冷水碳酸盐岩研究现状与展望

长期以来,海相碳酸盐沉积物被广泛认为是温暖浅海沉积环境中的产物,然而近年来国外研究表明,在冷水陆架环境中,也可以形成规模的碳酸盐沉积,即冷水碳酸盐岩。通过对大量文献的调研,综述了冷水碳酸盐岩的概念、地质特征、沉积模式等方面的研究进展,并展望了该研究领域未来的发展方向。研究表明,冷水碳酸盐沉积是指在(古)纬度约30°~35°以上的温带及寒带地区、温度约20℃以下的沉积水体中,或是在富营养的寒冷上升流水体中形成的碳酸盐沉积物或岩石,其沉积特征与暖水碳酸盐岩不同。冷水碳酸盐沉积物中的生物颗粒组合以底栖有孔虫、软体动物、苔藓虫等异养生物和钙质红藻为主,缺乏造礁珊瑚和钙质绿藻以及鲕粒、集合颗粒等非骨架颗粒,而且沉积物中灰泥基质含量较少,矿物成分以方解石为主,氧同位素较重,胶结作用弱,以破坏性成岩作用为主。冷水碳酸盐沉积形态以缓坡为主,波浪磨蚀和再沉积作用较强。古代冷水碳酸盐岩的沉积特征、识别标志及其作为储层的油气资源潜力尚处于探索阶段,仍需进一步深入研究。     

The Shah Kuh Formation,a latest Barremian – Early Aptian carbonate platform of Central Iran (Khur area,Yazd Block)

The Shah Kuh Formation of the Khur area (Central Iran) consists of predominantly micritic, thick-bedded shallow-water carbonates, which are rich in orbitolinid foraminifera and rudists. It represents a late(est) Barremian – Early Aptian carbonate platform and overlies Upper Jurassic – Barremian continental and marginal marine sediments (Chah Palang and Noqreh formations); it is overlain by basinal deposits of the Upper Aptian – Upper Albian Bazyab Formation. The lithofacies changes at both, the base and top of the Shah Kuh Formation are gradational, showing that the formation is part of an overall transgressive sedimentary megacycle, and that the formational boundaries are potentially diachronous on larger distances. Analyses of facies and stratal geometries suggest that the Shah Kuh carbonate system started as a narrow, high-energy shelf that developed into a large-scale, flat-topped rudist platform without marginal rim or steep slope. The Shah Kuh Platform is part of a large depositional system of epeiric shallow-water carbonates that characterized large parts of present-day Iran during Late Barremian – Aptian times (“Orbitolina limestones” of NW and Central Iran, the Alborz and the Koppeh Dagh). Their biofacies is very similar to contemporaneous deposits from the western Tethys and eastern Arabia, and they form an important, hitherto poorly known component of the Tethyan warm-water carbonate platform belt.     

Subtropical to temperate facies from a transition zone, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic system, Palaeogene, North Carolina, USA

Palaeogene passive margin sediments on the US mid‐Atlantic coastal plain provide valuable insight into facies interaction and distribution on mixed carbonate–siliciclastic shelves. This study utilizes well cuttings, outcrop, core, and seismic data to document temporal and spatial variations in admixed bryozoan‐rich skeletal carbonates and sandy siliciclastic units that were deposited on a humid passive margin located in the vicinity of a major marine transition zone. This zone was situated between north‐flowing, warm waters of the ancestral Gulf Stream (carbonate dominated settings) and south‐flowing, cold waters of the ancestral Labrador Current (siliciclastic dominated settings). Some degree of mixing of carbonates and siliciclastics occurs in all facies; however, siliciclastic‐prone sediments predominate in nearshore settings, while carbonate‐prone sediments are more common in more open marine settings of the inner shelf break and deep shelf. A distinctive dual‐break shelf depositional profile originated following a major Late Cretaceous to Palaeocene transgression that drowned the earlier shallow platform. This profile was characterized by prominent mid‐shelf break dividing the shallow shelf from the deep shelf and a major continental shelf/slope break. Incomplete filling of available accommodation space during successive buildup of the shallow shelf preserved the topographic break on this passive margin. Storm wave base also contributed to the preservation of the dual‐break shelf geometry by beveling shallow shelf sediments and transporting them onto and seaward of the mid‐shelf break. Sediment fines in deep shelf facies were produced in place, transported downdip from the shallow shelf by storm ebb currents and boundary currents, and reworked from adjacent areas of the deep shelf by strike‐parallel boundary currents. Regional climate and boundary currents controlled whether carbonate or siliciclastic material was deposited on the shelf, with warmer waters and more humid climates favouring carbonate deposition and cooler, more arid conditions favouring glaucony and siliciclastic dominated deposition. Continuous wave and current sweeping of the shallow shelf favoured deposition of mud‐lean facies across much of the shallow shelf. Skeletal components in much of the carbonate‐rich strata formed in warm, nutrient‐rich subtropical waters, as indicated by widespread occurrences of larger benthic foraminifera and molluscan assemblages. These indicators of warm water deposition within the bryozoan‐mollusk‐rich carbonate assemblage on this shelf provide an example of a warm water bryomol assemblage; such facies generally are associated with cooler water depositional settings.     

