Benthic carbonate facies of the Phanerozoic: Review and example from the carboniferous of the Russian platform

Abstract

General classifications of Phanerozoic carbonate facies and controlling them factors are reviewed. Three principal carbonate factories distinguished by W. Schlager (2000, 2003) are the tropical shallow-water, the cool-water, and the mudmound factories. The general term for facies associations in the first factory is photozoan carbonates. The cool-water factory encompasses environments producing heterozoan carbonate facies. The mudmound factory is a non-actualistic sedimentary system producing mound-shape buildups of non-skeletal microbial micrites (also termed automicrites). The benthic carbonate production is controlled by light, bottom temperature, eutrophication, siliciclastic influx, and the evolution of marine ecosystems. The cyclic alternation of skeletal associations (“biofacies”) formed under the control of high-amplitude sea level changes is exemplified by the Moscovian (Carboniferous) epeiric carbonates of the East European Craton. Three principal biofacies associations in this example are bryonoderm extended (heterozoan), staffellid-syphonean (photozoan). and Meekella-Ortonella (intertidal flat to stagnant lagoon).