Sequence stratigraphy and carbonate platform organization of the Devonian Santa Lucia Formation, Cantabrian Mountains, NW-Spain

Abstract

In this paper, the sedimentology and the stratigraphic architecture of the Devonian Santa Lucia Formation in the Cantabrian Mountains of NW-Spain are described. The Santa Lucia Formation consists of 11 different facies that can be attributed to peritidal/lagoonal, intertidal and subtidal facies associations. These facies associations are arranged in small-scale sedimentary cycles. Three different settings of small-scale sedimentary cycles are recognized: intertidal/supratidal, shallow subtidal/intertidal and subtidal cycles. These cycles reflect spatial differences in the reaction of the depositional system to small-scale relative sea-level changes. Small-scale stratigraphic cycles are stacked into seven medium-scale cycles that in turn are integral parts of three larger-scale cycles. Most of the Santa Lucia Formation (sequences 2–6) forms one major large-scale cycle, whereas sequences 1 and 7 are part of an underlying and an overlying cycle, respectively. Eustatic sea-level changes exerted major control on the formation of these large-scale sequences, whereas the medium-scale cycles seem to be co-controlled by regional tectonism and eustasy. Small-scale cycles seem to be the product of high frequency, eustatic sea-level changes. During the deposition of the Santa Lucia Formation, the morphology of the carbonate platform changed from a gently south-dipping ramp to a rimmed shelf and back to a gently dipping ramp.