The Cf6γ Subzone can be subdivided into two biostratigraphic divisions, Cf6γ1 and Cf6γ2, that can be correlated throughout Ireland. Relatively common gigantoproductid brachiopods and the coral Lonsdaleia duplicata occur in the Brigantian units. The base of the Brigantian stage (Cf6δ Subzone) is marked by an increase in the abundance of stellate archaediscids, the presence of Saccamminopsis-rich horizons, Loeblichia paraammonoides, Howchinia bradyana and the rarity of Koninckopora species. Changes in facies at the Cecilstown/Dromdowney Member and the Ballyclogh/Liscarroll Formation boundaries coincide closely with the changes in fossil assemblages that correspond to the early/late Asbian and the Asbian/Brigantian boundaries. These facies changes are believed to reflect major changes in relative sea-level on the Irish platforms. The sea-level variations that are inferred to have caused the facies changes at lithostratigraphic boundaries also brought in the new taxa that define biostratigraphic boundaries. Moreover, many of the Dinantian stage boundaries that are defined biostratigraphically in Great Britain, Belgium and the Russian Platform also coincide with major facies boundaries caused by regressive and transgressive episodes. The integration of detailed biostratigraphic analyses with facies studies will lead to better stratigraphic correlations of Dinantian rocks in northwest Europe. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facies architecture of a Late Jurassic carbonate ramp: the Korallenoolith of the Lower Saxony Basin

The sedimentary succession of a Late Jurassic (Oxfordian to basal Kimmeridgian) carbonate ramp is described and interpreted. The study area is located in the central part of the Lower Saxony Basin in NW Germany, which forms part of the Central European Basin. Eight well-exposed and undeformed sections of the study area (Süntel area, Wesergebirge and eastern part of the Wiehengebirge) provide detailed information about lithofacies and lateral thickness variations. Biostratigraphically, the age of these sediments is poorly constrained. Twenty microfacies types are recognized that can be grouped into seven facies associations: (a) strongly bioturbated marlstones deposited near storm wave base (SWB), (b) foraminifera-rich wackestones, (c) wackestones and floatstones with biostromes and (d) bioclastic limestones deposited between SWB and fair-weather wave base (FWWB), (e) oolitic and iron-oolitic limestones and (f) siliciclastic sediments deposited above FWWB, and (g) lagoonal deposits. These facies associations characterize a storm dominated shallow mixed carbonate-siliciclastic ramp. Based on facies changes, quartz content, and gamma ray logs, the Korallenoolith Formation can be subdivided into a lower carbonate-dominated and an upper siliciclastic-dominated part, build up by different scales of small- to large-scale deepening- and shallowing-upward cycles. A preliminary correlation of measured outcrops of this formation is presented.     

The Cretaceous–Tertiary transition in Guatemala: limestone breccia deposits from the South Petén basin

Limestone breccia deposits in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize have recently been interpreted as proximal to distal ballistic fallout deposits, generated by a bolide impact that struck Yucatan at K/T boundary time. We review the age, lithology and the depositional environment of five K/T boundary sections in the South Petén area of Guatemala (Caribe, Aserradero, Chisec, Actela, Chemal) in order to evaluate the nature and origin of K/T limestone breccia deposition. The sections are located 500?km south of the proposed impact site at Chicxulub and trend in an east–west direction from the Guatemala/Mexico border to southern Belize. In four of the five sections examined, a breccia unit up to 50?m thick overlies reef-bearing shallow-water limestones of late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) age. Rhythmically bedded limestones, marls and siltstones of early Danian age overlie the breccia and were deposited under middle-to outer-neritic conditions. The breccia consists of differently coloured layers of shallow-water limestones. Clast size generally decreases upsection to thin layers of predominantly rounded clasts, and these fine-grained rudstones grade into grainstones at the top. In at least one section (EI Caribe) diagenetically altered glass spherules are present in the uppermost layers of the grainstone. These glass spherules are of stratigraphic position and chemical composition similar to black and yellow glass from Beloc, Haiti and Mimbral, Mexico, which some workers have chemically linked to melt glass within the breccia of the Chicxulub cores. We suggest that breccia deposition in Guatemala may have been multi-event, over an extended time period, and related to the collision of the Yucatan and Chortis plates as well as related to a major impact or volcanic event at the end of the Cretaceous.     

