四川盆地东北部下三叠统飞仙关组碳酸盐蒸发台地沉积相

四川盆地早三叠世飞仙关早期的环境基本上继承了晚二叠世长兴末期的格局。在川东北地区演化为碳酸盐蒸发台地。蒸发台地飞仙关组为一套含硫酸盐的富白云岩的蒸发潮坪沉积层系。下部为薄层的含石膏、硬石膏晶体、团块及肠状石膏层的泥晶灰岩、微晶白云岩组成的小潮差蒸发潮坪层序。中部为层状鲕粒白云岩、鲕粒灰岩的潮下鲕粒滩相与萨布哈环境的富层状膏岩的膏坪相、含石膏岩的膏云坪相组成的大潮差蒸发潮坪层序。上部为中薄层状富泥的含石膏质夹层的泥质泥晶灰岩、微晶白云岩组成的旋回性清楚的似蒸发潮坪层序。这三种层序的纵向组合在蒸发台地相区可以很好对比,尽管各层序厚度有明显变化。强烈白云石化的鲕粒白云岩是四川盆地飞仙关组大中型气藏的主要储层,依据鲕粒岩的相序特征可将其分为有障壁性质的台缘鲕粒坝和台内鲕粒滩两类。蒸发台地西缘的台缘鲕粒坝在飞仙关期基本稳定。东缘的台缘鲕粒坝在飞仙关中后期大幅度向盆地方向迁移。     

Long-distance correlation between tectonic-controlled, isolated carbonate platforms by cyclostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy in the Devonian of South China

During the early Middle Devonian in South China, an extensive carbonate platform was broken up through extension to create a complex pattern of platforms, and interplatform basins. In Givetian and Frasnian carbonate successions, five depositional facies, including peritidal, restricted shallow subtidal, semi‐restricted subtidal, intermediate subtidal and deep subtidal facies, and 18 lithofacies units are recognized from measured sections on three isolated platforms. These deposits are arranged into metre‐scale, upward‐shallowing peritidal and subtidal cycles. Nine third‐order sequences are identified from changes in cycle stacking patterns, vertical facies changes and the stratigraphic distribution of subaerial exposure indicators. These sequences mostly consist of a lower transgressive part and an upper regressive part. Transgressive packages are dominated by thicker‐than‐average subtidal cycles, and regressive packages by thinner‐than‐average peritidal cycles. Sequence boundaries are transitional zones composed of stacked, high‐frequency, thinner‐than‐average cycles with upward‐increasing intensity of subaerial exposure, rather than individual, laterally traceable surfaces. These sequences can be further grouped into catch‐up and keep‐up sequence sets from the long‐term (second‐order) changes in accommodation and vertical facies changes. Catch‐up sequences are characterized by relatively thick cycle packages with a high percentage of intermediate to shallow subtidal facies, and even deep subtidal facies locally within some individual sequences, recording long‐term accommodation gain. Keep‐up sequences are characterized by relatively thin cycle packages with a high percentage of peritidal facies within sequences, recording long‐term accommodation loss. Correlation of long‐term accommodation changes expressed by Fischer plots reveals that during the late Givetian to early Frasnian increased accommodation loss on platforms coincided with increased accommodation gain in interplatform basins. This suggests that movement on faults resulted in the relative uplift of platforms and subsidence of interplatform basins. In the early Frasnian, extensive siliceous deposits in most interplatform basins and megabreccias at basin margins correspond to exposure disconformities on platforms.     

南天山大山口下石炭统野云沟组碳酸盐岩岩石学特征及沉积相分析

南天山和静县大山口剖面石炭系野云沟组发育齐全,出露完好,主要由碳酸盐岩及少量碎屑岩组成,总厚度为696.8 m.岩石类型以碳酸盐岩为主,主要包括砾屑灰岩、含陆源碎屑鲕粒灰岩、生物碎屑微晶灰岩、含陆源碎屑砂屑灰岩、微晶灰岩及泥晶灰岩等.野云沟组主要为斜坡相和盆地相沉积,少量为碳酸盐台地相沉积.斜坡相主要发育砾屑灰岩、薄层...     

