Tectonic Pulses Research Articles

The Cenomanian–Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) on the southern slope of the Subalpine Basin (SE France) and its bearing on a probable tectonic pulse on a larger scale

The Cenomanian–Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) event is not associated with a transgression on the southern margin of the Subalpine Basin, but with a steady shallowing-up trend beginning in the lower half of the δ13C positive shift. The SW–NE Rouaine Fault had a complex role, first in isolating a black shale basin to the west and a large, deep submarine plateau devoid of black shale to the east, then by a strike-slip movement that induced a forced progradation to the north of the southern platform in the eastern compartment. This compressive tectonic reactivation of the southern margin began around the deposition of the local equivalent of the Plenus bed of boreal basins, as shown by correlation supported by both isotope and palaeontological data. Other local data are pieced together to suggest that the whole of SE France underwent a short-lived transpressive tectonic pulse around the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary, probably connected with the early compressive movement of Africa vs. Europe. On a larger scale, other published data suggest that this pulse could be a global one. It is coeval with renewed thrust loading, volcanism and transgression in the North-American Western Interior, local emergences during the event along the eastern Atlantic margin, suggesting a slight tendency to inversion of the margin, and a tilting to the east of the North-Africa plate that could explain the large transgression recorded from Morocco to Tunisia on the Saharan Craton.New isotope and palaeontological (coiling ratio of Muricohedbergella delrioensis) data from SE France suggest that two coolings of suprabasinal importance occurred just before and during the build-up of the d13C shift, including the boreal “Plenus Marls“, especially its middle limestone bed and its SE France equivalent.Regarding the extinction of the genus Thalmaninella and Rotalipora and during the event, neither anoxia nor climate changes can fully explain the palaeontological crisis, given that Rotalipora cushmani crosses the first phase of anoxia without harm, as well as the two coolings, not only in SE France but on a large scale, as shown by the correlation of the published data. This extinction needs alternative explanations as we challenge both anoxia and climate as major causes.

Basin analysis and sequence stratigraphy of the synrift Tilje Formation (Lower Jurassic), Halten terrace giant oil and gas fields, offshore mid-Norway

The stratigraphic organization of early synrift clastic successions is controlled by the rates of tectonic subsidence and the growth of the master faults, which, coupled with eustatic base level change, control the generation of accommodation. The 100- to 300-m (328- to 984.2-ft)-thick, highly heterolithic Lower Jurassic upper Are and Tilje succession (Halten terrace, offshore Norway) represents an example of ancient synrift deposits that accumulated within a north–northeast-south–southwest-oriented structurally controlled embayment where sedimentation was strongly influenced by tidal currents but with significant river influence and minor wave action, except in exposed distal locations. The shallowing-upward, deltaic Tilje succession was deposited near the lowstand shoreline. The Tilje Formation consists of two tabular second-order sequences, each of which overlies structurally influenced sequence boundaries (SB2 and SB3 in local terminology) associated with rift-related tectonic pulses. The first pulse led to formation of SB2 (shallow incision into the Are Formation) and caused a regional geomorphological change of the basin from an open, wave-dominated setting (upper Are Formation) to a funnel-shaped, tide-dominated setting (Tilje Formation), in which the lower sequence 2 accumulated. Sequence 3 rests erosively on sequence 2 and is characterized by proximal tidal deposits showing at least two main oblique to axial fluvial input points (north–northwest and northeast), with an increase in wave influence and deepening toward the south. Local rapid subsidence of elongated, narrow hanging wall basins exerted a subtle control on the succession thickness and distribution of tidal–fluvial distributary channels. The overall tabular geometry and internal architecture of the Tilje Formation is less complex than that of other tidal successions worldwide, showing lateral and vertical compartmentalization of the best tidal–fluvial sandstone reservoirs.

Climate‐modulated sequence development in a tropical rift basin during the Late Palaeocene to Early Eocene super greenhouse Earth