Zebra and boxwork fabrics in hydrothermal dolomites of northern Canada: Indicators for dilational fracturing,dissolution or in situ replacement?

Zebra and boxwork fabrics in Manetoe and Presqu'ile hydrothermal dolomites provide critical data for discrimination between hypotheses for their origin. In a unique occurrence, sets of weakly imbricated, decimetre‐sized curvilinear lenticles of white dolospar are developed within sub‐metre sized tongues of greyish‐white dolomitized crinoidal packstone and grainstone. This nascent zebra fabric has developed along wavy to nodular intra‐bed sedimentary partings. Primary bedding can be traced through dolomitized masses containing these fabrics, into the surrounding undolomitized limestone. All zebra and boxwork fabrics are confined within single beds, consistent with an early burial time of origin. No change in bed thickness occurs across zebra or boxwork fabrics within beds; this indicates a dissolutional, rather than a dilational, origin for the creation of pore space partly cemented with white dolospar. The dolomitized groundmass displays an abruptly gradational or sharp transition to centripetal saddle dolomite cement, which partially to nearly completely, occludes vugs. Circulation of geothermally heated hypersaline Devonian Elk Point basinal sea water brines led to dissolution and replacive dolomitization of limestone adjacent to vugs, and near‐contemporaneous precipitation of white dolospar within dissolutional vugs, consistent with geochemical simulations. The presence of downward‐extending galleries of white dolospar‐cemented solution‐collapse breccia provides further support for an interpretation of regional thermally driven convection of hydrothermal evaporative sea water brines across a broad area of northern Canada. The absence of gases under pressure in vacuoles within fluid inclusions from Manetoe and Presqu'ile dolospars is also more consistent with a dissolutional and contemporaneous dolomitization origin for these fabrics, rather than an origin involving dilational fracturing for space creation and dolospar precipitation. The ubiquitous presence of zebra and boxwork fabrics in hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs indicates that they are not confined fault zones and instead occur wherever precursor limestones had relatively greater porosity and permeability prior to dolomitization.     

‘Filament’ marker beds in the Karababa-A Member (Turonian) of the Arabian platform,SE Turkey: Palaeo-environmental significance,stratigraphy and correlation potential

A ‘filament’ event bed/level corresponds to the occurrence of thin elongate calcitic, shells, or plates of pelagic, bivalve or crinoidal, origin, within pelagic, laminated and organic-matter rich limestones. These organic-rich limestones had been generally deposited under hypoxic/anoxic conditions in an outer-ramp environment. These thin elongate, bivalve shells, or crinoidal plates, are found broken in small pieces, disintegrated, or simply preserved parallel to bedding as almost complete specimens. Such ‘filament’ beds were spotted in SE Turkey in deposits, namely the Karababa-A Member, around the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (C/TB) and above. On a global scale, these filament event beds illustrate sea-level rise related to eustacy and/or climatic change. The abundance of filaments close to the C/TB is a biological marker of high organic productivity resulting from a climatic change to warmer conditions. The prevailing higher sea-level conditions were then favourable to the accumulation and preservation of organic-rich facies, characteristic of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2). Using both biostratigraphic and carbon isotopic data, those deposits were dated from the latest Cenomanian-Turonian age. ‘Filament’ event beds were recorded in the same order, except for some small differences. A good number of these bio-events are global. Consequently, on a global scale, they are susceptible to constrain the C/TB, especially the base of the Turonian stage, with a significant degree of confidence.     

广西泗顶-古丹铅锌矿田中、上泥盆统碳酸盐相的特征与成矿关系的探讨

广西融安县境内的泗顶-古丹铅锌矿田面积约600平方公里。它位于江南古陆之南缘,湘、桂、粤褶皱带内。本区分布有中型铅锌矿床两处,铅锌矿、黄铁铅锌矿、黄铁矿（褐铁矿）等矿点约二十多处,是寻找铅锌矿床有利地区。 区内广泛出露下古生界寒武系清溪组（∈_q）浅变质的碎屑岩,上古生界中上泥盆统东岗岭组（D₂d）和桂林组（D₃g）碳酸盐岩及碎屑岩（图1）。早晚古生代地层与之古生代地层与之呈角度不整合接触产出,两者分别组成上下两个构造层。下构造层属于被改造了的南岭复式东西构造带北亚带的组成部分,基本构造轮廓为轴向500-70“的紧闭型同斜倒转褶皱,并发育着北东向的断裂;上构造层为轴向北北东的宽展型的褶皱,产状平缓,倾角5。-8。,发育有多阶段形成的北东向、北西向和南北向断裂,整个矿田及外围尚未发 现任何岩浆活动的迹象。     