Research on Diageneses of Cambrian Shoal Facies Carbonate Rocks in the Xiadong Area, Hubei Province

With continuous outcrops, developed shoal fades rocks, complete types of diagenesis and changeable diagenetic environments, Cambrian strata are well developed in the Xiadong area, Yichang, Hubei Province. Under the combined influence of numerous diageneses, secondary pores can be formed, which result in better reservoir properties of the rock strata.The Cambrian rocks in this area consist of mainly carbonate rocks and secondarily detrital rocks. The carbonate rocks are dominated by grainstones including wormkalk, calcirudite-calcarenite, oolitic limestone and oncolitic limestone. Graded bedding and cross bedding are well developed in the strata, which indicates that the formation environment is of a high-energy shoal facies.In this area, there has developed a sequence of stable Cambrian platform carbonate deposition. The evolution trend is as follows: open sea shelf facies→intertidal low-energy restricted sea facies→Hntertidal high-energy shoal facies→coastal shoal facies→evaporite tidal-flat facies     

Facies sequences on a carbonate ramp: the Carboniferous Limestone of South Wales

During early Carboniferous times a major sea-level rise led to the development of an extensive carbonate ramp over what is now South Wales. Differential subsidence and sea-level changes resulted in distinctive facies sequences in the ramp succession and a model is offered which recognizes three distinct geomorpho-tectonic settings; inner, mid- and outer ramp. The inner ramp zone occurs in the more landward part of the province and was an area undergoing little or no subsidence. The sequence is dominated by oolitic grainstones and peritidal limestones representing shoal and back shoal environments. The peritidal units are transgressive deposits consisting of stacked asymmetrical shallowing-up cycles. The sequence contains many subaerial breaks and tectonic uplift resulted in base-level changes and fluvial incision. The mid-ramp zone sequence is intermediate in thickness between the inner and outer ramp successions and consists mainly of bioclastic limestones deposited below fairweather wave base. Sedimentation periodically exceeded sea-level rise and subsidence, and regressive (progradational) oolitic sand bodies developed, the thickest of which are stacked units with up to four individual sand bodies. Storm processes were of major importance in this setting. The outer ramp zone is represented by a thick sequence of muddy bioclastic limestones deposited below storm wave base and major Waulsortian reef-mounds also developed. None of the shallowing phases seen in the other ramp zones can be detected in this sequence. Subsidence and eustatic sea-level rise seem to have been the major controls on deposition but the recognition of eustatic sea-level falls is difficult. The detailed facies model for ramp carbonates presented here may be applicable elsewhere in the geological record.     

Porosity distribution in cyclic dolomites of the Lower Qiulitag Group (Upper Cambrian) in northwestern Tarim Basin,China

Increasing interests in hydrocarbon resources at depths have drawn greater attentions to the deeply-buried carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin in China. In this study, the cyclic dolomite rocks of Upper Cambrian Lower Qiulitag Group from four outcrop sections in northwestern Tarim Basin were selected to investigate and evaluate the petrophysical properties in relation to depositional facies and cyclicity. The Lower Qiulitag Group includes ten lithofacies, which were deposited in intermediate to shallow subtidal, restricted shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal environments on a carbonate ramp system. These lithofacies are vertically stacked into repeated shallowing-upward, meter-scale cycles which are further grouped into six third-order depositional sequences (Sq1 to Sq6). There are variable types of pore spaces in the Lower Qiulitag Group dolomite rocks, including interparticle, intraparticle, and fenestral pores of primary origin, inter crystal, and vuggy pores of late diagenetic modification. The porosity in the dolomites is generally facies-selective as that the microbially-originated thrombolites and stromatolites generally yield a relatively high porosity. In contrast, the high-energy ooidal grainstones generally have very low porosity. In this case, the microbialite-based peritidal cycles and peritidal cycle-dominated highstand (or regressive) successions have relatively high volumes of pore spaces, although highly fluctuating (or vertical inhomogeneous). Accordingly, the grainstone-based subtidal cycles and subtidal cycle-dominated transgressive successions generally yield extremely low porosity. This scenario indicates that porosity development and preservation in the thick dolomite successions are primarily controlled by depositional facies which were influenced by sea-level fluctuations of different orders and later diagenetic overprinting.     

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).     