A model for temporal changes in the faunal composition of shell gravels during a transgression on the continental shelf around the British Isles

The faunal composition of many of the cool-temperate Holocene biogenic carbonates on the continental shelf around the British Isles reflects the composition of the living fauna of the source area, although the relative proportions of particular faunal components may differ. Radiocarbon dating confirms the presence of material of various ages. Older debris is frequently discoloured and heavily bored. More recent components are unstained and contain fewer borings. Faunas can be grouped into Hard Substrate and Soft Substrate Associations.

A model is proposed for the sedimentological and faunal development of a tidal current-dominated, temperate continental shelf for several stages from low to high sea level for a shelf with (a) abundant sand supply and (b) sparse sand supply. In (a) at the start of transgression the available siliciclastic sand is initially formed into hummocky cross-stratified sands. As sea level rises, tidal currents develop and a suite of bedforms is formed. As sea level continues to rise these migrate shorewards. Sand banks and sand waves have a low faunal density and diversity. Following cessation of sand supply the sediments gradually coarsen with the accumulation of bioclastic debris. In (b), hard substrate faunas dominate throughout. As sea level rises, sand patches with a diverse fauna develop on the outer shelf. Following cessation of the sand supply the sediments become coarser.

Faunal diversity is likely to be greatest on continental shelves with minimal clastic sediment supply. Faunal assemblages from abundant sand shelves can be distinguished by the presence of a much higher proportion of infaunal species.     

西藏雅鲁藏布江缝合带二叠纪灰岩体的动物群及其古地理意义

西藏雅鲁藏布江缝合带含有从砾石级到几十平方千米大小的二叠纪灰岩体，它们没有完整的地层层序，与围岩形成混杂或滑杂堆积，长期以来对其来源的解释存在争论。本文通过对灰岩体的动物群类型、古生物地理区系及其岩石学特征等方面进行研究和比较，认为雅鲁藏布江缝合线一带的二叠纪灰岩体总体上都呈现出冈瓦纳冷水型与华夏暖水型动物群混生特点，应形成于相同或类似的沉积环境。根据珊瑚、筵、腕足类等动物群大致分为与南方冈瓦纳大陆北缘内陆棚相动物群比较接近和与更靠近古赤道区的拉萨地块动物群较为接近两种类型，其时代从早二叠世晚期至长兴期不等。灰岩体主要由肉红色或灰色纯生物碎屑灰岩组成，不含或含有很少的陆源碎屑，均孤立地分散于中生代地层中，与围岩往往呈断层接触，断层带或灰岩夹层中经常有玄武岩或其他火山岩。因此，灰岩体可能为位于冈瓦纳大陆北缘外陆棚上小型碳酸盐台地或新特提斯洋最初裂解带上的海山型碳酸盐岩沉积，受后期印度-欧亚大陆板块碰撞作用而成为外来体夹于缝合带的其他海相沉积中。     

Modern carbonate and terrigenous clastic sediments on a cool water, high energy, mid-latitude shelf: Lacepede, southern Australia