Late Proterozoic aragonitic cement crusts, Bambuí Group, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The Late Proterozoic Pedro Leopoldo facies (Bambuí Group) in the vicinity of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, comprises alternating laminated microsparitic limestones (10–35 mm thick beds) and fibrous limestones (10–55 mm thick). The latter are composed of a mosaic of sparry calcite crystals. These irregularly crosscut rays and fans are composed of feathery precursor crystal bundles with squared-off growth zones. Ghosts of an original fibrous mineral, hexagonal in cross-section, are visible. The petrographic characteristics, very high strontium content and low magnesium content of the fibrous beds, as well as microspar beds, strongly argue for an original aragonitic mineralogy. The rays are interpreted as having formed by precipitation at the sediment-water interface, whereas the micrite was precipitated from the water column prior to deposition on the sea floor. The lack of emergence features suggests widespread aragonite precipitation under persistently subtidal conditions.     

Undications of current action in late Jurassic limestones,radiolarian limestones,saccocoma limestones and associated rocks from the subbetic of SE Spain

In the Vélez Blanco region (province of Almeia), filament limestones occur associated with pellet limestones, crinoidal limestones, radiolarian limestones, Saccocoma limestones and tintinnid limestones. These predominantly Late Jurassic rocks are underlain by Middle Jurassic oolitic limestones and overlain by Cretaceous pelagic limestones and marls.A distinction can be made between long and short filaments. The former are interpreted as undamaged valves, the latter as shell fragments of the pelagic pelecypod Bositra buchi. Bositra valves and fragments have been sorted by weak current (and/or wave) action.In the Saccocoma limestones, evidence for similar sorting of Saccocoma debris has been found.The radiolarian limestones represent a low-energy basin environment, but are not comparable with recent deep-sea radiolarian oozes.Nodular limestone intercalations and hiatuses represent a current- (and/or wave-) swept environment.The occurrence of filament-rich and Radiolaria-bearing, but benthos-poor, intervals within the oolitic limestone indicates that the deposition of such rocks can take place at moderate sea depths.     

Recognition of massive Upper Cretaceous carbonate bodies as olistoliths using rudist bivalves as internal bedding indicators (Campanian Merfeg Formation,Central Tunisia)

The Merfeg Formation (upper Campanian) of Central Tunisia crops out around the southwestern periclinal termination of Jebel el Kébar, near Sidi Bouzid. At its base is a massively bedded unit of locally dolomitized, sparsely fossiliferous micritic to microbioclastic limestone that contains several discrete, plurimetric mound-like bodies (lithosomes) of micritic limestone containing locally abundant rudists and corals. The lithosomes are separated laterally from one another by megabreccias and conglomerates containing clasts of similar lithology and are overlain, with sharp contact, by onlapping argillaceous pelagic limestones, within which are intercalated at least two more, somewhat thinner rudist/coral limestone units. This complex of facies is laterally equivalent to thicker, deep platform limestones of the Abiod Formation to the north and east, and to restricted carbonate platform facies of the Berda Formation to the south and west. The lithosomes have previously been interpreted as in situ downslope mudmounds that became capped by rudist and coral formations, cemented, and then surrounded by erosively emplaced debris flows. However, our detailed studies of rudist orientations imply variable and in some cases relatively high angles of bedding within the lithosomes with respect to the regional dip of the host strata. Such steep inclinations of internal bedding are unlikely to have been primary. Accordingly, we propose an alternative interpretation that the lithosomes were platform-derived olistoliths, emplaced along with the associated debris flow deposits. Micritic beds, neighbouring the olistoliths are of variable thickness and contain rare large inoceramids and randomly oriented rudists, as well as locally developed microbioclastic beds with planar and small-scale swaley cross stratification. These micritic and microbioclastic beds are, by contrast, interpreted as primary (i.e., non-olistostromal) slope deposits. Whether the proposed catastrophic collapses of the original platform margin were induced by sea-level fall or seismically triggered (or a combination of the two) remains uncertain.     

