Abstract
We study the volcaniclastic lithofacies interbedded between siliciclastic and carbonate sediments of Cenozoic-Quaternary age (8.7 Ma to 7,000 BP) in Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins (Central Spain). The siliciclastic and carbonate deposits correspond to fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary environments. The volcanic materials consist of primary and reworked volcaniclastic successions sourced from the Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field. Pyroclastic deposits are related to monogenetic and small-volume volcanic centres, such as scoria cones, tuff rings and maars, corresponding to Strombolian and phreatomagmatic eruptive styles. Taking into account sedimentological constraints seven volcaniclastic lithofacies were distinguished. Type A corresponds to subaerial pyroclastic fall deposits, as is inferred by the common disorganization of the deposit, their breccia-like aspect with presence of large bombs, poor sorting and lack of tractional sedimentary structures. Types B1, B2, B3 and B4 have different volcanic sources and are interpreted to be the product of low-density (dilute) pyroclastic surges, with textural features indicative of fluctuations in flow regime. This interpretation is based on the fabric and grain size of pyroclasts, together with the size and geometry of the internal sedimentary structures. Type C represents a secondary volcanic deposit related to volcanic sediments reworked by transitional hyperconcentrated flows and dilute fluvial processes, having subsequently accumulated in braided fluvial systems. Finally, the Type D is interpreted as an intra-maar scoria/spatter cones related to the development of maars. The most important factors that determined the sedimentation in these basins were orientation of basement faults, paleogeographic and sedimentological controls, style of eruption and volcaniclastic lithofacies type.
Highlights
The eruption of basalts is the most common form of volcanism on the Earth’s surface, especially in tectonically active zones and continental/intraplate zones (Valentine and Gregg, 2008)
This work focuses on the description, interpretation and correlation of the volcaniclastic deposits of the Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins located in the Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field, which will give us guidelines for establishing their relationship with the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of these basins
Numerous hypotheses have been invoked to explain the mechanism triggering volcanism in the Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field (CCVF), namely, a transform fault located between the Betic Orogen and the Central Spanish Plateau (Doblas et al, 1991), an extensional model associated with rifting processes (López Ruiz et al, 1993) and lithospheric flexures that involved the mantle as a consequence of the Betic Orogen (Rincón and Vegas, 1996)
Summary
The eruption of basalts is the most common form of volcanism on the Earth’s surface, especially in tectonically active zones and continental/intraplate zones (Valentine and Gregg, 2008). In the case of the Iberian Peninsula, different continental sedimentary basins were formed during the Alpine Orogeny, namely, Duero, Tajo, Ebro and La Mancha basins In the latter, a number of associated depressions (Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins, Fig. 1) exhibit volcaniclastic deposits interbedded between continental deposits (Herrero et al, 2004 a, b; Herrero et al, 2009). This work focuses on the description, interpretation and correlation of the volcaniclastic deposits of the Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins located in the Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field, which will give us guidelines for establishing their relationship with the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of these basins. The analysis of the sedimentary processes that produced the volcaniclastic deposits interbedded between siliciclastic and carbonate sediments will provide a generalised facies model of intra-continental terrestrial sedimentation influenced by a monogenetic volcanism
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