Luis Pomar and William C. Ward .... phologie in Ihe reef-eore lilhofueie Wilh re J>CCI lO !he palcobalhymetry is an ...... and lheir scismic expression. in Wilgus.
Sequence Stratigraphy and Depositional Response to Eustatic, Tectonic and Climatic Forcing Editad by Bilal U. Haq
Kluwer Academic Publishers
CHAPTER4
Sea-LeveI Changes, Carbonate Production and PIatform Architecture: The LIucmajor PIatform, Mallorca, Spain
Luis Pomar and William C. Ward ABSTRACT: The lI'lIlal archilCClure oflhe Uppcr Miocene cor l-rcef plaúonn of soulh we lem Mallorca, Spain, i conlrollcd by high-frequency chllnges in accommodalion and sedimenl upply (carbonale produclion), in Ihe ab en e of igniflcanl compaclion and ub idence during progradalion. In lhi example, carbonale produ lion and accommoda lion chang are nol indepcnd ni faclor and bolh are, in lum. controlled by lhe ch nges of sea-Ievel and morphology of Ihc dcpo ilional profile of lhe ba in lloor. Thc basic unir of ccrelion is Ihe igmoid which la ks in ever larger accrelional unils: set ,eo 1, and megaselS of igmoid. AH of Ih' e ccrclional unil have lhe same charocleri lie in lerm of tralal geomclries, facie lltchileclure and boundlng surf ces, and may be vicwed a depo ilional equenees rellccling differenl hierarchicaJ orden of sea-Ievel f1uclualion . The lrolal and facies archileclure in igmoids. IS, eolS, and mega IS, renecl higher produclion of carbonale during sea-Ievel rises aOO lower production during ea-Icvel lill land and ea-Ievel fall . Their sla king paneros alJow definition of four rcef-phllform y lem Ira I : low- lill land. aggrading, high- liU I nd and ornapping. On largcr ale, progradalion ofcarbontlle recf omplex i eXlen ive (up lo 20 km) loward lhe oUlh. whcrc Ihc ba in was hallow, bUI progradalion i mu h les (l lhan 2 km) loward Ihe we 1, along Ihe margin of lhc relalively dceper Palma Ba in. Thi results from Ih lecpncss and ovcrall morphology of lhe dcpo ilional profile within lhe conl xl of lluclualing ea Icvcl thol conlrols carbonate produ lion. Progradation of \he recfal y lem i moreignificanl during sell·lcvc! ~ 11 on a genlle depo itional profile. The sub cquenl sea-Ievel ri c CJ'CllIC a widc lagoon which cnhane' carbonate production and down lope hedding of edimcnl. A tcepcr lopographic gradlenl allows only minor recf prograd lion during ca-Icvcl falls and, ub cqucntly, a small lagoonalarea iscrealcd during nooding ofth plalform,leading lO proportionally maJl carbonate production and down lope hedding. Thi cxample i1lu Irul howa recfal carbonale plalform respond lO high-frequcn y ca-le el changc and how il differs fr m i1icicla tic y Icm . 87 B. U. Haq (td.J.
Stqutnu Srrati ,aphy and Dtpo itiofUlI RtSPOflSt to El tatle. Ttetonic and Climatie Fo' in • 7-112.
e 1995 KIUlllt, Aeadtmlc Publisll 's. P,inttd in tlt tthtrlaf,ds.
L. Pomar, Wc. Ward
88
l.
