Supercritical-flow structures on a Late Carboniferous delta front: Sedimentologic and paleoclimatic significance

Abstract

Research Article| August 01, 2015 Supercritical-flow structures on a Late Carboniferous delta front: Sedimentologic and paleoclimatic significance Dario Ventra; Dario Ventra * 1Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584CS Utrecht, Netherlands2Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1205, Geneva, Switzerland *E-mail: d.ventra@uu.nl Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Matthieu J.B. Cartigny; Matthieu J.B. Cartigny 3National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jochem F. Bijkerk; Jochem F. Bijkerk 4British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sanem Acikalin Sanem Acikalin 5Badley Ashton & Associates Ltd., Winceby House, Horncastle LN9 6PB, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Dario Ventra * 1Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584CS Utrecht, Netherlands2Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1205, Geneva, Switzerland Matthieu J.B. Cartigny 3National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Jochem F. Bijkerk 4British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Sanem Acikalin 5Badley Ashton & Associates Ltd., Winceby House, Horncastle LN9 6PB, UK *E-mail: d.ventra@uu.nl Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 14 Feb 2015 Revision Received: 24 May 2015 Accepted: 28 May 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2015 Geological Society of America Geology (2015) 43 (8): 731–734. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36708.1 Article history Received: 14 Feb 2015 Revision Received: 24 May 2015 Accepted: 28 May 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Dario Ventra, Matthieu J.B. Cartigny, Jochem F. Bijkerk, Sanem Acikalin; Supercritical-flow structures on a Late Carboniferous delta front: Sedimentologic and paleoclimatic significance. Geology 2015;; 43 (8): 731–734. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36708.1 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 Deposits of fluvial systems in highly seasonal tropical climates possess unique architectural and facies characters owing to a flood-prone regime alternating with lengthy periods of ineffective discharge. Distally linked deltaic successions should also feature distinctive attributes, with great potential to preserve the stratigraphic evidence of exceptional discharge events. We describe Late Carboniferous delta-front, valley-confined sandstones from the Pennine Basin (UK), originally deposited at paleoequatorial latitudes during final assembly of the Pangean megacontinent and characterized by giant sedimentary structures with repetitively sigmoidal geometry. Facies traits indicate geologically instantaneous deposition of a large sediment volume from a density current at sustained supercritical-flow conditions, leading to aggradation of cyclic steps, recently identified bedforms developing in high-energy flows and of which this is the first complete outcrop example. The lack of unconformable erosional surfaces and absence of different associated facies point to a single aggradational event during which the structures attained dimensions comparable to those indicated by seismic data sets from which they are remotely detected on modern seafloors. Cyclic-step formation in a deltaic setting suggests that Pangean megamonsoons could have triggered hydrologic events capable of imprinting sedimentologic signatures on shallow-marine deposits. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.