The wide Lacepede Shelf and narrow Bonney Shelf are contiguous parts of the south-eastern passive continental margin of Australia. The shelves are open, generally deeper than 40 m, covered by waters cooler than 18°C and swept by oceanic swells that move sediments to depths of 140 m. The Lacepede Shelf is proximal to the ‘delta’of the River Murray and the Coorong Lagoon. Shelf and upper slope sediments are a variable mixture of Holocene and late Pleistocene quartzose terrigenous clastic and bryozoa-dominated carbonate particles. Bryozoa grow in abundance to depths of 250 m and are conspicuous to depths of 350 m. They can be grouped into four depth-related assemblages. Coralline algae, the only calcareous phototrophs, are important sediment producers to depths of 70 m. Active benthic carbonate sediment production occurs to depths of 350 m, but carbonate sediment accumulation is reduced on the open shelf by continuous high energy conditions. The shelf is separated into five zones. The strandline is typified by accretionary sequences of steep shoreface, beach and dune carbonate/siliciclastic sediments. Similar shoreline facies of relict bivalve/limestone cobble ridges are stranded on the open shelf. The shallow shelf, c.40–70 m deep, is a wide, extremely flat plain with only subtle local relief. It is a mosaic of grainy, quartzose, palimpsest facies which reflect the complex interaction of modern bioclastic sediment production (dominated by bryozoa and molluscs), numerous highstands of sea level over the last 80 000 years, modern mixing of sediments from relatively recent highstands and local introduction of quartz-rich sediments during lowstands. The middle shelf, c.70–140 m deep, is a gentle incline with subtle relief where Holocene carbonates veneer seaward-dipping bedrock clinoforms and local lowstand beach complexes. Carbonates are mostly modern, uniform, clean, coarse grained sands dominated by a diverse suite of robust to delicate bryozoa particles produced primarily in situ but swept into subaqueous dunes. The deep shelf edge, c. 140–250 m deep, is a site of diverse and active bryozoa growth. Resulting accumulations are characteristically muddy and distinguished by large numbers of delicate, branching bryozoa. The upper slope, between 250 and 350 m depth, contains the deepest platform-related sediments, which are very muddy and contain a low diversity suite of delicate, branching cyclostome bryozoa. This study provides fundamental environmental information critical for the interpretation of Cenozoic cool water carbonates and the region is a good model for older mixed carbonate-terrigenous clastic successions which were deposited on unrimmed shelves.     

扬子地台早古生代碳酸盐重力流沉积的地质背景探讨

扬子地台早古生代碳酸盐重力流分布广,沉积类型多,发育时间长,经历了发生、发展、高峰和衰弱至终止阶段,反映了不同时期构造活动性、碳酸盐台地发育及其斜坡变化情况。重力流分布在文山—江阴深大断裂的东南侧,处在内外大陆架交界的靠外陆架一侧,也就是处在碳酸盐台地前缘斜坡地带,而大陆边缘的大陆坡应向东南方向位移在桂林—茶陵—抚州—江山一线附近,与华南海槽相毗邻。     

Carbonate ramp-to-deeper shale shelf transitions of an Upper Cambrian intrashelf basin, Nolichucky Formation, Southwest Virginia Appalachians

The Nolichucky Formation (0–300 m thick) formed on the Cambrian pericratonic shelf in a shallow intrashelf basin bordered along strike and toward the regional shelf edge by shallow water carbonates and by nearshore clastics toward the craton. Lateral facies changes from shallow basinal rocks to peritidal carbonates suggest that the intrashelf basin was bordered by a gently sloping carbonate ramp. Peritidal facies of the regional shelf are cyclic, upward-shallowing stromatolitic carbonates. These grade toward the intrashelf basin into shallow ramp, cross-bedded, ooid and oncolitic, intraclast grain-stones that pass downslope into deeper ramp, subwave base, ribbon carbonates and thin limestone conglomerate. Ribbon limestones are layers and lenses of trilobite packstone, parallel and wave-ripple-laminated, quartzose calcisiltite, and lime mudstone arranged in storm-generated, fining upward sequences (1–5 cm thick) that may be burrowed. Shallow basin facies are storm generated, upward coarsening and upward fining sequences of green, calcareous shale with open marine biota; parallel to hummocky laminated calcareous siltstone; and intraformational flat pebble conglomerate. There are also rare debris-flow paraconglomerate (10–60 cm thick) and shaly packstone/wackestone with trace fossils, glauconite horizons and erosional surfaces/hardgrounds. A 15-m thick tongue of cyclic carbonates within the shale package contains subtidal digitate algal bioherms which developed during a period of shoaling in the basin. Understanding the Nolichucky facies within a ramp to intrashelf basin model provides a framework for understanding similar facies which are widely distributed in the Lower Palaeozoic elsewhere. The study demonstrates the widespread effects of storm processes on pericratonic shelf sedimentation. Finally, recognition of shallow basins located on pericratonic shelves is important because such basins influence the distribution of facies and reservoir rocks, whose trends may be unrelated to regional shelf-edge trends.     