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of lower carboniferous (Dinantian) boreholes from West Co. Meath,Ireland

The 2-km deep Athboy Borehole (1439/2) together with the lower part of boreholes EP30 and N915 form a standard type section for strata of Dinantian (Courceyan to Asbian) age in west Co. Meath. Above a thin basal red-bed siliciclastic sequence, the marine Courceyan shelf succession is almost 600 m thick. It comprises the Liscartan, Meath, and Moathill Formations of the Navan Group and the Slane Castle Formation of the succeeding Boyne Group. The shallow-water limestones include micrites, oolites, and sandy bioclastic packstones and grainstones with subordinate skeletal wackestones and shales. Lateral facies changes from north to south in the Navan area suggest deepening across a shelf towards a depocentre further to the south around Trim. The deeper-water Waulsortian Limestones of late Courceyan to Chadian age (Feltrim Formation, ca. 213 m thick) form a series of five sheet-like mudbanks, interbedded with generally thin units of nodular crinoidal limestones and shales. The mudbanks are formed of bryozoan-rich peloidal wackestones and lime-mudstones with phase C and D components. Rare soft-sediment breccias occur at the bottom and top of banks. The succeeding Fingal Group commences with a thin interval (3–20 m) of black shales, laminated packstones, and micritic limestones of Chadian age, the Tober Colleen Formation. This is followed by the Lucan Formation (Chadian to Asbian) predominantly of laminated and graded calciturbidites, laminated sandstones, cherts, and black shales, which is over 1300 m thick. Ten sedimentary units have been informally defined, based on lithofacies and facies associations. The oldest unit, the Tara Member, is characterized by proximal debris-flow breccia deposits and nodular mudstones. A thick bioturbated micrite and shale unit (Ardmulchan Member) in the middle of the formation is overlain directly by a coarse oolitic and crinoidal grainstone unit (Beauparc Member). Near the top of the formation is a distinctive unit of coarse-grained laminated sandstones and shales (Athboy Member). The highest rocks in the Borehole are clean thickly-bedded limestones of the Asbian Naul Formation (>90 m thick). The youngest Dinantian strata in the area, the Brigantian Loughshinny Formation, marks a return to shale-dominant basin sedimentation. The significance of this work lies in the fact that the Athboy borehole is the longest continuously cored borehole in the Carboniferous of Ireland and provides a continuous sedimentary and biostratigraphic record for the northern part of the Dublin Basin. Foraminiferal biozones (Cf2–Cf6) have been recognized in this and in borehole N915, and Stage boundaries identified, which can be applied throughout the Basin. The sedimentary record for the Lucan Formation indicates four tectonic pulses during the Viséan, in the late Chadian/early Arundian, mid-Arundian, Holkerian, and late Holkerian/early Asbian.     

西藏改则热那错上三叠统日干配错组碳酸盐岩岩石学特征与沉积环境*

西藏改则县热那错东沟剖面上三叠统卡尼阶至瑞替阶日干配错组沉积了厚度较大的碳酸盐岩地层,其中化石丰富。在碳酸盐岩中识别出11种主要的岩石类型：灰泥灰岩﹑含生物碎屑灰泥灰岩、生物碎屑粒泥灰岩、生物碎屑泥粒灰岩、内碎屑泥粒灰岩、内碎屑颗粒灰岩、藻颗粒灰岩、多种类型鲕粒灰岩、单一类型鲕粒灰岩、球粒泥粒灰岩和生物礁灰岩。根据岩石特征及组合类型可划分为5种沉积相：陆源碎屑滨岸相、局限台地相、开阔台地相、台地边缘浅滩相和台地边缘礁相,它们共同构成了日干配错组4个有序的海侵—海退旋回,整体显现出海侵的相序结构。     

The Late Jurassic Tithonian, a greenhouse phase in the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous 'cool' mode: evidence from the cyclic Adriatic Platform, Croatia