AbstractSequence developments in rift basins are considered to be influenced largely by tectonics and to a lesser extent by eustatic sea‐level and climate. Studies indicate that in passive margin basins, climate can mask the effects of tectonics and eustasy by modulating the sediment supply. It is, however, less understood how the sedimentary sequence in rift basins might respond to strong climatic fluctuations where tectonic pulses generate rapid accommodation space. Here a case study has been provided to assess the effect of climate vis à vis sea‐level and tectonics on sequence development in the Cambay rift basin, western India, during the Early Palaeogene (Late Palaeocene to Early Eocene) super greenhouse globe. Facies analysis of this shale–lignite sequence suggests deposition in a lagoon/bay, developed over the Deccan Trap basement. Detailed sequence stratigraphic analysis using basin‐wide representative composite sections, marker lignite seam, event bed and high‐resolution carbon isotope (δ13C) chemostratigraphy suggest an overall transgressive motif. Among the three prominent Early Eocene eustatic highstands, only the one at ca 53·7 Ma is expressed by the thickest coal accumulation throughout the basin. Expression of the other sequence stratigraphic surfaces is subdued and can be due to the overall finer grain size of the sediment or local variation in the subsidence rate at different fault‐controlled mini‐basins. Enigmatic presence of a maximum flooding surface coinciding with the 53·7 Ma climate event (Eocene Thermal Maximum 2), manifested by negative carbon isotope excursion, indicates possible influence of climate over and above tectonics in developing the rift sequence. Qualitative rainfall variation assessed using the magnitude of the carbon isotope excursion and pollen abundance show that a relatively dry/low precipitation climatic phase during the Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 hindered the siliclastic supply to the basin. Thus, it has been inferred that climate‐induced high siliciclastic supply possibly enhanced the autocyclic reorganization and hindered the development of the key sequence stratigraphic surfaces across the basin during climate extremes.

Clay mineralogical and geochemical expressions of the “Late Campanian Event” in the Aquitaine and Paris basins (France): Palaeoenvironmental implications

Campanian sediments from two French sedimentary basins were studied, using clay mineralogy and stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) geochemistry, in order to investigate the Late Campanian Event. The clay fraction of the Campanian sediments from the Tercis-les-Bains section (Aquitaine Basin) and from the Poigny borehole (Paris Basin) is mainly composed of smectite. This background sedimentation was, however, interrupted during the Upper Campanian in the two basins by a substantial increase in detrital inputs, including illite, kaolinite, and chlorite at Tercis-les-Bains, and illite at Poigny. This detrital event, resulting from the enhanced erosion of nearby continental areas triggered by increasing runoff, has also been recognized in the Tethys and South Atlantic oceans. It coincided with a global negative carbon isotope excursion, the Late Campanian Event (LCE). Carbon isotope stratigraphy was used to correlate the two basins with previously studied sections from distant areas. Spectral analysis of the bulk δ13C from Tercis-les-Bains suggests a duration of ca. 400kyr for a pre-LCE negative excursion and ca. 800–900kyr for the LCE sensu stricto. The detrital event, as characterized by clay mineralogy, spans the interval that comprises the pre-LCE and the LCE, with a duration of 1.3Myr. Intensification of continental erosion during the LCE may have resulted either from the Late Campanian polyplocum regression and/or from a regional tectonic pulse that triggered the emersion of previous submerged shelf areas and the increase of silicate erosion. As the LCE seems to be recorded at a large geographic scale, it is proposed here that enhanced chemical weathering and an associated decrease in atmospheric pCO2 levels could have contributed to the long-term Late Cretaceous cooling trend.

Tectono-stratigraphic evolution through successive extensional events of the Anydros Basin, hosting Kolumbo volcanic field at the Aegean Sea, Greece

The structural evolution of the South Aegean Sea is little explored due to the lack of marine seismic data. Our present day understanding is mainly based on some island outcrops and GPS measurements. In this study we discuss the rather incremental opening of the Anydros Basin in the Pliocene during six major tectonic pulses and the subsequent basin fill processes by interpreting seismic data and derived time isochore maps. Between the active pulses basin floor tilting persisted on a much lower rate. Seismic data illustrate the depositional processes in the emerging Anydros Basin. The observation of onlap fill strata, divergent reflection pattern, moat channels and contourite drifts imply that deposition was controlled by turbidity and contour currents as well as the tilting basin floor. The metamorphic Attico–Cycladic basement shows a rise that aligns along an NW–SE directed axis crossing Anydros island. This axis marks a structural change of the Santorini–Amorgos Ridge and thus represents a major structural boundary. Dip angles of NE–SW trending major faults, like the Santorini–Amorgos Fault, indicate normal faulting to be the superior mechanism forming the present horst and graben environment. Hence, the area is likely to be in a state of NW–SE directed extensional stresses forming the asymmetric graben structure of Anydros. Secondary fault clusters strike the same direction but show much steeper dip angles, possibly indicating strike-slip movement or resulting from deformational stresses along the hinge zones of the normal faults. The majority of the faults we discovered are located in the area of earthquake clusters, which is another indication of recent faulting. Ring faults around Kolumbo submarine volcano, result from caldera collapse and mark the diameter of the magma chamber approximately to 20km.