Introduction
Although equence stratigraphy has been demonstrated to be a successful tool in edimentary geology, providing the basi for correlation and prediction, sorne aspects of its application to carbonate ti11 remain controversial. Of particular interest is the que tion of how changes in accommodation are expressed in !he stratal arhitecture of carbonate deposilional sequences as eompared to the basie Exxon model for silicicla tic equences. Another et of questions centers around the relative importance of aeeommodation versu ediment upply in creating and haping carbonate depo itional equenees. To what extent can the cau e-and-effect eoncepts of standard equence tratig raphy be direetly applied to the carbonate system? There are a number of major differences between genetic factors that control the development of depositional sequence in carbonates and clastics. (Sarg, 1988; Haq, 1991; Schlager, 1991, 1992, 1993; Handford and Loucks, 1993; Hunt and Tucker, 1993). Carbonates are often biological systems that are built up in- itu. Carbonate production is clo ely related to lhe ea I vel, changes in which affect both accommodation and produe tion. Thi contra t markedly with cla tics that are govemed by lateral input of phy ically eroded ediment from the continent into the basin. Facie architecture in carbonate depositional equence ,therefore, i a ensitive reflection of relative ea-Ievel tluctuation . The i sue has become even more eomplicated by the recent recognition of high-frequency depo itional equences from sei mic and well-Iog data, as well as outcrop studies. The different magnitude equence are proving to be scale and time independent (Mitehum and Van Wagoner, 1991; Posamentier and others, 1992; Pomar, 1991; Pomar and Ward, 1994; Sonnenfeld, 1993; Sonnenfeld and Cross, 1993; Abbon and Carter, 1994). The absence of high-re olution chrono tratigraphic criteria, however, make it diffieult to a certain the temporal scale of the high-frequency depo itional equence, and con equently the u e of eyelieity as a corre\ation tool. The Upper Miocene progradationa\ coral-reef p\atform eropping out at the southern ea-cliff of the Spani h island of Mallorca provides new data which can addre s sorne of the questions about carbonate sequence stratigraphy. This paper will show how the L1ucmajor Carbonate Platform re ponded to Late Miocene change in accommodation, to what extent the depo itional sequenees differ from the standard model ,and what general applications of carbonate sequence tratig raphy may be extracled from the Mallorca example.
2. The L1ucmajor Platform Mallorca Island (Fig. 1) ha a basin-mnge configuration, that re ulted from Late Miocene to Early Plei tocene extensional faulting. The mountain range are horsts blocks of the Alpine foldbelt characterized by NE-trending thrust sheets, which re ulted from northwe tward thrusting during Early-Middle Miocene (Fontboté and others, 1983; Ramo -Guerrero and others, 1989). Upper Miocene, Pliocene and Plei tocene depo il onlap Ihe folded Me ozoie to Middle Miocene rocks,
The Llucmajor Plar(orm. Mallorca, Spain
"",toO':='
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89
Mallorca Alcudia platform
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~~
Campos
5Dkm ~ R-' Comptn platlorma . " .. R. .fplallCHm rnIIlllln
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Fia. 1. Simplificd il."OIo&ic mlp of MallOl"n .ho.....in¡ palcogeo¡raphy o{ Upper Mlocene (Uppcr Tortonian·Lowcr Mcuini:m) nxflll plltfonns. Thcse pllltforms ptograckd around islands resultina from Alpine (Middle Mion:nc) orogeny. Palma lO Alcudia Ruin. re5ulted from Late MiOt:e1'le lO Pkis¡Ol.:'a'Ie fllulting, whcrelU lhe Campos Ruin down-droppcd durina earl)' PleiAoccne time&. (Moditicd (rom Ponl;¡r and Ward, 1994).
consLructing near-horizonlal platfomls around the mngt:s (Samany[, Alcudia and L1ucmajor Platforms) and lilling down-
m O - - - - - - - - \ , - - - - - - - - - : : . , . . , . - - : - - - - - - - - sea level - -lO -20
L agoon
Inner
-30
fine grained coarse skeletal packestones poorty bedded (bloturbated)
coral framework with skeletal gralnstonel packestone sigmoidal bedding
skeletal graJnstonel packestone with corals
mudstonel wackestone
horizontal beds bounded by erosion surfaces
Fíg. 2. Fa ies modcl for Ihe reef-rimmcd L1uemajor Plalform. Zonalion of lhe coral.colony mor phologie in Ihe reef-eore lilhofueie Wilh re J>CCI lO !he palcobalhymetry is an importanl 1001 for high-re olulion equcncc Inlligraphic analy i .