Well‐exposed Mesozoic sections of the Bahama‐like Adriatic Platform along the Dalmatian coast (southern Croatia) reveal the detailed stacking patterns of cyclic facies within the rapidly subsiding Late Jurassic (Tithonian) shallow platform‐interior (over 750 m thick, ca 5–6 Myr duration). Facies within parasequences include dasyclad‐oncoid mudstone‐wackestone‐floatstone and skeletal‐peloid wackestone‐packstone (shallow lagoon), intraclast‐peloid packstone and grainstone (shoal), radial‐ooid grainstone (hypersaline shallow subtidal/intertidal shoals and ponds), lime mudstone (restricted lagoon), fenestral carbonates and microbial laminites (tidal flat). Parasequences in the overall transgressive Lower Tithonian sections are 1–4·5 m thick, and dominated by subtidal facies, some of which are capped by very shallow‐water grainstone‐packstone or restricted lime mudstone; laminated tidal caps become common only towards the interior of the platform. Parasequences in the regressive Upper Tithonian are dominated by peritidal facies with distinctive basal oolite units and well‐developed laminate caps. Maximum water depths of facies within parasequences (estimated from stratigraphic distance of the facies to the base of the tidal flat units capping parasequences) were generally <4 m, and facies show strongly overlapping depth ranges suggesting facies mosaics. Parasequences were formed by precessional (20 kyr) orbital forcing and form parasequence sets of 100 and 400 kyr eccentricity bundles. Parasequences are arranged in third‐order sequences that lack significant bounding disconformities, and are evident on accommodation (Fischer) plots of cumulative departure from average cycle thickness plotted against cycle number or stratigraphic position. Modelling suggests that precessional sea‐level changes were small (several metres) as were eccentricity sea‐level changes (or precessional sea‐level changes modulated by eccentricity), supporting a global, hot greenhouse climate for the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) within the overall ‘cool’ mode of the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous.     

羌塘盆地隆鄂尼-鄂斯玛古油藏带中侏罗统布曲组岩相古地理研究

羌塘盆地隆鄂尼-鄂斯玛古油藏带中侏罗统布曲组含油白云岩带主要由潮坪相及潮下浅滩相颗粒灰岩和藻纹层白云岩、颗粒白云岩组成。藻纹层白云岩与颗粒灰岩组成旋回性沉积,发育藻纹层构造、鸟眼构造;含油白云岩带之间为潟湖相暗色微泥晶灰岩、泥质灰岩、介壳灰岩。采用优势相原则,横向对比分析编制隆起剥蚀区、潮坪相带、潟湖相带和潮下浅滩相带古地理展布,以及研究区生油岩与储集层及油气藏的空间分布,预测覆盖区可能存在残存油气藏分布区。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000600

Detailed studies on Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous carbonate rocks in central Hunan, southern China have led to the recognition of 25 lithofacies which can be grouped into:(1) inner ramp peritidal platform,(2) inner ramp organic bank and mound.(3) mid ramp,(4) outer ramp,and(5) shelf basin fades associations.The peritidal platform fades association dominates the Zimenqiao Formation (Namurian A or late Datangian) and is characterized by gypsum and dolostone-containing sequences, indicating a peritidal platform environment.The other four fades associations dominate the Menggongao Formation(late Famennian).Liujiatang Formation(Tournaisian or Yangruanian).Shidengzi Formations (early Visean or early Datangian).Five upward-shallowing cycles were distinguished in these three Formations.The predominant fades associations developed in each Formation demonstrate an overall transgression-regression cycle in the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous in central Hunan.The overall transgressive sequence was preserved in the Shaodong.Menggongao.and Liujiatang Formations,and the overall regressive sequence was preserved in the Liujiatang.Shidengzi.Ceshui and Zimenqiao Formations.     

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。     

Facies architecture of an isolated carbonate platform: tracing the cycles of the Latemàr (Middle Triassic, northern Italy)

