Palaeoenvironmental significance of Late Permian palaeosols in the South‐Eastern Iberian Ranges,Spain

The Late Permian (Wuchiapingian) Alcotas Formation in the SE Iberian Ranges consists of one red alluvial succession where abundant soil profiles developed. Detailed petrographical and sedimentological studies in seven sections of the Alcotas Formation allow six different types of palaeosols, with distinctive characteristics and different palaeogeographical distribution, to be distinguished throughout the South‐eastern Iberian Basin. These characteristics are, in turn, related to topographic, climatic and tectonic controls. The vertical distribution of the palaeosols is used to differentiate the formation in three parts from bottom to top showing both drastic and gradual vertical upwards palaeoenvironmental changes in the sections. Reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions based on palaeosols provides evidence for understanding the events that occurred during the Late Permian, some few millions of years before the well‐known Permian‐Triassic global crisis.     

Facies distribution of the Lower Cambrian cryptic microbial and epibenthic archaeocyathan-microbial communities, western Anti-Atlas, Morocco

Marine microbial communities recorded in the Moroccan Anti‐Atlas were unaffected across the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian transition. A stromatolite‐dominated consortium was replaced at the beginning of the Atdabanian (ca 20 Myr after the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian boundary) by shelly metazoan and thromboid consortia, which contain the oldest biostratigraphically significant fossils of the Moroccan Cambrian. The associated collapse of microbial mat (stromatolitic) growth appears to coincide with a change from pre‐Atdabanian shallow‐water restricted conditions into Atdabanian deeper, open‐sea conditions. It is postulated that this environmental change led to an episode of improved water circulation over carbonate platform interiors, promoting shelly metazoan immigration into the region. The Tiout/Amouslek lithostratigraphic contact in the early Atdabanian marks the end of an episodically unstable seafloor as suggested by the abundance of slumping and sliding structures, and synsedimentary microfaults and cracks recorded in the underlying Tiout Member. Concurrent with the transition is the occurrence of a network of cryptic fissures and cavities that provided habitats for a coelobiontic chemosynthetic–heterotrophic microbial community composed of stromatolitic crusts, Renalcis–Epiphyton–Girvanella intergrowths, and Kundatia thalli. In the overlying Amouslek Formation, archaeocyathan–thromboid reefs were constrained by substrate stability, water depth and subsidence rate. Four reef geometries are distinguished: (i) patch reefs surrounded by shales, (ii) bioherms in which flank beds intercalate laterally with carbonate and shale inter‐reef sediments, (iii) biostromes or low‐relief structures formed as a result of lateral accretion of patch reefs, and (iv) kalyptrate complexes that nucleated because of a marked tendency for aggregation, and in which patch reefs and bioherms occur stacked together bounded by clay–marl–silt seams.     

Bedload transport and bed resistance associated with density and turbidity currents

Turbidity currents in the ocean are driven by suspended sediment. Yet results from surveys of the modern sea floor and turbidite outcrops indicate that they are capable of transporting as bedload and depositing particles as coarse as cobble sizes. While bedload cannot drive turbidity currents, it can strongly influence the nature of the deposits they emplace. This paper reports on the first set of experiments which focus on bedload transport of granular material by density underflows. These underflows include saline density flows, hybrid saline/turbidity currents and a pure turbidity current. The use of dissolved salt is a surrogate for suspended mud which is so fine that it does not settle out readily. Thus, all the currents can be considered to be model turbidity currents. The data cover four bed conditions: plane bed, dunes, upstream‐migrating antidunes and downstream‐migrating antidunes. The bedload transport relation obtained from the data is very similar to those obtained for open‐channel flows and, in fact, is fitted well by an existing relation determined for open‐channel flows. In the case of dunes and downstream‐migrating antidunes, for which flow separation on the lee sides was observed, form drag falls in a range that is similar to that due to dunes in sand‐bed rivers. This form drag can be removed from the total bed shear stress using an existing relation developed for rivers. Once this form drag is subtracted, the bedload data for these cases collapse to follow the same relation as for plane beds and upstream‐migrating antidunes, for which no flow separation was observed. A relation for flow resistance developed for open‐channel flows agrees well with the data when adapted to density underflows. Comparison of the data with a regime diagram for field‐scale sand‐bed rivers at bankfull flow and field‐scale measurements of turbidity currents at Monterey Submarine Canyon, together with Shields number and densimetric Froude number similarity analyses, provide strong evidence that the experimental relations apply at field scale as well.     