徐州地区震旦系贾园组的风暴沉积

徐州地区震旦系下部的贾园组具有丰富典型的风暴沉积标志,包括各种冲刷－充填构造、丘状交错层理、碎屑流沉积、粒序层理及卷曲层理等。通过详细的野外观测及室内研究,根据风暴沉积标志的组合可划分出6种风暴沉积序列类型。其中,类型Ⅰ为具粒序层理的薄层含粉砂灰岩,形成于风暴浪基面以下的远源风暴浊流的末梢;类型Ⅱ以渠模与丘状交错层理的组合为特征,出现在风暴浪基面与晴天浪基面之间;类型Ⅲ为风暴流成因的碎屑流沉积内碎屑灰岩与底面的冲刷沟槽、丘状交错层理的组合,是形成于晴天浪基面附近的槽道碎屑流型风暴沉积;类型Ⅳ为具颗粒流沉积特征的内碎屑灰岩与冲刷面构造及丘状交错层理的组合,丘状纹层段中常见卷曲层理,形成于滩前陆棚斜坡的上部;类型Ⅴ为夹于湖相薄层灰岩中的鲕粒砾屑灰岩,为风暴水流冲越鲕滩,在滩后湖近滩一侧的风暴沉积;类型Ⅵ为湖相风暴岩,由冲刷面构造、薄层内碎屑灰岩及丘状交错层理的组合,顶部具晴天沉积。各种序列在垂向上叠置,构成向上变浅序列。风暴沉积的研究对于深化区域古地理及地层对比研究具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

Facies analysis and depositional environments of the Bhander Limestone (Precambrian), southeastern Rajasthan and adjoining Madhya Pradesh,India

Special interest is attached to the Bhander Limestone because it is the only calcareous formation in the very thick elastic sequence of Precambrian age, designated informally as the “Upper” Vindhyan. The sedimentology of the Bhander Limestone was studied in the Mandalgarh-Singoli area of southeastern Rajasthan and adjoining Madhya Pradesh with a view to interpreting the depositional environments of the formation. This study has an important bearing on the exploration for oil in India and presents one of the few examples of Precambrian limestones of which thorough modern sedimentological analysis has been made.The Bhander Limestone comprises micritic limestones, crystalline dolostones, siltstones and shales that show desiccation structures (horizontal fenestrae, bird's-eye structures, mud cracks), very shallow small channels filled with flat-pebble breccia, algal lamination, palisade structure, and occasional ripple marks, ripple lamination and micro-cross-lamination. The major petrographic constituents are micrite, intraclasts, sparry-calcite cement, pseudospar and replacement dolomite. Seven environmentally significant microfacies have been recognized: micrite, silty micrite, graded micrite, dolomitized micrite, neomorphosed micrite, intrasparrudite and intramicrudite.The Bhander Limestone Formation has been divided vertically into four lithofacies: red argillaceous micritic limestones (lithofacies A), interlaminated blue micritic limestones and red dolomite (lithofacies B), olive calcareous shales (lithofacies C), and black micritic limestones (lithofacies D). Each lithofacies is characterized by certain megascopic sedimentary features and microfacies. The various lithofacies have been interpreted as representing deposition in the different subenvironments of a generally low-energy, marginal marine environment comprising tidal flats and lagoons. The vertical changes from one lithofacies to another are interpreted as reflecting the change from one subenvironment to another brought about by the landward shifting of the boundaries of these subenvironments in response to a transgression.     

Platform and off-platform carbonates of the Upper Cambrian of western Maryland, U.S.A.

Upper Cambrian carbonates in western Maryland are comprised of platform facies (Conococheague Limestone) west of South Mountain and basin facies (Frederick Limestone) east of South Mountain. Conocheague platform carbonates contain interbedded non-cyclic and cyclic facies. Non-cyclic facies consist of cross-stratified grainstones, thrombolitic bioherms, and graded, thin-bedded dolostones. These were deposited in shallow, subtidal shelf lagoons. Cyclic facies are composed of repeated sequences of cross-stratified grainstone; ribbon-rock; wavy, prism-cracked laminite; and planar laminated dolostone. The cyclic facies are shallowing-upward cycles produced by lateral progradation of tidal flats over shallow, nearshore subtidal environments. Cyclic and non-cyclic facies are interbedded in the Conococheague in a layer cake fashion, but no higher-order cyclicity can be found. The Frederick Limestone is dominated by monotonously thick sequences of graded, thin-bedded limestones, interbedded with massive peloidal grainstones and beds of breccia up to 10 m thick in the lower Frederick. The breccias contain transported megaclasts of Epiphyton-Girvanella boundstones. The basal Frederick was deposited in a slope-to-basinal setting east of a rimmed shelf. An Epiphyton-Girvanella marginal reef along the shelf edge was the source of the blocks in the breccias. The upper Frederick Limestone formed on a carbonate ramp.     