The Reef Complex unil, conformably overlie lhe calci illile with Heleros/e gina unil, a unil a signed lO lhe 16 Blow zone (Early Tononian). On the Palma Basin, the ReefComplex i overlain by grey marl ,mud lone, and finely laminaled dolo Iones, atlribul d lO lhe Me inian "Terminal Complex" (pomar, 1991), and by the Pliocene ealcisiltite with Ammussium. Plei locene eolianite and red oil , compo d of andy skeletal grain lone ,onlap lhe Pliocene depo its on the Palma Basin and !he Reef Complex on lhe L1ucmajor Plalform. Th L1ucmajor Plalform ha b en buried only a few len ofmelers al mo t. and large primary and econdary pore' remain inlael. The plalform i mainly f1al-lying with only Iighl lilting a ociated with basin sub idence and lrike- Iip faulting during lhe Plioeene and early Plei locene. The po sible influence of genLJe upLifl on !he depo itional panero can not be rul d oul, but lhe lack of lerrigenous influx onlo lhi f1al-lying plalform ugge ts thal lhi was a time of tectonic stability on Mallorca during lhe deposition oflhis plalform. Loading ub idence probably al o wa an in ignificanl faclor b au -e ofthe low den ity of lhe e rock (high poro ily) and lhe hort tim (on the ord r of 2 my) in which thi heet-Iike unit prograded aero !he hallow platform (pomar and Ward, 1994). Sub idence on the ba in as weU a trike- lip faulting af~ el the ReefComplex unil and are related to Pliocene and Lower Plei to ne teetonic Oexure. 2.1.
REE PLATFORM LITIIO AClES
Complete expo ure of the Upp r Miocen L1ucmajor progradational reef plalform in vertical a- liff at Cap Blanc allow the tabli hment of a depo iLional model (Fig. 2) and a high-re otution architectural fa i model (Pomar, 1991,1993; Pomar
The LJucmajor Plalform, Mallorca, Spain
91
and Ward, 1994). Four main lilhofacies can be di tingui hed on the Lluemajor Plalform: 1) Lagoon (back-reeJ) lithoJacies are eharacterized by horizontal beds, bounded by ero ional urfaee. Inner-Iagoon depo it are eompo ed of mudstones and waekestones wilh vertical roal mold , fecal p lIet , benthie foramioifera. bi val ves, and loeally lhin layers of monosp eific ga tropods and diseontinuous eaJiche eru LS. OUler-lagoon depo ils are mainly eompo ed of eoarse keletal grainstonelpaekstone, with abundant mollu k debri ,rhodoliths, eehinoids, benthie foraminifera, and coral fragmenLS. Locally, coral patch reef are al o presento 2) Reefcore lithoJacies have a charact ri tic igmoidal bedding and are com po ed of keletal grain lone/pack tone wilhin coral framework. Coral-coJony mor phologie in the fram work range from di h-coral in the lower part, to branehing corals in lhe middle, and to ma sive-coral in the upper part of lhe reef-core. Thi eoral-morphology zonalion wilh respect to the paleobathymelr)' i ao important tool for high-r olution quence lraligraphic analy i . 3) Clinobed of reefslope (jore-reejJ litllOJacies range from coarse keletaJ paekstone Wilh abundant mollu k , rcd-algae fragmenLS, rhodoliths, coral d bri and Halimeda in proximal enings to fine-grained paek tone on lhe di tal-slope to open-shelf senings. The e c1inobed may be hundred of meters long, dipping seaward up lO 30°. Di lal-reef- lope deposit are exten ively burrowed and gently inclined (le lhan 10°). 4) Open-shelf(shal/ol basin) lithoJacies are compo ed of poorly bedded (bio turbated) fine-grained packstones wilh planktonic foraminifera; deeper-water oy lers and echinoids may also be present. The e bed may be interbedded wilh bio lrome of coarse-grained red-algae paek lone wilh den ely-stacked rhodolilh and laminar coral . 2.2.