Evolution of the gulf of Cadiz margin and southwest Portugal contourite depositional system: Tectonic, sedimentary and paleoceanographic implications from IODP expedition 339

The contourite depositional system (CDS) along the southwestern Iberian Margin (SIM), within the Gulf of Cadiz and offshore areas of western Portugal bear the unmistakable signal of Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) exiting the Strait of Gibraltar. This locality records key information concerning the effects of tectonic activity on margin sedimentation, the effects of MOW dynamics on Atlantic circulation, and how these factors may have influenced global climate. Over the last four decades, numerous studies have been conducted on the late Miocene, Pliocene and Quaternary sedimentary stacking pattern of Neogene basins along the SIM for both academic and resources exploration purposes. However, understanding of the region rests primarily on basic seismic stratigraphy calibrated with limited data from only a few exploration wells. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 339 recently drilled five sites in the Gulf of Cadiz and two sites on the western Iberian margin. The integration of core and borehole data with other geophysical databases leads us to propose a new stratigraphic framework. Interpretation of IODP Exp. 339 data along with that from industry sources and onshore outcrop analysis helps refine our understanding of the SIM's sedimentary evolution.We identify significant changes in sedimentation style and dominant sedimentary processes, coupled with widespread depositional hiatuses along the SIM within the Cadiz, Sanlucar, Doñana, Algarve and Alentejo basins. Following the 4.5Ma cessation of a previous phase of tectonic activity related to the Miocene–Pliocene boundary, tectonics continued to influence margin development, downslope sediment transport and CDS evolution. Sedimentary features indicate tectonic pulses of about 0.8–0.9Ma duration with a pronounced overprint of ~2–2.5Ma cycles. These more protracted cycles relate to the westward rollback of subducted lithosphere at the convergent Africa-Eurasia plate boundary as its previous NW–SE compressional regime shifted to a WNW–ESE direction. Two major compressional events affecting to the Neogene basins at 3.2–3Ma and 2–2.3Ma help constrain the three main stages of CDS evolution. The stages include: 1) the initial-drift stage (5.33–3.2Ma) with a weak MOW, 2) a transitional-drift stage (3.2–2Ma) and 3) a growth-drift stage (2Ma-present time) with enhanced MOW circulation into the Atlantic and associated contourite development due to greater bottom-current velocity. Two minor Pleistocene discontinuities at 0.7–0.9Ma and 0.3–0.6Ma record the effects of renewed tectonic activity on basin evolution, appearing most prominently in the Doñana basin. Several discontinuities bounding major and minor units appear on seismic profiles. Quaternary records offer the clearest example of this, with major units of about 0.8–0.9Ma and sub-units of 0.4–0.5Ma. Sedimentation is controlled by a combination of tectonics, sediment supply, sea-level and climate. This research identifies time scales of tectonic controls on deep-marine sedimentation, specifically over periods of 2.5–>0.4Ma. Shorter-term climatic (orbital) mechanisms control sedimentation at time scales of ≤0.4Ma. The role of bottom water circulation and associated processes in shaping the seafloor and controlling the sedimentary stacking pattern on continental margins has to be seriously reconsidered in future multidisciplinary studies. This is not only because of the common occurrence of sandy contourite deposits in deep water setting and their economic interest for hydrocarbon exploration, but principally because they archive the heartbeat of the interior Earth and therefore have important sedimentary and paleoceanographic implications.

The Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous alluvial-fan deposits of the Kalaza Formation (Central Asia): tectonic pulse or increased aridity?

Abstract The topographical evolution of tectonic systems, as well as the sedimentation pattern and depositional environments in the associated basins, are controlled by both tectonics and climate. In the region of the Tien Shan (Central Asia), the Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous period was marked by complex, low-intensity tectonic deformation and major climate changes from humid to arid conditions (Jurassic) to semi-arid conditions (Cretaceous). Using the sediment record in the Junggar, Tarim and Fergana basins to describe the tectonic evolution of the Tien Shan area during the Mesozoic thus requires differentiation between the tectonic and climatic influences on sedimentation. The conglomerates of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Kalaza Formation were commonly associated with renewed tectonic activity resulting from the docking of the Lhasa block along the southern margin of Asia. From sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy analyses of several sections in the Junggar, Tarim and Fergana basins, we reassess the main factors controlling the deposition of this formation. We show that, while some tectonic activity persisted throughout the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition, the switch from the sandy deposits of the Upper Jurassic Qigu Formation to the coarse deposits of the Kalaza Formation is largely linked to the development of an arid climate.