Sedimentation in shallow to deep water carbonate environments across a sequence boundary: effects of a fall in sea-level on the evolution of a carbonate system (Ladinian-Carnian, eastern Lombardy, Italy)

In the Concarena‐Pizzo Camino Massif (Lombardy Basin, Southern Alps, Italy) the lateral transition from Ladinian‐Carnian carbonate platforms to coeval intraplatform basins is preserved. The succession records the sedimentological evidence of a sea‐level fall on a flat‐topped platform with a narrow marginal reef rim and its effects in the adjacent deeper‐water basin. Repeated high‐frequency exposures of the platform top are recorded by a peritidal–supratidal succession that overlies subtidal inner platform facies of the former highstand system tract (HST). On the slope and in the basin, the sea‐level fall is recorded by a few metre thick succession of bioclastic packstones. These facies directly lie on coarse clinostratified breccia bodies (slope facies of the former HST) or on resedimented, well‐bedded, dark laminated limestones (basinal facies of the HST). This facies distribution indicates that during the sea‐level fall carbonate production on the platform top decreased rapidly and that sedimentation in the basin was mainly represented by condensed facies. Microfacies record an enrichment, during low stand, in pelagic biota (packstones with radiolarians and spiculae), whereas the occurrence of platform‐derived, shallow‐water materials is limited to thin lenses of reworked and micritized Fe‐rich oolites and bioclasts (mainly pelecypods and echinoderms). The facies association in the Concarena‐Pizzo Camino Massif demonstrates that a highly‐productive carbonate factory was almost completely turned off during the emergence of the platform top at a sequence boundary, leading to low‐stand starvation in the basin. The reconstruction of the stratigraphic evolution of the Concarena‐Pizzo Camino carbonate platform therefore represents a significant case history for the study of the behaviour of ancient carbonate systems during a fall in sea‐level, independent of its origin (eustatic or tectonic).     

Sedimentological interpretation of high-resolution seismic facies in the Lower Freshwater Molasse (Chattian, western Switzerland)

Two shallow high-resolution seismic reflection profiles acquired across part of the western Molasse Basin near Geneva have been processed and interpreted. Three seismic facies have been identified in the Chattian Lower Freshwater Molasse. They are associated with depositional environments in a sand-bed meandering river setting. A distal floodplain environment, characterized by alternations of thick shales and thin sandstones and by palustrine-lacustrine limestones, is represented by a poorly reflective seismic facies with discontinuous reflections. Thick sand-filled channels generate a highly reflective facies with continuous reflections. Highly re-flective and continuous reflections characterize the third facies, which is generated by shales and thick proximal clastic deposits, indicative of a proximal floodplain environment. This scientific approach leads to applications in subsurface lithological predictions associated with geotechnical and environmental assessments in the densely populated Swiss Plateau where Molasse sediments form a large part of the substrate.     

A mid-Ordovician temperate carbonate shelf-the black river and trenton limestone groups of southern Ontario, Canada

Mid-Ordovician limestones of southern Ontario are usually considered to be tropical shelf limestones and interpreted using facies models derived from Recent tropical carbonate environments. Nevertheless, depositional rates, grain types, faunas, erosion surfaces, mineralogy and geochemistry are more compatible with a temperate or even cold shelf environment. In view of the low latitudes (20°S) indicated by paleomagnetism, this suggests deposition in relatively cold seas, deposition below a tropical thermocline, or that the paleomagnetic data are wrong. Similar features in other Caradocian limestones of eastern North America show that these inferred cooler conditions were widespread. If deposition occurred below a tropical thermocline, most shallow-water Caradocian limestones must be re-interpreted as deeper-water deposits. More likely, in view of the evidence for temperate conditions in shallow water, is that the whole eastern seaboard of North America was affected by cold currents arising from southern polar ice caps, and thus was a temperate shelf environment.