Orbital-climate control of mass-flow sedimentation in a Miocene alluvial-fan succession (Teruel Basin, Spain)

Abstract

The role of climate change in driving alluvial-fan sedimentation is hard to assess in pre-Quaternary successions, for which detailed chronologies and climate-proxy records cannot be easily established. In the Teruel Basin (Spain), high-resolution (104–105 years) chronological and palaeoclimatic information was derived by orbital tuning of Late Miocene mudflat to ephemeral-lake deposits. The semi-arid palaeoclimate made this low-gradient, basinal environment sensitive to thresholds in the local hydrological balance. Basic facies rhythms are attributed to alternating, relatively humid/arid phases controlled by the climatic precession cycle. The lower stratigraphic interval of this reference section interfingers with distal, coarse-clastic beds from a coeval alluvial fan. The consistent interdigitation of debris-flow deposits with distal strata indicative of arid-to-humid climate transitions shows that fan sedimentation was regulated by climate cyclicity. In particular, the largest volumes of terrigenous debris were shed from the fan onto adjacent mudflats during transitions to relatively humid periods with pronounced seasonality, during precession minima. Distal to medial sections within alluvial-fan outcrops also feature prominent, laterally continuous alternations of coarse- and fine-clastic packages. This high degree of architectural organization, uncommon in fan successions, and stratigraphic relationships with the reference section suggest orbitally controlled climate change to have been the forcing mechanism.

Loess‐Like Dust Appearance at 40 Ma in Central China

“…The Xiejia section is located in a more proximal setting toward the southern margin of the basin which may explain the occurrence of fluvial sandstones during the wet phase of the cycles. Similar orbital cycles are observed in the mudflat deposits of the Teruel Basin in Spain with distal lacustrine deposits correlating to proximal fluvial beds during the wetter phases (Ventra et al, 2018). The correlations in the Xining Basin suggest that the cycles are basin-wide and possibly orbitally forced.…”

Sedimentary characteristics and internal architecture of a river-dominated delta controlled by autogenic process: implications from a flume tank experiment

“…There are a number of controlling factors that govern the depositional processes and the internal architecture of a sedimentary system including water and sediment supply, climatic changes, base-level variation, tectonic activities, and so on (Gong et al 2016;Jia et al 2018;Jia et al 2016;Ventra et al 2018;Zhao et al 2018a;Zhao et al 2018b). In order to clarify the controlling mechanism of each factor on the sedimentary system, Beerbower (1964) first classified the above factors into two types, including within-basin and extra-basin factors.…”

Orbitally‐driven Palaeogene to Neogene deposition in the western South Atlantic (Espírito Santo Basin) and its correlation with global sea level

“…In certain regions, the coupling between climate and eustatism has been raised as the main driver of downward coarser‐grained sand and clastic sediments to deep marine areas, even in tectonically active regions (e.g. Cantalejo & Pickering, 2014; Scotchman et al ., 2015; Ventra et al ., 2018). Cantalejo et al .…”

“…In certain regions, the coupling between climate and eustatism has been raised as the main driver of downward coarser-grained sand and clastic sediments to deep marine areas, even in tectonically active regions (e.g. Cantalejo & Pickering, 2014;Scotchman et al, 2015;Ventra et al, 2018). Cantalejo et al (2021) demonstrate that 72% of the sand fans in a siliciclastic section of the mid-Eocene deep-marine Aı ´nsa Basin (Spanish Pyrenees) coincide with 405 kyr long eccentricity minima and could be attributed to climate change.…”