Oxidized and reduced kaolin fan deposits: Their sedimentological–mineralogical facies and physical–chemical regime (North-Bavarian Kaolin Mining District, Germany)

The kaolin-fan deposits under consideration are sedimentary in origin and they bridge the gap between residual kaolin deposits proximal to the fan apex in crystalline basement rocks and syn(dia)genetic sandstone-hosted kaolin deposits on the fan apron. The “kaolin ore beds” on the other hand, developed in an arenaceous braided-river drainage system (bed load>>>suspended load deposits), reworking into secondary kaolin deposits that took place either intraformationally during the evolution of the kaolin fan deposits or epigenetically after unroofing of the kaolin deposits in high-sinuosity drainage systems passing, locally, into ephemeral lakes and mud flats (suspended load>bed load deposits). The reference type for kaolin fan deposits has been studied in terrigeneous sediments which are largely mined at Hirschau–Schnaittenbach, along the Western edge of the Bohemian Massif, SE Germany.The fan deposits formed under alternating wet and dry subtropical climatic conditions during the early Triassic. Different intensities of uplift in the hinterland and the frequency of tectonic quiescence to tectonic pulse had a strong impact on the paleogradient, facies and hydrography of the kaolin fan deposits, resulting in the build-up of oxidized kaolin fans (OKF) and reduced kaolin fans (RKF). The OKF provide favorable conditions for the accumulation and preservation of kaolin deposits of economic potential, due to a low paleogradient and a continuous rate of uplift. The opposite is the case in the RKF that formed more proximal to the initial residual kaolin deposits and, more basinward, grade into sandstone-hosted (non)-sulfidic faciesbound Pb deposits that were targeted upon during exploration campaigns in the study area.The mineral association of the kaolin fan deposits has been categorized as follows: the allochthonous heavy minerals are zircon, tourmaline, apatite, monazite, xenotime, rutile, garnet, titaniferous magnetite, and ilmenite. They do not significantly vary between OKF and RKF. The autochthonous heavy minerals show strong contrasts in their heavy mineral suites. The RKF are enriched in sulfides and arsenides, which can be deleterious for the kaolin raw material and exclude its use for special final products (anatase, hematite, galena, sphalerite, marcasite, pyrite, bravoite (Ni pyrite), “limonite”, goethite, Ag–Cu–Ni–As sulfides, and barite). The OKF are rather poor in accessory minerals and contain anatase, hematite, and APS minerals. The latter are geo-acidometers (marker minerals for low pH) and considered as an ore guide to high-potential target areas for kaolin. The allochthonous light minerals quartz and K feldspar are common to both fan types and were only in parts affected by kaolinization, whereas plagioclase has been decomposed to completeness. Autochthonous light minerals quartz, chalcedony (carnelian), and calcite are exclusive to the RKF, where silcretes and calcretes evolved in those stratigraphic units which in the OKF only brought about Ca, Fe and Ti anomalies. The OKF have a significant edge over the RKF in terms of kaolin quality and kaolin exploitation (providing less mechanical wear on LHD [load–haul–dump machinery] machinery). Allochthonous phyllosilicates have a more widespread occurrence in the RKF with muscovite, biotite and chlorite most common in the lowermost kaolin beds. By quality there is not much difference among the autochthonous phyllosilicates of the OKF and RKF. Kaolinite-group minerals, illite, smectite, and an illite–smectite mixed-layer are present in both types, but kaolinite-group minerals prevail in the OKF, with a downward-increasing trend of dickite. By contrast the amount of smectite and smectite–illite mixed layers increases at the expense of kaolinite upward in the stratigraphy.The evolution of the kaolin fan deposits can be subdivided into six stages. Each stage is representative of a peculiar process which translates into concentration, preservation and destruction of kaolin: stage 1 weathering and the formation of a kaolin regolith (constructive), stage 2 transport, deposition synsedimentary to early-diagenetic kaolinization (constructive+preserving), stage 3 synsedimentary to early-diagenetic smectitization of kaolin (faciesbound Pb mineralization only in the RKF) (preserving+destructive), stage 4 late-diagenetic kaolinization and formation of dickite (preserving+constructive) (not in RKF), stage 5 epigenetic unconformity-related Cu–Ag–Ni–As–Ba mineralization (vaguely expressed in the OKF) (preserving), and stage 6 unroofing, erosion and redeposition of kaolin (only in the OKF) (destructive).During the study a PIMA device has proven in this type of kaolin deposit to be an efficacious tool for capturing digital data in the field of exploitation and exploration of industrial minerals for the identification and quantification of clay minerals (quality control).