Neritic and pelagic carbonate sedimentation in the marine environment: ignorance is not bliss

Synthesis of available data allows us to define general patterns of late Quaternary carbonate production and sedimentation in the global ocean. During high stands of sea level, the neritic and pelagic environments appear to sequester approximately similar amounts of carbonate, whereas during low stands of sea level the decreased neritic zone produces and accumulates approximately an order of magnitude less carbonate. Assuming that global accumulation of deep-sea carbonates remains more or less constant during glacially induced changes in sea level, the ocean becomes depleted with respect to calcium carbonate during high stands and recharges during low stands. Before we can achieve a better understanding of the global carbonate system, however, we need a better understanding of key environments and processes: (a) production and accumulation on continental shelves both as potential sinks (accumulation) and as sources (export to the deep sea); (b) a better measure of pelagic carbonate production; and (c) late Quaternary (late Pleistocene and Holocene) mass accumulation rates in the deep sea.     

Burial of organic carbon and carbonate on inner shelf of the northern South China Sea during the postglacial period

Two vibrocores from the inner shelf off Hong Kong are investigated to compare the contents of organic and inorganic carbon in postglacial sediments. The compositions of organic elements and carbonate are highly variable in the core sediments, but overall drop within the compositional ranges of modern seabed sediments in the Zhujiang estuarine and its shelf area. The Holocene sediments in the inner shelf have never been subject to subaerial exposure and the organic matter and carbonate can be preserved well. The burial of carbon in river-dominated shelf environments is highly dependent on the river flux with time. Nevertheless, it is difficult to establish a simple relationship between carbon burial in sediments in relation to climatic changes of basin-wide scale due to complex controls of production, transport and deposition of organic matter and carbonate. Our study suggests that the organic carbon to nitrogen ratio can not reliably identify the sources of depositional organic matters because of selective decomposition of organic matter components during humification and sedimentation. Caution is therefore needed in using organic elemental compositions as indicators of organic matter sources and paleoenvironmental changes in the East Asian continental shelves where intense river-sea interaction and variable carbon flux in geologic record occur.     

THE CONTINENTAL MARGIN OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES: CARBONATE IN SEDIMENTS,NOVA SCOTIA TO HUDSON CANYON1

A joint survey by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U. S. Geological Survey, begun in 1962, aims at the geologic exploration of the Atlantic continental margin. This report describes the distribution of carbonate in the surface sediments between Nova Scotia and Hudson Canyon. Samples of surface sediment on a 10-mile grid reveal that over more than 90% of its area the shelf sediment contains less than 5% calcium carbonate. These low values are due to low production by aquatic organisms, a consequence of low average water temperatures. A few locales on the shelf have high carbonate concentration owing to a prolific sessile or nearly sessile fauna. Seaward of the shelf concentrations of calcium carbonate increase regularly with depth to about 30% on the upper continental rise; this increase reflects a greater relative abundance of planktonic Foraminifera due to a decrease in the rate of deposition of land derived detritus. Limestone outcrops are very rare in the area.     