THE BASIC BUILDI G BLOCK
The Mallorca outcrops huye provided a high-re olution equence tratigraphie analysis, allowing u lo d termine lhe key lO lhe architeetural relation hip and relalive sea-Ievel flUClualion (pomar, 1993; Pomarand Ward, 1994). The building block of lhe Llucmajor Plalform i a sigmoidal d po ilional unit ("SIGMOIO"). Il i compo ed (Fig. 3) of a horizonlallagoonaJ bed pa ing basinward lO a sigmoidaJ reef-core, lhen lO a reef- lope clinoform and to a horizontal open- helf bed. Thi aecretional unit i bounded by ero ional urface in the landward upper part (lagoon and reef-core lilhofaeie ) and by lheir correlative conformilie in the basinward lower part (Iower portion of reef-core, lope and open- helf lithofacies). Sorne of the e ba ie accretional uniLS are wedge- hap d a a result of non-deposilional or ero ¡onal truncalion of the upper part of lhi accretional unil (lagoon and upper portion of reef-core lithofacies), or bolh. Complelely pre erved igmoid often reveal the intemal arrangement of the di tribulion of lilhofacie . In lhe upper portion of lhe reef-core facies, massive ( hallow-waler) eonll encrusting lhe lower ero ional urfaee pas upward ioto branching forms. In the lower portion, di h-shaped (deeper-water) coral colonies harply and conformably overli lhe proximal reef-slope depo iLS of lhe previous
L. Pomar,
92
masslve corals branchlng corals dlsh corals
SIGMOIDS
lagoon
wc. Ward
erosional surfaces
. . . . . . . .- ·f WEDGE truncated slgmold
Open shelf
Fig. 3. The" igmoid" i lhe basic building block of lhe L1ucmajor Platform. It is a igmoidal depo itional unit, composcd of a horizomallagoonal bcd pa ing ba inward lo a sigmoidal reef c()re, then to a recf- lope c1inoform and a horizonlal open- hclf bed. The igmoid is bounded by ero ional urf ces which pOI s ba inward ¡nlO Ihcir correlativc cooformities . A wedge-shapcd unit may resull from o o·dcpo iliooal aodlor ero ¡onal truo ation of it upper pan. (Modified fmm Pomar. 1991; Pomar and Ward. 1994).
unit. and pass upward into coarse-grained reef-slope deposits. The upper ero ional surface truncate the branching corals of lile reef-core facies and correlates bas inward wilh lile conformity. In ome sigmoids, coral-morphology is characterized by a hallowing-upward zonation. In lhe lagoonal facie thin laminites or gastropod-rich wackeslone (restricled facies) re ting on the erosional surface are overlain by packslone, wackestone, and grainslone willl red algae, echinoids, mollu ks, and benthic foraminifera (open la goon). In outer lagoonal facies. lhe ba allaminites are overlain by bolll, coral-patch reef and coarse skelelal grain tone (interpatch sediment ). The upper ero ional surface truncate everylhing, including the patch-reef corals and lhe grain tone edimenls of lhe outer-Iagoon facies. In the more distal reef- lope and open-shelf euings. inten e bioturbation can deslroy lhe internal arrangement of lile Iithofacies and obscure the conformable nature of its boundary. The vertical equences within the reef-eore reRect aggradation during ea-Ievel ri e (Fig. 4) , with the hallowing- or deepening-upward trend depending on lile ratio belween ea-Ievel rise and carbonate production/sedimenlation rates (accom modation vs. produclion). In the lagoonal facies, basallaminites record the f100ding of lile platform topo and the overlying coral patches record the submergence of the plalform to the optimum production condítions. The bounding erosional urface are mo t likely relaled to falls in sea leve!. In lhe reef-core facies, the degree of hift of lhe coral-morphology zones from relatively deeper to relatively hallower facies acro s the boundarie reflects the amount of ea-Ievel fall. In the lagoonal facies, the ero ional truncation on top of
93
The LlucnltJjor P/acform. Mallorca. Spnjn
Accretlon events _tlme __
Facies archltecture
eggradstlon
rGeI-erest eurv........'
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~~
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Plnnlng polnts
dllh coral 10M
Accretlon events aggradatlon durlng lubm...genca tloodlng aedlmentatlon
/ .roslon lul1ac.
