Internal anatomy of a mixed siliciclastic–carbonate platform: the Late Cenomanian–Mid Turonian at the southern margin of the Spanish Central System

Abstract

The Late Cenomanian-Mid Turonian succession in central Spain is composed of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks deposited in a variety of coastal and marine shelf environments (alluvial plain-estuarine, lagoon, shoreface, offshorehemipelagic and carbonate ramp). Three depositional sequences (third order) are recognized: the Atienza, Patones and El Molar sequences. The Patones sequence contains five fourth-order parasequence sets, while a single parasequence set is recognized in the Atienza and El Molar sequences. Systems tracts can be recognized both in the sequences and parasequence sets. The lowstand systems tracts (only recognized for Atienza and Patones sequences) are related to erosion and sequence boundary formation. Transgressive systems tracts are related to marine transgression and shoreface retreat. The highstand systems tracts are related to shoreface extension and progradation, and to carbonate production and ramp progradation. Sequences are bounded by erosion or emergence surfaces, whose locations are supported by mineralogical analyses and suggest source area reactivation probably due to a fall in relative sea-level. Transgressive surfaces are subordinate erosion and/or omission surfaces with a landward facies shift, interpreted as parasequence set boundaries. The co-existence of siliciclastic and carbonate sediments and environments occurred as facies mixing or as distinct facies belts along the basin. Mixed facies of coastal areas are composed of detrital quartz and clays derived from the hinterland, and dolomite probably derived from bioclastic material. Siliciclastic flux to coastal areas is highly variable, the maximum flux postdates relative sea-level falls. Carbonate production in these areas may be constant, but the final content is a function of changing inputs in terrigenous sediments and carbonate content diminishes through a dilution effect. Carbonate ramps were detached from the coastal system and separated by a fringe of offshore, fine-grained muds and silts as distinct facies belts. The growth of carbonate ramp deposits was related to the highstand systems tracts of the fourth-order parasequence sets. During the growth of these ramps, some sediment starvation occurred basinwards. Progradation and retrogradation of the different belts occur simultaneously, suggesting a sea-level control on sedimentation. In the study area, the co-existence of carbonate and siliciclastic facies belts depended on the superimposition of different orders of relative sealevel cycles, and occurred mainly when the second-order, third-order and fourth-order cycles showed highstand conditions.

Depositional architecture and peculiar sedimentary features of late Cretaceous Utrillas Formation at Tamajón (Guadalajara, Spain)

“…In the nearby Somolinos section, the palynological data of the overlying sequences (uppermost Cenomanian-Turonian), whose marginal sediments resemble those studied here (García-Hidalgo et al, 2007), suggest that the Iberian hinterland was dominated by an open forest of angiosperms, with scarce, small-sized conifers, and a forest understory not welldeveloped (Gil-Gil et al, 2013), similar to those described for the Late Cenomanian.…”

“…1b) by Wiedmann (1975), Mojica and Wiedmann (1977), and Segura and Wiedmann (1982); based on these works, the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary is located at the top of the studied interval. The Utrillas Formation is conformably overlaid by the Picofrentes Formation; the common presence of Ammonites in the marls of this unit indicates an Early Turonian age for this unit (García-Hidalgo et al, 2007).…”

“…Due to the known paleogeography (Fig. 1a) of the continental-basin transition in the Iberian Basin (García-Hidalgo et al, 2007), the sedimentary environment probably consisted of a longitudinal braided paleovalley related to a punctual source area from the hinterland (Fig. 9a).…”

“…More recently, it has been interpreted as continental alluvial and coastal plain (estuarine) deposits (García-Hidalgo et al, 2007).…”

Succession of rudistid lithosomes along the western coastal margin of the Iberian Basin (Coniacian, Castrojimeno Section, central Spain)

“…The sedimentary record displays a complex internal stratigraphic framework, composed of third-order depositional sequences (in the sense of Van Wagoner et al 1988) that may correlate with the global eustatic charts (Haq et al 1988) and regional eustatic charts (Hardenbol et al 1998;Haq and Al-Qahtani 2005). These sequences display a basic palaeogeographical pattern, composed of a siliciclastic facies belt towards the western coastal margin (Gil et al 2006a;García-Hidalgo et al 2007), and shallow carbonate platform facies in the middle of the basin; the basin was connected to the Atlantic Domain, or the Tethyan Domain, or both, depending on the microplate tilting .…”