Record of climatic change in neritic carbonates: turnover in biogenic associations and depositional modes (Late Miocene,southern Spain)

In order to evaluate the geological record of climatic change in neritic carbonates, we studied Late Miocene rock outcrops in southern Spain. Six episodes of reef growth are documented (Burdigalian to Messinian) in Neogene basins of the Betic Cordillera, which were located close to the margin of the global reef belt. The reefs are characterized by various zooxanthellate corals which decrease in diversity with time, andHalimeda; the youngest reefs of the latest Messinian are characterized by the dominance of the genusPorites. Late Miocene coral reefs and reef-rimmed platforms alternate over time with non-reefal carbonate ramps characterized by skeletal calcirudites or with gypsum such as that formed during the Messinian salinity crisis. The calcirudites lack reef corals, calcified green algae and extensive marine cement, but exhibit skeletal components described from both modern and fossil nontropical carbonates. These include bryozoans, mollusks, foraminifers, echinoderms and minor balanids, as well as coralline algae of a bryomol association. The presence of some larger foraminifers indicates high temperatures, close to the lower temperature threshold of the reef assemblage. Sea level lowstands and highstands are documented by wedges of bryomol carbonate and chlorozoan patch reefs or prograding platforms. Thus, temperate climate depositional modes correspond to relatively low sea levels, and warm-water modes to high sea levels. The Neogene infill of the Agua Amarga and Sorbas basins documents two of these cycles. Other climate/sea-level cycles (including Messinian gypsum in the cool water depositional mode) are well established in adjacent Neogene basins in southern Spain. This type of composite sequence seems to occur only along the margin of the global reef belt and indicates an oscillatory latitudinal movement of the margin, which is associated with global climatic change. The analysis of turnover in neritic depositional carbonate systems may therefore be considered a sensitive tool for reconstructing climatic change from the fossil record. However, warm-water modes and temperate-water modes of carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis differ significantly. For this reason the interpretation of composite system sequences by sequence stratigraphy requires an extended concept. The particular type of mixed bryomolchlorozoan depositional sequence also bears some potential for drowning, because sea level rise may be faster than the net production rate of temperate carbonate systems.     

Platforms: Shorikha formation of the Turukhansk uplift, Siberia

the shorikha basin characterized by a thick (>800 m) sequence of carbonate sediments in the upper part of the riphean section in the turukhansk uplift of siberia illustrates the dynamics of taxonomic diversity and abundance of stromatolite buildups related to changes in the structure of a carbonate platform (replacement of the relatively deep ramp by a spacious shallow shelf) and fluctuations of the relative sea level. it is shown that abundance and taxonomic diversity of stromatolite buildups were maximal in deep zones of the outer ramp being reduced to almost zero values in shallow settings of the carbonate shelf. the appearance of columnar stromatolites coincided in this basin only with brief sea-level rises (second-order transgressions). stromatolite-forming microbial communities represented an active producer of carbonate sediments for the entire basin, while the distribution of stromatolites through ramps was determined by geochemical barriers. disappearance of stromatolites from shallow carbonate shelves was controlled by rapid reduction in carbonate-production rates.     

藏北羌多——查布地区下二叠统划分与早二叠世动物群特征

下二叠统分角木茶卡组和肖茶卡组。角木茶卡组为碳酸盐岩夹玄武岩,局部夹含砾板岩,厚1000-2500m。含(蜒)类组合Monodiexodina-Parafusulina,珊瑚组合 Lytvolasma Szechuanophyllum,腕足类组合Costiferina-Neospirifer-Spiriferella等。属冷、暖动物群混生类型。肖茶卡组为碳酸盐夹玄武岩,800-2900m。含(蜒)Neoschwagerina,珊瑚组合Iranophyllum-Waagenophyllum,腕足类组合Neospirifer-Spiriferella-Marginifera等,属暖水型动物群。这些反映了早二叠世时冈瓦纳大陆北缘浅海台地深拗陷带碳酸盐和火山岩的沉积特征。     

Comparison of tropical,carbonate and temperate,siliciclastic tidally dominated sedimentary deposits: Examples from the Australian continental shelf