Tectonic history and structural development of the Zallah-Dur al Abd Sub-basin, western Sirt Basin, Libya

The Zallah-Dur al Abd Sub-basin area lies in the western part of the Sirt Basin of Libya. 2D seismic data covering an area of about 32,000 km² were studied along with the formation tops from 240 wells. We mapped a complex network of normal and probable strike-slip faults, generally striking NNW-SSE that control the asymmetry of the basin. Subordinate NE–SW structures acted as transverse faults controlling local depocentres that segment the Zallah-Dur al Abd Sub-basin.A number of active faults in the intra-basin area have been identified in seismic sections with generally moderate to high dip angles, and displaying evidence for positive and negative flower structures. The bordering extensional fault (the Gedari fault) passes at depth into a moderately SW-dipping structure crossing most of the Upper Mesozoic to Cenozoic stratigraphic section. Thickness variations adjacent to other major faults suggest also an original extensional system where inherited high-angle faults were reactivated throughout this time.A detailed analysis of the available seismic reflection and drill hole data shows that an obliquely rifted, multi-cyclic, NNW-SSE trending basin developed during the complex Upper Mesozoic Cenozoic rearrangement of Mediterranean tectonics. Multiple phases of rifting can be observed in the study area affecting a number of different horizons from Upper Cretaceous to Eocene.In the study area, the basin was initiated as a result of a Tethyan oblique extensional rift system that began in the Early Cretaceous and peaked in the Late Cretaceous. The basin reached its rift maturation phase during the Upper Cretaceous as a result of the continuing extensional tectonics on the marginal bounding NNW-SSE trending normal growth faults. During the Alpine-related tectonic pulses of Middle–Late Eocene the Sirt Basin underwent compression resulted in northward tilting of the basin, causing abrupt subsidence in the north and uplift on the basin southern shoulders, possibly driving a late stage of minor regional subsidence.

Magnetostratigraphic record of the early evolution of the southwestern Tian Shan foreland basin (Ulugqat area), interactions with Pamir indentation and India–Asia collision

The Tian Shan range is an inherited intracontinental structure reactivated by the far-field effects of the India–Asia collision. A growing body of thermochronology and magnetostratigraphy datasets shows that the range grew through several tectonic pulses since ~25Ma, however the early Cenozoic history remains poorly constrained. The time-lag between the Eocene India–Asia collision and the Miocene onset of Tian Shan exhumation is particularly enigmatic. This peculiar period is potentially recorded along the southwestern Tian Shan piedmont. There, late Eocene marine deposits of the proto-Paratethys epicontinental sea transition to continental foreland basin sediments of unknown age were recently dated. We provide magnetostratigraphic dating of these continental sediments from the 1700-m-thick Mine section integrated with previously published detrital apatite fission track and U/Pb zircon ages. The most likely correlation to the geomagnetic polarity time scale indicates an age span from 20.8 to 13.3Ma with a marked increase in accumulation rates at 19–18Ma. This implies that the entire Oligocene period is missing between the last marine and first continental sediments, as suggested by previous southwestern Tian Shan results. This differs from the southwestern Tarim basin where Eocene marine deposits are continuously overlain by late Eocene–Oligocene continental sediments. This supports a simple evolution model of the western Tarim basin with Eocene–Oligocene foreland basin activation to the south related to northward thrusting of the Kunlun Shan, followed by early Miocene activation of northern foreland basin related to overthrusting of the south Tian Shan. Our data also support southward propagation of the Tian Shan piedmont from 20 to 18Ma that may relate to motion on the Talas Fergana Fault. The coeval activation of a major right-lateral strike-slip system allowing indentation of the Pamir Salient into the Tarim basin, suggests far-field deformation from the India–Asia collision zone affected the Tian Shan and the Talas Fergana fault by early Miocene.

Lithofacies Superimposition in a Shallow Basin - Interplay of Tectonics and Sedimentation: Evidences from Kolhan Basin, Eastern India

The 2.2-2.1 Ga pear shaped Kolhan basin show the development of a time transgressive group in a half-graben setting developed during the fragmentation of the Rodinia supercontinent. The overall style of sedimentation reflect a switchover from low-sinuous avulsed channels developed within a braided-fluvial-ephemeral streams to a lacustrine fan-delta complex during the later part of the sedimentation history. The fan-delta facies indicate sediment dispersal by hyperconcentrated flows in the form of sheetfloods and channelized flows. These different-scale cycles are interpreted as the sedimentary response to pulses of deformation of the basin margin at variable frequencies, related to the contemporary thrusts (ca. 20 km away from the basin). The episodes of tectonism downwarped the basin margin sediments and made the basin shift periodically toward the margin, and created progressive lithological changes in the sedimentary succession. The immediate effects of a tectonic pulse included lake transgression and accentuation of the structural hinge of the basin margin, causing a decline of sediment supply from the source rock. As the basin margin was subsequently reduced by denudation, the fans prograded and fan deltas were formed in normal conditions of graben subsidence. The sediment geometries and the climate exerted a major control on the processes of sediment transfer. Our results show that the fluvio-lacustrine strata show on lap-pinch out relationship at the centre of the basin but only on lap relationship along the lateral edges. This transition can be best explained by the fault growth models.

