Depositional and tectonic influences on preservation of Milankovitch record during long-term global cooling: Middle and Upper Ordovician convergent foreland, eastern USA

Abstract

Influences of depositional setting and tectonics on recording Milankovitch (orbital) signals within evolving Ordovician foreland successions during arc-continent collision are poorly documented. To address this, we analyzed downhole gamma ray vs depth time series from three wells on the Central Appalachian foreland, eastern USA for evidence of Milankovitch forcing during the 25 Myr duration Middle and Upper Ordovician Darriwilian to Katian interval. Relatively slowly accumulating Darriwillian sabkha anhydritic dolomites (up to 450 m thick), are dominated by eccentricity and obliquity forcing whereas Darriwillian to Sandbian restricted inner ramp carbonates (350 m thick) show eccentricity forcing only as do the overlying basal Katian (80 m thick) mid-ramp units. Rapidly accumulating lower Katian deeper ramp, shale-prone sediments (400 to 500 m thick) and upper Katian peritidal siliciclastic units (∼300–550 m thick) show a full suite of short eccentricity, obliquity and precession forcing. Best recording of the astronomical signal occurred during Katian rapid tectonic subsidence whereas a much poorer record was preserved during the Darriwilian-Sandbian. Milankovitch forcing of climate influenced input of siliciclastics as well as controlling sea-level fluctuations and position of storm wave-base. Initially sea level changes may have been driven by greenhouse aquifer eustasy but following later Darriwilian cooling, glacio-eustasy was dominant.