....,
-------------------------------------
lamln.. _Ilms-
Fi¡.4. Intemal amnllcment oC lilholllcicl wilhin lillmoids (A) _00 in !he la¡oonaJ racies (B) are inlerpreled u resultinll rrcm lhe hillhesl·rrcquency sea-Icvel ftuetualions. Paleobathymetric c:oraI·morphoIogy wn:uion wilhin the n:cr-core rflunework aUows accul1lte detenninatioo !he Implilude or the sea-levd cyelc (A). Sl:e text. 1be red·erest curve (Pomar. 1991) il defincd by thc wcceuive positioos or the n.."eC-cresl. tnCllsun:d or ¡nCcmd rrom the coral.morpho!ogy zonation.
or
the coral patches indicutes thut the uppershullowing-up purt ofthe cycle is missing, and the physicul COrrelalion of the erosionaJ surfuce from the lagoon to the red eore indicales Ihal il also is due to faH of sea leve!. The boundaries belween consecutive sigmoids which does not show clear shift of the eoraJ-morphology Iones, may also be explained as resu1t of other processes like submarine erosiono
L. Pomar, W:C. Ward
94
Lack of subaeriaJ-exposure feature at most of the igmoid boundaries lead us to interpret lhem as due to a ea·level fall which lowered wave ba e on a platforro lhat remained submerged or due to submarine eros ion during the sub equent flooding. 2.3.
LARGER-SCALE ACCRETIONAL U ITS
In lhe ea-cliff outcrop of the Cap Blanc area, lhe basic accretional units (sig
moids) are tacked forming different magnitudes of larger- cale accretional units (pomar, 1991, J993; Pomar and Ward, J994). Sigmoids stack in "sets of sigmoid ", and igmoid et tack in "co els" (Fig. 5). Core data from water well allow in terprelation of larger accr tional units: the "megaset "(lO et of co ets" in forroer papers), resultlng from the tacking of the co et of igmoids. AII of the e accretional units have imilar characteri tics in terros of facies di tribution, boundarie and inlernal tacking of the higher-order unit . Facies di tribution in a et or in a coset of sigmoid is (in a ba inward direction): horizontal lagoonal bed • sigmoid-b dded reef-core wilh wavy configuration (upward and downward hift of the general progradation), and gently inclined reef· 10pe to open-shelf lilhofacie . Boundaries are major ero ional surfaces in lhe landward part, often marked by caliche or microkarst. and their correlative conforroitie in lhe ba inward parto The vertical distribulion of coral morphologie within lhe reef facies, as well as ubaerial urfaces wilhin lhe lagoonal facie , how that mo t depo ilional cycle re ulted from sea-Ievel tluctuation rather than edimentologic (autocyclic) influ ence . Thickne' e oflhe d po itional cycl were es entially unatTecled by either mechanical or chemical ompaction. For lhe e rea ons, the upward and downward hift ofthe reef- ore facies and lhe vertical shift of coral morphologies within the reef-core facies make it possible to gauge the amplitudes of sea-Ievel fluctuation . Thu ,the reef-cre 1 curve (Pomar, 1991, 1993) i defined by the ucce ive po i tion of lhe reef-cre t (mea ured or inferred from the coral-zonation). Thi curve r tlect the amount of relative ea-Ievel tluctualion related to progradation, which i a function of time. The mega ets how an amplitude of fluctuation on the order of 100 of meters in 3 to 6 km of progradation, the cosel of sigmoid show an amplitude of 50 70 meters in I to 3 km of reef progradation, and the ets of sigmoid show an amplitude of 20-30 m in a reef progradation of 100 of meters. Pomar (J 993) howed that the approach developed in Mallorca can be applied to prograding carbonate elsewhere and al different cales. Sei mic example from the Strait of Andro in Bahamas (Eberli and Ginsburg, J987, 1988, 1989) and from lhe Bali-Flore Sea (Tyrrell and Davis, J989) show seismic facies and reftection panero which can be compared to the facie architeclure, bedding geometries and cale of progradation of the Mallorca example (pomar, 1993). The remarkable similaritie between the e three examples, which occur in quite different geographic ening, reinforce the general applicability of the Mallorca approach for refined seismic ·traligraphic analysis and for prediclion of lithologies and equence· traligraphic packages in prograding carbonate complexes.
The Llucmajor PlaLform, Mallorca, Spain
95
lagoonal facies r..f-core facies _ - - - - - - - - "'-0.1102krn-"
open·shelf facies --~
Cap
§
El
r••f-crest curve
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COSET OF SIGMOIDS reef-crest curve 200
MEGASETS
! ,.'
Uucmajor I
15
10
5
..'