Volcano-tectonic evolution of the polygenetic Kolumbo submarine volcano/Santorini (Aegean Sea)

Here we show for the first time the 3D-structural evolution of an explosive submarine volcano by means of reflection seismic interpretation. Four to five vertically stacked circular and cone-shaped units consisting mainly of volcaniclastics build the Kolumbo underwater volcano which experienced its first eruption>70ka ago and its last explosive eruption 1650AD, 7km NE of Santorini volcano (southern Aegean Sea). The summed volume of volcaniclastics is estimated to range between 13–22km3. The entire Kolumbo volcanic complex has a height of≥1km and a diameter of≥11km. All volcaniclastic units reveal the same transparent reflection pattern strongly suggesting that explosive underwater volcanism was the prevalent process. Growth faults terminate upwards at the base of volcaniclastic units, thus representing a predictor to an eruption phase. Similarities in seismic reflection pattern between Kolumbo and near-by volcanic cones imply that the smaller cones evolved through explosive eruptions as well. Hence, the central Aegean Sea experienced several more explosive eruptions (≥23) than previously assumed, thus justifying further risk assessment. However, the eruption columns from the smaller volcanic cones did not reach the air and– consequently – no sub-aerial pyroclastic surge was created. The Anydros basin that hosts Kolumbo volcanic field opened incrementally NW to SE and parallel to the Pliny and Strabo trends during four major tectonic pulses prior to the onset of underwater volcanism.

LITOFACIÁLNÍ ANALÝZA BÁZE HRADECKO-KYJOVICKÉHO SOUVRSTVÍ (NÍZKÝ JESENÍK, MORAVSKOSLEZSKÁ JEDNOTKA ČESKÉHO MASIVU)

A detailed field facies and ichnofacies analysis undertaken in the eastern part of the Nízký Jesník Mts. revealed that the basal part of Hradec-Kyjovice Formation of Upper Viséan age corresponded to coarse-grained siliciclastic turbidite system. Research was focused on detailed measurement of fifteen outcrops in the area. The formation was deposited in deep water environmental of the foreland basin by sediment gravity flows. Five facies were identified in the Hradec Member of the Hradec-Kyjovice Formation: conglomerate facies, pebble to coarse grained sandstone facies, coarse grained sandstone facies, sandstone-siltstone facies and the muddy siltstone facies. The conglomerate facies, pebble to coarse grained sandstone facies and coarse grained sandstone facies represent proximal, coarse grained channel deposits of high-density turbidite currents. The sandstone-siltstone sediments consist of a variety of turbidites deposites in lobes and interchannel environments. The muddy siltstone facies were deposited in interchannel environments by lowdensity turbidite currents. Some depositional lobes contain trace fossils of the Nereites ichnofacies. Sedimentary record of the basal parts of the Hradec-Kyjovice Formation indicates a Late Viséan a change in the development of Culm basin in Upper Viséan and beginning of new sedimentary cycle of sedimentation governed presumably by a compressional tectonic pulse.

TECTONIC AND CLIMATIC CONTROL ON DEPOSITION OF SEEP-CARBONATES: THE CASE OF MIDDLE-LATE MIOCENE SALSOMAGGIORE RIDGE (NORTHERN APENNINES, ITALY)

Seep-carbonates are generally related to hydrocarbon seepage on continental margins. Modern cold seeps are abundant in actively deforming tectonic settings, suggesting that tectonics is one of the major controlling factor on fluid emissions. Hydrocarbon seepages areconsidered major geological sources of atmospheric methane, one of the most important green-house gases, and have also been related to climate changes. However, the interplaybetween tectonics and climate change in forcing seepage is not clearly understood. Miocene seep-carbonates, formed in a collisional settingsuch as that ofthe Salsomaggiore area of the Northern Apennines(Italy), provide an opportunitytoassess accumulation and release of methane in response to tectonics and climate change along a convergent margin. Thestudiedseep-carbonatesarerelated to fluid emissions of various intensities coeval with tectonic pulses.Newplanktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphic datareveals thatdepositionof these seep-carbonatesislate Serravallian-early Tortonian in age and partiallycoeval with the Miller’s global cooling event Mi 5 (as used below). These seep-carbonates were deposited in two stages with different seepage modes. During the first stage, local tectonic pulses at the onset of the Mi5 event may have producedslow seepage, whereas during the second stage regional tectonics and more extreme climatic conditions (coolest peak of Mi5 event) may have resulted inafast and more intense seepage as suggested by increasing occurrence of chaotic facies. In the Salsomaggiore Ridge, tectonics and the Mi5 cooling event actively concurredtothe deposition of seep-carbonates in both stages.