Pedogenic-phreatic carbonates on a Middle Devonian (Givetian) terrigenous alluvial-deltaic plain, Gilwood Member (Watt Mountain Formation), northcentral Alberta, Canada

In the Muskeg Trough of northcentral Alberta the Gilwood Member contains widespread carbonate deposits that formed within terrigenous mudstone and sandstone hosts. Stratigraphic, depositional and petrographic relationships indicate that these carbonates represent calcretes and dolocretes. Calcretes, observed best with cathodoluminescence, display microcrystalline alpha fabrics, circumgranular cracks, root networks, displacive growth fabrics, elongate channel voids and rare coloform growths with flower spar. Similarly, dolocretes have microcrystalline alpha fabrics, brecciation, gradational contacts with host mudstones, extensive layered nodular horizons and are associated with anhydrite and pyrite. δ¹³C values range between ?7‰ to +1‰ and –6‰ to +3‰ for calcretes and dolocretes, respectively. Oxygen isotopes are more variable and differ with host lithologies. δ¹⁸O of calcretes ranges between ?11‰ to ?8‰ for sandstones and ?8‰ to ?3‰ for mudstones, whereas δ¹⁸O of dolocretes ranges between ?3‰ to 1‰ for marine mudstones and ?6‰ to ?2‰ for pedogenic mudstones. Regional mapping indicates that calcretes thicken towards the deepest parts of the Muskeg Trough. Widespread dolocretes extend beyond the eastern and western limits of Muskeg Trough and are useful marker intervals for regional correlations. Dolocretes of restricted lateral extent are found within gleyed palaeosol mudstones next to calcretized channel sandstones. Calcrete isotopic values are interpreted as indicative of carbonate precipitation from waters with meteoric water input. However, the higher δ¹⁸O values in dolocretes are indicative of a contribution from an isotopically heavier source such as seawater. Stratigraphically, calcretes are most common along the western and northern edges of Muskeg Trough; thus, calcrete accumulation was further controlled by meteoric water in-flow from the highland to the west and sluggish groundwater flow in Muskeg Trough. In contrast, regionally widespread dolocrete horizons appear to have formed from mixing of fresh waters derived from the highland to the west and seawaters introduced from the east. Regionally restricted dolocretes which are found next to channel sandstones formed from groundwater out-flow from the permeable channel sandstones which resulted in calcretization in channel proximal mudstones and dolomitization in channel distal mudstones.     

Strontium-isotope stratigraphy as a constraint on the age of condensed levels: examples from the Jurassic of the Subbetic Zone (southern Spain)

Condensed levels are often characterized by reworked fossils that may lead to incorrect age assessments. Strontium‐isotope stratigraphy is an important chronostratigraphic tool that can be used to verify the biostratigraphic information from condensed beds. This paper describes a study of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios of 56 belemnite samples collected from 28 stratigraphic sections of the boundary between the Upper Member of the Gavilán Formation and the Zegrí Formation (Pliensbachian, Subbetic Zone). The petrographic and geochemical data (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, concentrations of Fe, Mn and Mg, and the Sr/Mn ratio) suggest that the belemnites have preserved their original marine geochemical composition. After plotting the samples in diagrams of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values against time according to their biostratigraphic age, four different groups (A, B, C and D) were obtained with respect to the reference curve. In groups A and B, the age deduced from the Sr‐isotope ratio is in total or partial agreement, respectively, with the biostratigraphic age; therefore the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio is a good method for the dating, correlation and assessment of biostratigraphic results. In groups C and D, the SIS age and the biostratigraphic age do not coincide. A graphic procedure is presented as a suitable methodology to constrain the age of the samples showing an SIS age that differs from the relative age deduced (by biostratigraphy or stratigraphic correlation) for the bed they were collected in. These situations are interpreted as being the result of reworking of the belemnites (group C) or ammonites (group D) that are included in condensed levels. These condensed levels formed during the maximum flooding event that led to the drowning of the Gavilán carbonate platform. The methodology supplied in this paper represents a valuable tool in identifying reworking processes, improving correlation and constraining biochronostratigraphic results. The values of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr represent a new contribution to the data set of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for the Pliensbachian.     