. h::;:~~~{:'~~ Okm
Fig. S. Rccf-platform f ies and trotal ar bilecture. The b ic accretionaJ unilS (sigmoids) are staek.ed in diffcrenl m gnilud ofincrea ingly larger scale ccrelional units: seu, coseu and megaselS of sigmoids. AH of these a relional unilS have imilar chara ten tics in lerm of facies di tribulion. boundaries and inlem l lacking of lhe higher-order unilS aOO may be con idered as depo ¡lionaJ sequenccs. Th v rtical di tribuli n of coral m rphologies within !he rccf-core facies. as weH as subaeri 1ero ¡onal urf e wilhin lhe lagoona! fa i • how th 1 m 1 of these units resulled froro sea·level nu lualion . Th rccf-cresl curve ren 1 lhe amounl ofrclative sea-leve! nUClualion rc!aled lO progradalion, which is a function of lime. (Modified from Pomar aOO Ward, 1994).
L. Pomar, Wc. Ward
96
2.4.
LLUCMAJOR PLATFORM 3-D ARCHITECTURE
Recent inlegration of dala from 70 waler-welJ core logs, and a number of measured ections on lhe ea cliff aJlows us lO establish lhe distribution pattems of the reef complex and it paleogeography on lhe L1ucmajor Platform, the MarratxJ Platform and the eastern part of the Palma Basin (see Fig. 1). It al o allows us to construct a three-dimen ional model of the architeclure of lhe L1ucmajor Reefal Platfonn. The diagno tic criteria for lhe inlerpretation of well data and for its correlation acro s the L1ucmajor Plalform (Fig. 6) originale from the sea-eliffs architectura! model ( ee Fig. 5). The e inelude interpreting aggradation, progradation, or offlap pattern from the elevalion ofthe facie top ,the reef-core thickness, the upward or downward shift of reef-cores, and when po ible, the reef-core intemal succession and Ihe thicknes e of Ih exisling coral-morphology zones ( ee Fig. 2). Reef-tract progradalion line Ihrough Ihe ptalform (Fig. 7A) have been traced by correlalion of the well data. This correlalion i based on two assumption : 1) from the margin loward Ihe interior of the plalform, the reef-tract Iines can be projected from Ihe direelion of Ihe sueces ive reef lracts cropping out on the ea cliff and 2) from the inl rior loward the exterior of the platform, the reeftracts par allel the ba emenl conlours (Fig. 7B). The reef-tract lines repre ent the ucce sive po ition of the reef prograding over lhe L1uemajor Plalform. This interpretation visualize important differenees in Ihe progradalion rates, depending on the de po itional gradienl . Progradalion is more important towards the south, where tbe basin wa hallower (Fig. 7C). and il is dramaticaJly redueed toward Lhe wesl, in the margin ofthe relalively deeper Palma Basin (Fig. 70). The e difference in Lhe amount of progradalion a conlrolled by Ihe platform configurarion resulted in the e10ckwise rolation of Ihe suece sive reef traets lowards the Palma Basin (Fig. 7A).
3. Sequence Stratigraphic Implications Sequence straligraphíc analysis carried out on Ihe high-frequency accretional units wilhin the Upper Mioc ne reef complex of the Cap Blanc area shows several differenee in Ihe tratigraphie architecture (Pomar and Ward, 1994) from Lhat represented in Ihe "standard" Exxon ilicicla lie equence- tratigraphic model (Vail and others, 1977, 1991; Po amenlier and olhers, 1988; Van Wagoner and olhers, 1988). The Mallorca model, however, i compatible with recent variable carbonale equence Iraligraphy models (Handford and Loucks, 1993; Hunt and Tucker, 1993). 3.1.
HIGH-FREQUE CY REEFAL PLATFORM DEPO ITIONAL SEQUE CES
The ba ie re fal aecrelional unil, Ihe "sigmoid", is not a para equenee in Lhe striet en e, bul ha eharaelerislics of a malJ depo ilional equence. The arrangement of facie wilhin a igmoid and aero the erosional boundaries is interpreted to ref1ect changes in aceommodalion Ihat re ull from the higher-order ea-level fluctuations and can be equated to the y tems tract .