Tectonic and climatic inferences from the terrace staircase in the Meduna valley, eastern Southern Alps, NE Italy

Results of stratigraphic and morphotectonic analyses on fluvial terraces at the outlet of the Meduna valley in the eastern Southern Alps are used to investigate on the tectonics and paleoclimate. The Meduna valley, prone to destructive earthquakes, belongs to the front of the eastern Southern Alps, a south-verging fold and thrust belt in evolution from the Middle Miocene to the present, constructed by ENE–WSW striking, SSE-verging medium to low-angle thrusts, gradually propagating in the Venetian–Friulian plain. In the study area, located south of the Periadriatic thrust, the main structural element is the ENE–WSW striking Maniago–M. Jouf thrust system. Seven depositional units, ranging in age from Pliocene to Holocene, and a hierarchy of four numbered terrace complexes were identified. Stratigraphic and geometric relationships between sedimentary units, basal surfaces and terraces allow the reconstruction of the chronology of the depositional events. The study shows that the valley configuration has been shaped during the Pliocene–Quaternary with long-lasting steady intervals, interspaced with periodic tectonic pulses of the thrust front of the eastern Southern Alps. The most recent pulse related to the Maniago thrust shows an upper Pleistocene–Holocene slip rate of about 0.6mm/yr.

From Jurassic extension to Miocene shortening: An example of polyphasic deformation in the External Dorsale Calcaire Unit (Chefchaouen, Morocco)

Liassic rocks of the External Dorsale Calcaire succession, cropping out in the northern Rif close to Chefchaouen city, host pre-orogenic structures, such as normal faults, veins and fractures, resulting from extension related to the Jurassic rifting of the Neotethys Domain. The successive inclusion of these rocks in the orogenic wedge, which mainly occurred in the Miocene time, deformed the most of pre-orogenic structures in a passive manner, without an overall reverse reactivation. The orogenic deformation includes two main stages; the first tectonic pulse, which occurred during the Burdigalian–Langhian interval, was characterized by a NE–SW shortening (in the current coordinates) and recorded by folds, thrust and back-thrust faults. During this stage the carbonates of the External Dorsale Calcaire tectonically covered the Predorsalian succession, producing, in the thrust front, a SW-verging regional fold. The second orogenic deformation, consisting of a NW–SE shortening, was expressed by thrust faults and related folds both verging to NW and SE, which probably occurred in the Late Miocene-Pliocene time.

Mélanges and broken formations at the boundary zone of the Magura and Silesian nappes (Gorlice area, Polish Outer Carpathians) - a result of sedimentary and tectonic processes

Based on geological field mapping, analyses of cores from explanatory wells, and foraminiferal age control data, we have differentiated a few types of mélanges and broken formations at the bordering zone between the Magura and Silesian nappes (Gorlice area in the Polish Outer Carpathians). These mélanges and broken formations differ in composition and structure due to different settings and processes of their formation. Several levels of broken formation within the uppermost part of the Krosno Beds were formed as mass-transport deposits at the southern slope of the Silesian Basin. They may record tectonic pulses related to advancing accretionary wedge within Magura area and directly predate the stage of the larger-scale sedimentary mélange formation at the front of the wedge. This mélange is composed mainly of the material representing the Magura succession (Siary Subunit) and the Krosno type sediments of the Silesian succession. It was emplaced within the Silesian basin in the Early Miocene time. The so-called “Harklowa peninsula”, whose geological structure has been the subject of discussions and various interpretations in the past years, is built of this type of mélange. The other recognized type of broken formation and mélange represents the chaotic bodies formed at the base of the Magura Nappe.The results of our studies contribute to better understanding of the structural evolution of this part of the Outer Carpathians.

Climate vs. tectonics: the competing roles of Late Oligocene warming and Alpine orogenesis in constructing alluvial megafan sequences in the North Alpine foreland basin

