Sedimentary architecture of a prograding oolitic-siliciclastic wedge: Response to changes in wave-base oscillation (Kimmeridgian, Iberian Basin)

Abstract

A detailed facies and sequential architectural analysis has been carried out along the wedge-shaped shallow marine cross-bedded oolitic-siliciclastic Ricla Member (Kimmeridgian, Northern Iberian Basin). The obtained results are based on fieldwork along the 4x1 km continuous outcrops with the use of high-resolution photomosaics and drone-made videos, which have led to a precise and extensive facies reconstruction. Three main facies that are laterally related (A to B to C) in down-dip direction have been differentiated, which correspond to the topset, foreset and bottomset parts of a sloping depositional surface. Sedimentation was controlled by sweeping drift and downwelling storm-induced currents causing avalanching processes, with the deep action of oscillatory currents. The sedimentary architecture consists in 5 successive units composed by several sub-units, arranged according to different stacking patterns, which reflect the sedimentary response to wave-base oscillations superimposed to the regressive part of a third-order transgressiveregressive cycle. The sedimentological features indicate that this unit, which has been 2 previously interpreted as a dune complex fit with an infralittoral prograding wedge model, as it is observed in geographically close and stratigraphically similar units. The Ricla Member is therefore regarded as an example of a well-exposed grain-supported unit with broad potential application to other prograding grain-dominated lithosomes that do not conform to the traditional sand shoal model.

Coarse‐grained, marine, sub‐wave base, high‐angle clinoform sets: A little‐known outcrop facies illustrated by Jurassic examples from East Greenland

“…This is more in line with the original interpretation of submarine tidal ridge or dune deposits by Jerzykiewicz and Wojewoda (1986). It should be noted, however, that the foresets were not formed by migration of bedforms but by submarine progradation in the same way as the clinoform sets described here from East Greenland and those from southern Italy described by Pomar and Tropeano (2001) and the Iberian Basin (Pomar et al, 2015; Val et al, 2018).…”

“…The shallow marine clinoform sets are generally interpreted as formed as a result of storms where downwelling, seaward‐directed currents transported sand from the shoreface across the shelf in suspension or as bedload to be deposited on the clinothems (e.g., Canals et al, 2009; Condie & Sherwood, 2006; Gaudin et al, 2006; Ulses et al, 2008; Val et al, 2018; Zhao et al, 2022). Strong coast‐parallel, commonly tidally‐influenced currents probably also played a role in supplying sand to the clinoform sets (e.g., Surlyk & Noe‐Nygaard, 1991).…”

Eocene to middle Miocene contourite deposits in Cyprus: A record of Indian Gateway evolution

“…S1 and S2 in supplementary material). Water masses and their secondary oceanographic processes are known to influence flatter domains by extensive development of sandier bottom current deposits, including ripples and small dunes, as documented in both modern and ancient marine records (Mutti et al, 2014;Shanmugam, 2014;Hernández-Molina et al, 2017a;Miramontes et al, 2019Miramontes et al, , 2020Miramontes et al, , 2021de Castro et al, 2021b) and even Mesozoic outcrops (Bádenas et al, 2012;Val et al, 2018).…”