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4380
Fig. 10. xlent of reef ltn 1 and lagoon ocinle
equence • reAecl how lhe reefal system react to change in accommodatioo. AIJ accretional uoit are compo ed of four ystem tract: 1) lowstand y tems tracl compo ed of progradalional reef fa i and thin forereef lO open-shelf facies; 2) aggrading y tem lract compo ed of thick aggradaliooal lagooo, reef-core, reef- lope and open· helf deposits; lhe lagoonal deposit overly the 10W-Slill tand system tract and onlap the ero ional urfnce; the reef core doe not back tep; 3)
The Llucmajor Plac(orm, Mallorca, Spain
200
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
107
200
1oo~~~~~
mo~ 100 200
Fig. 10. CollliJ/lI d.
high land y lem lra t compo ed of progrcldalional reef fncie , wOOging-out reef lope and canden ed open- helf facie ; and 4) offlapping y tem tract campo 00 ofthin downlapping and downstepping reefal facie ,wilhout ignificant reef- lope and op n- helf facies, which are di tally cond n oo. The ero ional urface (which corre pond lO lhe equence boundary) and the downlap urface ar the only two relevant urface bounding y tem tracts, and bolh m rge basinward into the di tally cond n ed inLerva!. Withoul high re olulion data, only lwo con pi uou p ckage can be defined by the e urface : a thick aggr dational package and a thin progradational (offlapping) package, the latter pa ing ba inward lO lhe di lally conden ed inlerval Thi d po ilional- equ nce framework ( lrolal and facie archilecture) dif fe from landard s qu nce slraligraphic model mainly in lhe lack of a lypical
108
L. Pomar,
w:c.
Ward
tran gres ive y tem tract and by the pre ence of dislally condensed intervaIs corresponding to the high- tillstand, offtapping and low-still tand system tracts. These difTerence re ull from the way io which carbonate productioo reacts to changes in ea leve!. Sea-Ievel change not only determines the accommodation pace, it aIso de termines the amount of carbonate production and edimenlation (efficiency of lhe carbonate factory). Production i highe t during the rising sea-Ievel when the plat form top is submerged to an optimum depth; interrnittent sea-Ievel rises folIowing brief fall force re-establishment of carbonate production in lagoons which were filled by edimenlalion during slowing or cessation of ea-Ievel ri e. Obliteratíon of the shallow platform during a-Ievel tillstand (Iow or high tand) cau es re duction in carbonale production. Thi re ull in progradation of the reef ystem onto thin lope deposits due to the lack of accommodation space (in ab ence of ignificant ub idence). Ab ence of shallow platforrn during ea-level fall lead to ignificantly reduc d carbonate production. which results in offtapping of coral reef onlo the op n sh If. Another important factor controlling the plalforrn architecture is the steepness and overoll morphology of lhe depositional profile within the context of ftuctuating ea leve!. With a gentle deposilional profile, sea-Ievel fall lead to significant progradation of the re fal system . Flooding of the platforrn during the ub equent ea-Ievel ri e creates a wide lagoon, which enhance carbonate production and down lope hedding of sediment. On the contrary, a steeper topographic gradient allows minor reef progradation. and sub equent tlooding of the platforrn create only a mall lagoonol area where carbonate production and down lope hedding i proportionally minoro The L1ucmajor Plalform illu trate the importance of ediment upply a a controlling factor in quence architecture. It al o exemplifies the difference between the re fal carbonate system and a ilicicla tic sy temo A shown in the Mallorca example, r efs can step down on the slope during sea-Ievel fall (foreed regre ion). In contra. t, i1iciclastic edimentation will generally bypass the upper slope when ea level falls below the helf break. In addition, the AST of the M 1I0rca complex show that carbonate produclion can increa e to keep pace with the ri ing sea lev!. In iliciclastic systems, on the other hand, transgres ion generally means horefac ero 'ion and back tepping. In addition to t toní and ub 'idenc, tratal and facie architecture al o depend on the interaction between ediment supply and accommodation. Changes in accommodalion re ult from chang in the morphology of the depo itional profile and from ba 'e-Ievel changes. In siliciclastic sy tem the diment upply depends on the condilions outside the edimentury ba in (tectonics, c1imate and drainage sy tem on the emergent contin nt) which may be relatively independent of ba e-Ievel change . On th contrary, in th Mallorca example. diment upply (carbonate produclion) and accommodation change are not independent. becau e both are controlled by the ame basic factors: change in ea level (high-frequency tluctuations) and depo ¡tional profiJe of the ba in ftoor.
