Sediment supply variation control on Lower Eocene delta sequences (Tremp Basin, Spain)

Abstract

Sediment supply variations are often overlooked when interpreting depositional sequences, with most studies instead emphasizing changes in accommodation space. Here, we investigated a temporally well-constrained shallow-marine succession in the Tremp Basin to test the control of sediment supply variations on the development of deltaic sequences during the early Eocene. We analyzed the paleoenvironmental record (sedimentary facies and δ13Corg values) of the Morillo Limestone and the Castigaleu Formation (52.2−50.6 Ma). The first progradation of the deltaic system is marked by the abrupt appearance of thick delta-front sandstones and associated with the first negative carbon isotopic excursions (CIEs) in the measured δ13Corg record. Subsequent phases of progradation align with subsequent negative CIEs. Conversely, positive CIEs correspond to finer-grained, more-distal prodelta deposits. A series of hyperthermal events occurred during the deposition, globally identified as negative CIEs on δ13Ccarb reference curves, which we tentatively correlate with our δ13Corg data. We therefore suggest that during deposition of this Lower Eocene shallow-marine succession, the primary trigger behind sequence generation was the high-frequency climate-induced variation in sediment supply, specifically the hyperthermal events, rather than changes in accommodation. This linkage underscores the complex interactions between climate dynamics and sedimentary responses that shape the stratigraphic architecture of shallow-marine settings.