Cenozoic biogenic mounds and buried Miocene(?) barrier reef on a predominantly cool-water carbonate continental margin—Eucla basin, western Great Australian Bight

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 1995 Cenozoic biogenic mounds and buried Miocene(?) barrier reef on a predominantly cool-water carbonate continental margin—Eucla basin, western Great Australian Bight David A. Feary; David A. Feary 1Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Noel P. James Noel P. James 2Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1995) 23 (5): 427–430. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0427:CBMABM>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation David A. Feary, Noel P. James; Cenozoic biogenic mounds and buried Miocene(?) barrier reef on a predominantly cool-water carbonate continental margin—Eucla basin, western Great Australian Bight. Geology 1995;; 23 (5): 427–430. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0427:CBMABM>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The southern continental margin of Australia is the largest area of cool-water carbonate shelf deposition on the globe. Interpretation of 5495 km of airgun seismic-reflection data in the western part of the Great Australian Bight indicates that the 700-m-thick Cenozoic section of the offshore Eucla basin was deposited largely as a prograding cool-water, middle- to high-latitude carbonate ramp, characterized by widespread development of broad, low-relief, biogenic (bryozoan[?]-sponge), shelf and upper-slope mounds. The succession also contains a spectacular and extensive (>475 km long) buried middle Miocene barrier reef (the Miocene Little Barrier Reef) parallel to the modern shelf edge. This rimmed carbonate platform margin represents an episode of warm-water sedimentation during a global climatic optimum, probably coupled with strong eastward flow of a proto-Leeuwin Current. The late Miocene eustatic sea-level fall produced an areally restricted debris-apron sequence at the foot of the reef escarpment. The carbonate platform is capped by a Neogene cool-water carbonate ramp succession typified by aggradational to sigmoidal sequences, punctuated by periods of cold(?)-water, sea-floor erosion. Interpretation of this succession in the light of global and local tectonic and oceanographic events illustrates the dominant influence of water temperature on carbonate platform and reef growth throughout the Cenozoic. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.