Surficial deposits of the tidally influenced Australian shelf seas exhibit a variation in fades related to energy gradient. These deposits comprise a high energy gravelly facies, a mobile sand sheet facies and a low energy muddy sand facies. Such a facies distribution conforms generally with the existing model of continental shelf tidal sedimentation, derived for the west European tidal seas. However, the carbonate rich and mainly warm water deposits of the Australian shelf differ from the mainly quartzose and temperate cold‐water deposits of the European type case in terms of: (i) the role of seagrasses in trapping fine‐grained sediment; and (ii) the relative importance of the production of carbonate mud by mechanical erosion of carbonate grains. Seagrasses in Spencer Gulf, Gulf of St Vincent and Torres Strait are located in regions of strong tidal currents, associated with bedforms and gravel lag deposits. Thus, in the case of tropical carbonate shelves, seagrass deposits containing fine‐grained and poorly sorted sediments are located in close proximity to high energy gravel and mobile sand facies. In contrast, the European model (for temperate, siliciclastic shelves) places facies in a regional gradient with a wide separation (in the order of 50–100 km).

Of the locations reviewed, the Gulf of St Vincent, Bass Strait, southern Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria exhibit zones of carbonate mud accumulation. The production and winnowing of carbonate mud from the mobile sand facies is a factor that must be taken into account in the assessment of a sediment budget for this facies, and which is of relatively greater importance for carbonate shelves. Insufficient data are presently available from the macrotidal North West Shelf to test the applicability of the model to this region.     

喀喇昆仑地区沉积岩特征及岩相变化

喀喇昆仑地区从二叠纪开始,广泛沉积不同类型的碎屑岩、泥质岩、硅岩、碳酸盐岩和混积岩。沉积层序发育完整,白垩纪之前基本上属于稳定的连续造海建造系列。经初步研究,除西部二叠系出现半深水陆架边缘-岛弧盆地相、陆架区冷水型冈瓦纳相沉积和东部下三叠统有具复理石或重力流性质的外陆架半深水碎屑岩-硅泥质岩建造沉积外,大部分都是以细屑岩-碳酸盐岩建造为主的地台型浅海陆棚相和浅海平原相沉积,直到保罗纪末才形成早白垩世,以红色粗碎屑岩为主的陆相磨拉石建造,从而结束了长达1.5亿年连续沉积历史。     

Sedimentary and Geochemical Characteristics of Sinian Cap Carbonates in the Upper Yangtze Region

A global-scale glaciation occurred at about 600 Ma ago. As a result, the Earth became the “Snowball Earth“. The glaciation came to the end abruptly when atmospheric carbon dioxide increased to such an extent as to be about 350 times the modem level because of subaerial volcanic degassing. The rapid termination of glaciation would have led to warming of the Snowball Earth and extreme greenhouse conditions would have been created. The transfer of atmospheric carbon dioxide to oceans would give rise to the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in warm surface seawaters, thus forming the cap carbonate rocks as observed worldwide today. Regionally persisting, thin layers of carbonate rocks directly and ubiquitously overlie Proterozoic glacial deposits almost on every continent, and are commonly referred to as cap carbonates. Their unusual litho- fabrics, stratigraphically abrupt basal and upper-level contacts and strongly negative carbonate isotopic signatures ( δ ^13Cearb. values range from -7.0‰ —0‰) suggest a chemical oceanographic origin, the details of which remain unknown. It is proposed that these enigmatic deposits are related to the destabilization of gaseous hydrate in terrestrial permafrost following rapid postglacial warming and flooding of widely exposed continental shelves and internal basins. The authors carried out studies on the geochemistry, sedimentology and palacontology of the Sinian cap carbonates in Guizhou and Hunan provinces, including the occurrence of cap carbonates of unusual fabrics, strongly negative carbon isotopic signatures, and a lot of bitumen nodules.From the results it is suggested that the cap carbonates were formed from solid methane seepage, and it is in agreement with Kennedy‘‘ s viewpoint (2001) that the cap carbonates resulted from the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in response to solid methane seepage.     

Sedimentary and foraminiferal records of Late Quaternary environmental change west of Ireland and implications for the last British–Irish Ice Sheet

Palaeoenvironmental change following deglaciation of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet on the continental shelf west of Ireland was investigated using multiproxy analyses of sediment and foraminifera data from nine sediment cores. Lithofacies associations record various depositional regimes across the shelf, which evolve from subglacial to postglacial conditions. Census data provide the first characterisation of benthic foraminifera populations across the continental shelf and multivariate analyses reveal three distinct biotopes. Biomineralization within these biotopes is restricted to ≤21 200 cal a bp by four radiocarbon ages. The transition from glacial to postglacial benthic foraminifera populations near the shelf break marks the establishment of productive, nutrient-rich, ice-distal conditions at ~20 900 cal a bp ; these conditions may also mark the start of favourable conditions for postglacial cold-water coral growth. Postglacial conditions on the inner shelf were not established until <14 500 cal a bp , suggesting glacial conditions west of Ireland may have persisted into the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial.     