The 720-m-thick succession of the Middle Triassic Latemàr Massif (Dolomites, Italy) was used to reconstruct the lagoonal facies architecture of a small atoll-like carbonate platform. Facies analysis of the lagoonal sediments yields a bathymetric interpretation of the lateral facies variations, which reflect a syndepositional palaeorelief. Based on tracing of lagoonal flooding surfaces, the metre-scale shallowing-upward cycles are interpreted to be of allocyclic origin. Short-term sea-level changes led to subaerial exposure of wide parts of the marginal zone, resulting in the development of a tepee belt of varying width. Occasional emergence of the entire lagoon produced lagoon-wide decimetre-thick red exposure horizons. The supratidal tepee belt in the backreef area represented the zone of maximum elevation, which circumscribed the sub- to peritidal lagoonal interior during most of the platform's development. This tepee rim, the subtidal reef and a sub- to peritidal transition zone in between stabilized the platform margin. The asymmetric width of facies belts within individual metre-scale cycles was caused by redistribution processes that reflect palaeowinds and storm paths from the present-day south and west. The overall succession shows stratigraphic changes on a scale of tens of metres from a basal subtidal unit, overlain by three tepee-rich intervals, separated by tepee-poor units composed of subtidal to peritidal facies. This stacking pattern reflects two third-order sequences during the late Anisian to early middle Ladinian.     

Stratigraphic evolution of the nearshore to fluvial plain of the Upper Cuyo Group,Neuquén,Argentina

The upper portion of the Cuyo Group in the Zapala region, south‐eastern Neuquén Basin (Western Argentina), encompasses marine and transitional deposits (Lajas Formation) overlain by alluvial rocks (Challacó Formation). The Challacó Formation is covered by the Mendoza Group above a second‐order sequence boundary. The present study presents the stratigraphic framework and palaeophysiographic evolution of this Bajocian to Eo‐Calovian interval. The studied succession comprises the following genetic facies associations: (i) offshore and lower shoreface–offshore transition; (ii) lower shoreface; (iii) upper shoreface; iv) intertidal–subtidal; (v) supratidal–intertidal; (vi) braided fluvial to delta plain; (vii) meandering river; and (viii) braided river. The stratigraphic framework embraces four third‐order depositional sequences (C1 to C4) whose boundaries are characterized by the abrupt superposition of proximal over distal facies associations. Sequences C1 to C3 comprise mostly littoral deposits and display well‐defined, small‐scale transgressive–regressive cycles associated with fourth‐order depositional sequences. Such high‐frequency cycles are usually bounded by ravinement surfaces associated with transgressive lags. At last, the depositional sequence C4 delineates an important tectonic reorganization probably associated with an uplift of the Huincul Ridge. This is suggested by an inversion of the transport trend, north‐westward during the deposition of C1 to C3 depositional sequences (Lajas Formation) to a south‐west trend during the deposition of the braided fluvial strata related to the C4 depositional sequence (Challacó Formation).     

重庆万盛中二叠统碳酸盐岩微相研究

重庆市万盛区中二叠统碳酸盐岩分布广泛，露头发育良好，发育有10种微相类型，即灰泥石灰岩、筵粒泥灰岩、球粒生物碎屑粒泥灰岩、生物碎屑内碎屑泥粒灰岩、荷叶藻泥粒灰岩、鲕粒内碎屑泥粒岩/颗粒岩、小有孔虫泥粒灰岩、生物碎屑泥粒灰岩、绿藻颗粒灰岩和生物碎屑颗粒灰岩。综合分析表明，研究区中二叠统形成于滨岸、局限台地和开阔台地环境，据此建立了沉积相模式。     

Anatomy of an Upper Triassic continental to marginal‐marine system: the mixed siliciclastic–carbonate Travenanzes Formation (Dolomites,Northern Italy)

The Travenanzes Formation is a terrestrial to shallow‐marine, siliciclastic–carbonate succession (200 m thick) that was deposited in the eastern Southern Alps during the Late Triassic. Sedimentary environments and depositional architecture have been reconstructed in the Dolomites, along a 60 km south–north transect. Facies alternations in the field suggest interfingering between alluvial‐plain, flood‐basin and shallow‐lagoon deposits, with a transition from terrestrial to marine facies belts from south to north. The terrestrial portion of the Travenanzes Formation consists of a dryland river system, characterized by multicoloured floodplain mudstones with scattered conglomeratic fluvial channels, merging downslope into small ephemeral streams and sheet‐flood sandstones, and losing their entire discharge subaerially before the shoreline. Calcic and vertic palaeosols indicate an arid/semi‐arid climate with strong seasonality and intermittent discharge. The terrestrial/marine transition shows a coastal mudflat, the flood basin, which is usually exposed, but at times is inundated by both major river floods and sea‐water storm surges. Locally coastal sabkha deposits occur. The marine portion of the Travenanzes Formation comprises carbonate tidal‐flat and shallow‐lagoon deposits, characterized by metre‐scale shallowing‐upward peritidal cycles and subordinate intercalations of dark clays from the continent. The depositional architecture of the Travenanzes Formation suggests an overall transgressive pattern organized in three carbonate–siliciclastic cycles, corresponding to transgressive–regressive sequences with internal higher‐frequency sedimentary cycles. The metre‐scale sedimentary cyclicity of the Travenanzes Formation continues without a break in sedimentation into the overlying Dolomia Principale. The onset of the Dolomia Principale epicontinental platform is marked by the exhaustion of continental sediment supply.     