AbstractMegafan conglomerates of foreland basins chronicle the combined effect of palaeoclimate conditions, tectonic processes and the flux and granulometric composition of the supplied sediment. However, the architecture of these deposits is seldom uniquely compatible with a single driving force. This problem is illustrated here with a field‐based analysis of the ca. 30–20 Ma‐old Napf deposits in the north Alpine foreland basin which are coeval with a substantial global warming of ca. 6°C during the Late Oligocene. The observed larger grain sizes and a change in fluvial style from wandering to braided could be explained climatically by a shift to drier conditions with sparse vegetation, but would have resulted in less than 400 m of additional accommodation space during the 1 Ma duration of change. Accordingly, a climate scenario alone is also not compatible with rapid sediment accumulation rates of >1000 m Ma−1 recorded at Napf, or with a lack of any remarkable shifts in the Froude number, which would be expected if water discharge patterns changed substantially. Alternatively, flexural downwarping in response to a tectonic pulse could account for the increase in grain size and the change in fluvial style from wandering (more distal facies) to braided (proximal equivalent). However, a third driving force is required to explain the contemporaneous backstepping of the distal gravel front and progradation of the proximal braided facies. We suggest that the erosional hinterland steepened in response to an inferred tectonic pulse, resulting in a more widespread exposure of lithologies with higher erosional resistance, as inferred from an increasing contribution of crystalline constituents in the clast suites. Such a change would result in a larger D50 and a higher clast size variability in the supplied sediment, which in turn would contribute to the observed change from wandering to braided and the related shift in depositional systems. This study highlights the importance of tectonic processes and the role of changing surface lithologies in the source area for explaining variations in megafan construction even in the light of substantial palaeoclimate shift.

Provenance signal variations caused by facies and tectonics: Zircon age and heavy mineral evidence from Miocene sand in the north-eastern North Sea Basin

The provenance of the Danish Miocene sands has been deduced from zircon ages and heavy minerals integrated with an existing detailed stratigraphic model of the fluvio-deltaic sand successions that prograded into the North Sea Basin in large delta lobes. The stratigraphic model allowed interpretation of the depositional ages of the samples, which were used to reconstruct the outline of the river pathway system for each time slice. The contribution from individual source areas to a specific position in the Miocene succession was controlled by depositional environment and tectonics. The major rivers each flowed separately to the sea, so mixing between supplies from different sources could only have occurred in the marine environment, where a wave-induced shallow current and a tidally-induced deeper current transported the sediment along the shore in opposite directions. Changes in grain size parameters and mineral assemblages across Denmark showed that the overall sediment transport direction for southern Scandinavia was to the south-west. They also showed that the sediments are immature with regards to transport length, so the high maturity of the heavy mineral suite suggests that kaolinisation has been a widespread phenomenon in the source areas. Rapid uplift and/or extensive denudation may have been revealed by an apparent eastward migration of the dominating provenance area, which was observed in the zircon age data for two consecutive time spans; the early Miocene first tectonic pulse and the intra-early Miocene tectonic phase. Comparison of the zircon age distributions with age markers defined using the published ages of the Scandinavian basement terranes shows that most of the sand came from several Sveconorwegian source areas in south-eastern Norway and south-western Sweden. Contributions from the Svecofennian Orogen, the Caledonian belt and the Oslo Rift are also found and the presence of Archaean zircon grains suggests that contributions to the river systems came from as far away as Finland.

Sedimentary evolution and palaeogeography of mid-Jurassic deposits of the Central High Atlas, Morocco

In the axis of the Moroccan Central High Atlas rift basin, Toarcian–Middle Jurassic deposits, excepting the early Toarcian Tagoudite Formation, are represented by two formations – Agoudim and Tazigzaout – comprising clays, marls and limestones. On the margins of the basin, the lateral equivalents of these two formations are dolostone-dominated and show the lithological and environmental characteristics of the Bin El Ouidane Group recognized in the NW part of the Central High Atlas (Beni-Mellal/Azilal area). This group is overlain by clays and limestones of the Tillouguite Formation and by Bathonian red beds (silts, sandstones and conglomerates) of the Anemzi Formation. From the Toarcian to Aalenian (Agoudim Members I and II) the contrasting palaeogeographical evolution is marked by a relatively deep central basin bordered by shallow marine carbonates. The Aalenian–Lower Bajocian interval (Agoudim Member II) contains lenticular biodetritic limestones within hemipelagic deposits. These facies resulted from recurrent faulting (tectonic pulses), which was at the origin of the individualization of a series of ridges and depocentres within the High Atlas trough. During the Bajocian (Agoudim Members III and IV) the palaeogeography became homogeneous across the Central High Atlas and corresponded to a carbonate ramp with coral patch reefs. During the ?Late Bajocian (Tazigzaout Lower Member) a new palaeogeography developed with reappearance of the central depocentres. During the latest Bajocian–earliest Bathonian (Tazigzaout Upper Member) a very homogeneous carbonate ramp was again established. These times of uniform palaeogeography are interpreted as relative stable tectonic periods that were progressive stages leading to the ending of the Toarcian–Middle Jurassic sedimentary cycles in the Central High Atlas rift basin of Morocco.