A Famennian allochthonous pelagic facies in a shallow marine domain: the equivalent of the Vidrieros Formation (Cantabrian Mountains, Spain)

Abstract

The Devonian shallow-marine facies area of the Cantabrian Zone, the Asturo–Leonese Domain, generally contains a coarse-grained succession with reefal intercalations. However, in the most external part of the Asturo-Leonese Domain an allochthonous thrust unit contains a Famennian facies different from the surrounding coarse-grained deposits, which shows great similarities with the fine-grained pelagic facies of the Palencian Domain. The complex stratigraphic relations are analyzed, and the findings incorporated in a model. The deposits of the thrust unit can palaeogeographically be interpreted as the distal southwestern continuation of the shallow marine domain, representing a facies transition between the coarse-grained shallow marine Asturo–Leonese facies in the north, and the pelagic Palencian facies in the south.