The Llucmsjor PlaC(Oml, MaJlorcs, Spain
109
Acknowledgments We gralefully acknowledge A. Barón of the Junla d' AigUes (HydrologicaJ Survey of the 8alearics) for the waler-well dala of the L1ucmajor PlatConn. Funding for this sludy has becn provided by Shell Philippines and Shell Sarawak Ihrough Shell Research (KSEPL), and by a NATO colJabonnive research grant (SAS-2-oS; CRO 931472). We appreciale the conslructive commenls oC EV. Abbots, A.-J. Everts and L. Coopcr and U. Singh. A. Gállego helped wilh drafting. We especinlly thank B.U. Haq for his encouragement, useful commeots nnd a review of mis papero References ADDOIT. S. T. and CAJrrnR. R. M., 1994, The sequence architcclure oCmid-Pleistoc:ene (c.I.I·OA Ma) cyclothcms from Ncw Zealand: facies dcvclopmcnt during a pcriad of orbital control on sea·levcl cyclicity. in de Bocr. P. L.. and Smith, D. O.• ed., Orbital forcing and cyclic sequcnccs: Intcrn::uional Association of ScdimenlologilllS Special Publication No. 19, p. 367-394. ALVARO, M.• DARNOLAS, A., DEL OLMO. P., RAMIREZ DEL POZO, J., AND SlMÓ. A., 1984, El Neógcnode Mallorca: Caracterización sedimcntológica y bioestraligráfica: Bolctín Gcológico y Mincro. v. 95, p. 3-25. BARÓN, A. and POMAR, L., 1985. Stratigraphic Corrclalion Tablc5: arca 2c Balearic Dcpression. in Stciningcr, F. F.. Senes, l, Klccmann. K.• and Rc!gl, F.. ed.• Neogene of the Mcditcrrancan. TClhys and Paratcthys: Institute of Palcontology. Universily of Vicnna, p. 17. BATES, R. L. and JACKSON. J. A., 1987, Glossary of Gcology: Alexandria, Virginia, American Gcologicallnstitutc. 788 p. BIZON, G., BIZON. l J., OOURROUILH, R. and MASSA, D., 1973, Pritsilnce auJ. ¡les Baluarcs (Mud. Ot:c.) de sedimcnts "mcssinicns" dupossils dans une mer ouverte, tl salinilu normale: Comt. Rcnd. Acad. Sci. Paris, v. 277 (12). p. 985-988. BOSSCHER. H., 1992, Growth potential of coral rcefs and carbomlle platforms : Ulrcchl, Vrije Universiteit. 160 p. DEAN, W. E. and GARONER, J. V., 1986, MilankovÍlch cycles in Neogene decp-sea sedimcnt: Palcoccanography. v. J. p. 539·553. DRISCOLL, N. W., WEISSEL, J. K., KARNER. G. O. and MOUNTAIN. G. S .• 1991. Stnttigraphic response uf a carbonatc platform to relative sea level changes: Broken Ridge, southca.~t Indian Ocean: American As.sociation or Petroleum Geologists Bullelin, v. 75. p. 808-831. EBERLI, G. P. and GlNSDURG, R. N., 1987, Segmentation and coalescenee ofCenoloic carbonate platforms, northwestern Great BMama Bank: Gcology, v. IS. p. 75·79. EBERLI. G. P. and GINSBURG, R. N., 1988, Aggrading Qnd prograding Cenozoic sea ways. northwest Grem Bahama Bank, in Bally. A. W., ed., Atlas ofSeismic Stratigraphy: Tulsa. OK, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Sludies in Geology No. 27, p.97-103. EBERLI. G. P. and GINSBURG, R. N.• 1989, Cenozoic progradation of northwestem Grcut Dahama Bank, u record or latcral plutform growth and sea-Icvcl nuctutttions, in Crcvello, P. D., Wilson, J. L., Sargo J. F.. and Read, J. F., ed., Controls on Carbonate Platrorm and Basin Dcvclopmem: Tulsa. OK. Society ofEconomic PaleontologislS and MineralogislS Spa:ial Puhlication. No. 44, p. 339-352.
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