Origin of the Pennsylvanian coal-bearing cyclothems of North America

Klein, George deV.; Willard, Debra A.

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1989)017<0152:ootpcb>2.3.co;2

Cited by 81 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…Desmoinesian and younger cyclothemic deposition has been attributed to tectonic controls (e.g., Weller, 1930), delta switching (e.g.. Farm, 1970), glacio-eustacy (e.g., Wanless and Shepard, 1936), and combinations of glacio-eustacy and tectonics (e.g., Klein and Willard, 1989). Eustatic controls are most commonly inferred (Kosanke et al, 1960;Heckel, 1977Heckel, , 1986Heckel, , 1994Heckel, , 1995Ross and Ross, 1985).…”

Section: Cyclothemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desmoinesian coal beds of the Eastern Interior and surrounding basins: The largest tropical peat mires in Earth history

Greb¹,

Andrews²,

Eble³

et al. 2003

Extreme Depositional Environments: Mega End Members in Geologic Time

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The Colchester, Springfield, and Herrin Coals of the Eastern Interior Basin are some of the most extensive coal beds in North America, if not the world. The Colchester covers an area of more than 100,000 km^, the Springfield covers 73,500-81,000 km^, and the Herrin spans 73,900 km^. Each has correlatives in the Western Interior Basin, such that their entire regional extent varies from 116,000 km^to 200,000 km^. Correlatives in the Appalachian Basin may indicate an even more widespread area of Desmoinesian peatland development, although possibly sUghtly younger in age. The Colchester Coal is thin, but the Springfield and Herrin Coals reach thicknesses in excess of 3 m.High ash yields, dominance of vitrinite macerals, and abundant lycopsids suggest that these Desmoinesian coals were deposited in topogenous (groundwater fed) to soligenous (mixed-water source) mires. The only modern mire complexes that are as widespread are northern-latitude raised-bog mires, but Desmoinesian Midcontinent paleomires were topogenous and accumulated within 10° of the paleo-equator.The extent and thickness of Desmoinesian paleomires resulted from the coincidence of prime peat-forming factors, including a seasonally wet paleoclimate; cyclothemic transgressions and base-level rise above extensive, low-relief cratonic areas floored by vast, impermeable paleosols; broad floodplains along large rivers with a groundwater table high enough to hydrologically link peatlands and keep them wet; low, relatively uniform rates of tectonic subsidence; and accumulation in a basin surrounded by low relief, which led to minimal sediment input.

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Section: Cyclothemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desmoinesian coal beds of the Eastern Interior and surrounding basins: The largest tropical peat mires in Earth history

Greb¹,

Andrews²,

Eble³

et al. 2003

Extreme Depositional Environments: Mega End Members in Geologic Time

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“…At least during the Namurian to Permian period, changes in continental ice volume in high latitudes of Gondwana gave rise to a prolonged (though fluctuating) episode of glaciation that started in the Namurian and collapsed in the early Sakmarian (Veevers & Powell, 1987). These glaciations resulted in high-amplitude sealevel fluctuations, which are recorded as transgressive-regressive, 2nd-to 5th-order cycles in the stratigraphic successions (Heckel, 1977;Bush & Rollins, 1984;Ross & Ross, 1985, 1988Heckel, 1986;Veevers & Powell, 1987;Klein & Willard, 1989;Crowley & Baum, 1991;Maynard & Leeder, 1992;Soreghan, 1994;Soreghan & Giles, 1999;Izart et al, 2003).…”

Section: Eustatic Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facies Architecture and Cyclicity of an Upper Carboniferous Carbonate Ramp Developed in a Variscan Piggy‐Back Basin (Cantabrian Mountains, Northwest Spain)