A mathematical model for unsteady supercritical flow on a mobile sandy bed

ABSTRACT

Supercritical flow with sediment transport is a common phenomenon in steep rivers. This kind of flow presents features not present in rivers flowing in subcritical conditions. The development of a mathematical model to simulate supercritical flow with sediment transport in sandy rivers is described. The model is based on a numerical scheme for the integral version of the full governing equations and takes into account bottom configurations.     

Internal anatomy of a mixed siliciclastic–carbonate platform: the Late Cenomanian–Mid Turonian at the southern margin of the Spanish Central System

The Late Cenomanian–Mid Turonian succession in central Spain is composed of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks deposited in a variety of coastal and marine shelf environments (alluvial plain–estuarine, lagoon, shoreface, offshore‐hemipelagic and carbonate ramp). Three depositional sequences (third order) are recognized: the Atienza, Patones and El Molar sequences. The Patones sequence contains five fourth‐order parasequence sets, while a single parasequence set is recognized in the Atienza and El Molar sequences. Systems tracts can be recognized both in the sequences and parasequence sets. The lowstand systems tracts (only recognized for Atienza and Patones sequences) are related to erosion and sequence boundary formation. Transgressive systems tracts are related to marine transgression and shoreface retreat. The highstand systems tracts are related to shoreface extension and progradation, and to carbonate production and ramp progradation. Sequences are bounded by erosion or emergence surfaces, whose locations are supported by mineralogical analyses and suggest source area reactivation probably due to a fall in relative sea‐level. Transgressive surfaces are subordinate erosion and/or omission surfaces with a landward facies shift, interpreted as parasequence set boundaries. The co‐existence of siliciclastic and carbonate sediments and environments occurred as facies mixing or as distinct facies belts along the basin. Mixed facies of coastal areas are composed of detrital quartz and clays derived from the hinterland, and dolomite probably derived from bioclastic material. Siliciclastic flux to coastal areas is highly variable, the maximum flux postdates relative sea‐level falls. Carbonate production in these areas may be constant, but the final content is a function of changing inputs in terrigenous sediments and carbonate content diminishes through a dilution effect. Carbonate ramps were detached from the coastal system and separated by a fringe of offshore, fine‐grained muds and silts as distinct facies belts. The growth of carbonate ramp deposits was related to the highstand systems tracts of the fourth‐order parasequence sets. During the growth of these ramps, some sediment starvation occurred basinwards. Progradation and retrogradation of the different belts occur simultaneously, suggesting a sea‐level control on sedimentation. In the study area, the co‐existence of carbonate and siliciclastic facies belts depended on the superimposition of different orders of relative sea‐level cycles, and occurred mainly when the second‐order, third‐order and fourth‐order cycles showed highstand conditions.     

Namurian bentonites in the Pennine Basin, UK – origin and magmatic affinities

Nine Namurian clay bands retrieved from boreholes in the northern part of the Pennine Basin are, on the basis of their petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry, shown to be volcanic in origin and are therefore bentonites. The bentonites, which have a fragmental texture, are normally graded and show rare preservation of shard textures, representing vitric tuff deposits that have been altered subsequently to clay-dominated horizons. Crystals are a minor component of the bentonites, but biotite, in particular, is concentrated at the base of the beds. A clay mineral assemblage of mixed-layer illite–smectite with subordinate kaolinite identifies most of the samples as K-bentonites, but kaolinite dominates two samples that can be classed as tonsteins. Temporal variation of salinity within the depositional basin is suggested to explain these different clay assemblages. The major element geochemistry of the bentonites reflects their clay mineralogy and the compositions of diagenetic minerals present, the latter including pyrite, carbonates and hydroxyapatite. Enrichment of the bentonites in some trace elements (including Ba, Sr, Pb, Cu and Ni) can be related to the presence of the diagenetic minerals, but the extent to which the elements are added from external sources as opposed to being redistributed within the ash is unclear. Immobile trace element systematics suggest a rhyodacite/dacite composition for the original ash and derivation from the collision of plates, this being supported by evidence provided by the rare earth elements (REE) in one group of samples. However, in another group of samples, variations in REE concentrations may be caused by mobility of these elements during alteration. The chemistry of the Namurian bentonites contrasts markedly with that of the local Carboniferous volcanics but is comparable, in some respects, with one group of Westphalian tonsteins, although the latter are more rhyolitic in character. It is suggested that the Namurian bentonites and the Westphalian tonsteins of acid affinities originated from volcanic activity associated with a destructive plate margin in the Variscan externides and that the observed compositional trend may reflect magma evolution possibly related to the progressive east–west closure.