Shallowing-upward sequences in Purbeckian peritidal carbonates (lowermost Cretaceous, Swiss and French Jura Mountains)

Purbeckian carbonates in the Swiss and French Jura (Goldberg Formation, lower Berriasian) comprise shallow-subtidal, intertidal, supratidal, low-energy, high-energy, marine, brackish, freshwater, and hypersaline facies. These facies are arranged in small (0–2–1.5 m thick) sequences which display a dominant shallowing-upward component, and which form the fundamental units of the highly structured Purbeckian sedimentary record. Six types of small-scale sequences can be recognized. A: intertidal to supratidal overprinting of shallow lagoonal facies; B: algal-marsh sequence with frequent dolomitization; C: sabkha sequence, often associated with collapse breccia; D: tidal-flat sequence with desiccation features; E: lacustrine sequence; F: terrestrial overprinting of subtidal or intertidal facies. Episodic event deposits such as tempestites are superimposed] Thin transgressive beds which rework elements of the underlying facies are frequently found at the base of the sequences. Green marls and black pebbles are common at the top and indicate long subaerial exposure. The sequences are often incomplete, as subtidal facies may be absent, or their upper part can be eroded. Lateral facies changes are common, which is due to the very shallow and partly emergent Purbeckian platform where various depositional environments were juxtaposed. However, many sequence boundaries are well developed and can be correlated over large parts of the study area. The Purbeckian shallowing-upward sequences were generated by climatically controlled sea-level changes. Autocyclic processes occurred locally, but were overprinted by drops of sea-level affecting the entire platform. The small-scale sequences are most probably related to the 20 000-year cycle of the precession of the equinoxes. Larger sequences with usually well-developed emersion surfaces are attributed to the 100 000 and 400 000-year eccentricity cycles of the Earth's orbit. Identification and correlation of sequence boundaries makes it possible to set up a framework of isochronous surfaces (which often cut across facies boundaries), and thus to interpret in detail the palaeogeographic, sedimentological and diagenetic evolution of the Purbeckian peritidal carbonate environments.     

The St George Group (Lower Ordovician) of western Newfoundland: tidal flat island model for carbonate sedimentation in shallow epeiric seas

The St George Group consists of peritidal carbonate rocks deposited on the continental shelf of North America bordering the ancient Iapetus Ocean. These Lower Ordovician rocks are similar to other lower Palaeozoic limestones and dolostones that accumulated in epeiric seas and veneer cratonic areas worldwide. A wide variety of facies in the St George is grouped into seven lithotopes, interpreted to represent supratidal, intertidal and shallow, high- and low-energy subtidal environments. Rapid lateral facies changes can be observed in some field exposures, and demonstrated by correlation of closely spaced sections. The stratigraphic array of these lithotopes, although too irregular to be simplified into shallowing-upward cycles, suggests that they were deposited as small tidal flat islands and banks. Shallow subtidal areas around islands generated sediment and permitted tidal exchange. Tidal flat islands were somewhat variable in character at any one time, and evolved with changing regional hydrographic conditions. The St George rocks suggest an alternative theory of carbonate sedimentation in large, shallow epeiric seas, namely as small islands and banks built by processes that operated in a tidal regime. Furthermore, this island model provides a framework for a mechanism of cyclic carbonate sedimentation, by which small-scale, peritidal cycles represent tidal flat islands that accreted vertically and migrated laterally as local sediment supply from neighbouring subtidal areas waxed and waned during relatively constant subsidence.