Merino-Tomé

Bahamonde

Fernández

et al. 2007

Sedimentary Processes, Environments and Basins

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The latest Moscovian (late Myachkovsky) to Gzhelian succession in the northern sector of the Picos de Europa Province (Cantabrian Mountains, northwest Spain) was deposited in a rapidly subsiding piggy-back basin. The succession has been subdivided into 11 mappable depositional sequences (3rd-4th order), which have in turn been grouped into two sequence sets, and they are formed of several higher order cycles (4th-5th order). This work focuses on the study of a carbonate ramp system (Puentellés Formation, northern proximal deposits of Sequences 8-10), where the cyclicity is best developed. Each of the three depositional sequences forming the Puentellés Formation comprises a fining upward lower part, which consists of several higher order (metric to decimetric) cycles with similar internal organization, and an upper part mainly arranged in metric to decametric shallowing upward parasequences. The results of this study suggest that tectonic activity controlled the configuration and long-term development of the latest Moscovian (late Myachkovsky) to Gzhelian basins, being responsible for the large-scale stratigraphical architecture (sequence sets). Eustasy, on the other hand, was the driving mechanism for the higher frequency architecture (3rd-5th-order cyclicity).The subsidence curves are similar for both sequence sets, showing a maximum subsidence rate in the beginning that gradually decreased, reflecting the tectonic load during two major phases of thrust-sheet emplacement. The unconformity between both sequence sets records an intense phase of erosion linked to uplift of the northern sector of the Picos de Europa Province due to the onset of the emplacement of the Picos de Europa thrust sheets. The tectonic deformation was also responsible for the angular unconformities and the syntectonic unconformities that bound the depositional sequences, but the unconformities in themselves were a consequence of eustatic sea-level falls. The lower part of each sequence in the Puentellés Formation records late lowstand clastic sedimentation in flood-dominated deltas and fan-deltas, which co-existed with a reduced carbonate production in a narrow shallow-water ramp. The minor unconformities that bound the 4th-5th-order cycles are only present in the lower part of the 3rd-order sequences, and are interpreted to have developed when minor tectonic uplift was enhanced during lowstand stages. The upper part, mainly composed of autochthonous carbonates (including microbial and algal boundstones, among others), represents the abandonment of the previous clastic systems and the encroachment and aggradation of the carbonate ramps during rising and highstand stages.The development of the Puentellés carbonate ramp was exceptional in that, normally, terrigenous influx typical of active tectonic regimes adversely affects carbonate production, preventing the development of carbonate depositional systems. In this case, the clastic supply was mainly calcareous, due to the composition of the source area, and as a consequence, almost no terrige...

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“…Montanez & Osleger 1993;Pope & Read 1997;Al-Tawil, 1998), whereas the latter are most commonly recorded by low-frequency, unconformity bounded sequences typified by Pennsylvanian cyclothems (e.g. Heckel, 1986;Veevers & Powell 1987;Klein & Willard 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although controversial, many Carboniferous sequences are thought to be controlled by glacio-eustasy (Heckel, 1986;Klein and Willard, 1989; Eriksson, in press), and reflect Milankovitch periodicities of 100-400 k.y. The four sequences making up the Bluefield Formation record transgressions and regressions correlatable through both marine and non-marine environments, supporting a glacioeustatic control over intrabasinal autocyclic events, or high frequency regional tectonic episodes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The upper Mississippian Bluefield Formation in the Central Appalachian basin: A hierarchical sequence-stratigraphic record of a greenhouse to icehouse transition

Maynard¹,

Eriksson²,

Law³

2006

Sedimentary Geology

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The Upper Mississippian (Chesterian) Bluefield Formation of southeastern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia is the basal unit of the Mauch Chunk Group, a succession of predominantly siliciclastic strata sourced from actively rising tectonic highlands east of the Appalachian Basin. The Bluefield Formation conformably overlies shallow-marine carbonate units of the Greenbrier Group, and is unconformably overlain by incised fluvio-estuarine facies of the Stony Gap sandstone member (Hinton Formation). Outcrops along the Allegheny Front were investigated sedimentologically and structurally, and subjected to gamma ray analysis. Composite outcrop sections from deformed rocks of the Allegheny Front were correlated with the relatively undeformed rocks in the subsurface of the Appalachian Basin to the west using over 100 commercial oil and gas test wells.Regional subsurface cross-sections and isopachs define a depocenter in the southeastern part of the study area. Measured outcrop sections reveal that the stratigraphic record in the depocenter consists predominantly of meter-scale, upwardshallowing parasequences, each capped by a flooding surface. These parasequences are stacked into four regionally correlatable depositional sequences. On the basin margin to the southwest and northwest, incised valleys, and fewer meter-scale parasequences characterize depositional sequences.Stacking of parasequences into sequences reflects a hierarchy of greenhouse-type 5 th order, and icehouse-type 4 th order eustatic changes superimposed on differential subsidence. Due to early Alleghenian thrust loading, the depocenter experienced greater total accommodation, which prevented incision during lowstands. Instead, in the depocenter, lowstands are typified by preservation of 5 th order coal-bearing parasequences. Basin-margin areas experienced less total accommodation resulting in development of 4 th order lowstand incised valleys and erosive removal of parasequences. This study demonstrates that both tectonic and eustatic forcing mechanisms controlled stratigraphic evolution of the Bluefield Formation.ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Origin of the Pennsylvanian coal-bearing cyclothems of North America

Cited by 81 publications

References 0 publications

Desmoinesian coal beds of the Eastern Interior and surrounding basins: The largest tropical peat mires in Earth history

Desmoinesian coal beds of the Eastern Interior and surrounding basins: The largest tropical peat mires in Earth history

Facies Architecture and Cyclicity of an Upper Carboniferous Carbonate Ramp Developed in a Variscan Piggy‐Back Basin (Cantabrian Mountains, Northwest Spain)

The upper Mississippian Bluefield Formation in the Central Appalachian basin: A hierarchical sequence-stratigraphic record of a greenhouse to icehouse transition

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