Palaeo‐ice streams,trough mouth fans and high‐latitude continental slope sedimentation

The classical model of trough mouth fan (TMF) formation was developed in the Polar North Atlantic to explain large submarine fans situated in front of bathymetric troughs that extend across continental shelves to the shelf break. This model emphasizes the delivery of large volumes of subglacial sediment to the termini of ice streams flowing along troughs, and subsequent re‐deposition of this glacigenic sediment down the continental slope via debris‐flow processes. However, there is considerable variation in terms of the morphology and large‐scale sediment architecture of continental slopes in front of palaeo‐ice streams. This variability reflects differences in slope gradient, the relative contributions of meltwater sedimentation compared with debris‐flow deposition, and sediment supply/geology of the adjacent continental shelf. TMF development is favoured under conditions of a low (<1°) slope gradient; a passive‐margin tectonic setting; abundant, readily erodible sediments on the continental shelf ‐ and thus associated high rates of sediment delivery to the shelf edge; and a wide continental shelf. The absence of large sediment fans on continental slopes in front of cross‐shelf troughs should not, however, be taken to indicate the former absence of palaeo‐ice streams in the geological record.     

Mixed carbonates and siliciclastics in the Quaternary of southern Belize: Pleistocene turning points in reef development controlled by sea‐level change

The Belize barrier and atoll reefs represent one of the largest reef structures in the Atlantic Ocean. The southern shelf of Belize is a classic location of a modern mixed carbonate–siliciclastic system. Whereas knowledge of the Holocene deposits in the area is extensive, data on the Pleistocene system are fragmentary. Open questions include: (i) the nature of the reef foundations (carbonate versus siliciclastics); (ii) the ages of the deposits including the initiation of the barrier reef; and (iii) the response of the mixed system to sea‐level fluctuations. The results of a study of borings on the southern Belize shelf are presented here. Six, up to 105 m long borings were made to better understand the history of this important mixed system. Uranium‐series dating in the Pleistocene was not possible because of diagenetic alteration; however, lithostratigraphy, strontium isotopes and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy were used to constrain stratigraphic ages. Results support the contention that the Quaternary development in Belize was quite similar to that of other major barrier reefs such as the Florida Reef Tract and, further afield, the Great Barrier and the New Caledonian Barrier Reefs. All of these barrier reefs are mixed carbonate–siliciclastic systems and significant reef growth only began after the onset of high‐amplitude, eccentricity‐controlled sea‐level changes and as late as during the exceptionally long and warm marine isotope stage 11, some 400 ka. In Belize, Early Pleistocene sections at bases of borings include mollusc‐rich wackestones, rare coral packstones and marls, which were deposited under low to moderate energy conditions in a ramp setting before ca 900 ka, during the high sea‐levels of marine isotope stage 25 and possibly earlier (marine isotope stage 31 or 37). The Belize shelf was subaerially exposed for most of the mid‐Pleistocene and was dominated by siliciclastic sedimentation, possibly during marine isotope stages 24 to 12 when highstands were comparatively low. Continuous reefs at the shelf margin were developing during highstands. In the Late Pleistocene, beginning with the long and high highstand of marine isotope stage 11 (some 400 ka), the southern shelf was flooded entirely and carbonates started to dominate once more. Reefs developed on top of siliciclastic deposits on the shelf. A continuous barrier reef came into existence and largely developed on top of carbonates at the shelf margin. During Late Pleistocene lowstands, siliciclastics presumably no longer reached the shelf margin because of the topographic high of the barrier reef platform. The Quaternary Belize example may serve as a model for reconstructing ancient mixed systems in icehouse worlds, however, any extrapolations are limited by the fact that fast‐growing Scleractinian reef‐builders had not yet evolved in the Palaeozoic.