Testing sea-level and carbonate production effects on stratal architecture of a distally steepened carbonate ramp (Upper Miocene, Menorca)
- Although distally steepened carbonate ramps have been studied by numerous researchers, the processes that control the development of these carbonate systems, including tectonics, differential carbonate production along the ramp profile, or antecedent physiography of the slopes, are an ongoing discussion. We use a stratigraphic forward model to test different hypotheses to unravel controls over distally steepened ramp development, referenced to the well-known Upper Miocene Menorca carbonate ramp (Spain). Sensitivity tests show that distally steepened ramps develop under complex interaction among accommodation, carbonate production and sediment transport parameters. Ramp slope initiation is favoured by still stands and falls of sea-level, in a setting with high-frequency sea-level fluctuations with amplitude between 20 m and 40 m. Low-frequency and higher amplitude sea-level fluctuations of about 115 m tend to form models with no significant slope development. The impact of antecedent slope on the geometry of ramps is determined by theAlthough distally steepened carbonate ramps have been studied by numerous researchers, the processes that control the development of these carbonate systems, including tectonics, differential carbonate production along the ramp profile, or antecedent physiography of the slopes, are an ongoing discussion. We use a stratigraphic forward model to test different hypotheses to unravel controls over distally steepened ramp development, referenced to the well-known Upper Miocene Menorca carbonate ramp (Spain). Sensitivity tests show that distally steepened ramps develop under complex interaction among accommodation, carbonate production and sediment transport parameters. Ramp slope initiation is favoured by still stands and falls of sea-level, in a setting with high-frequency sea-level fluctuations with amplitude between 20 m and 40 m. Low-frequency and higher amplitude sea-level fluctuations of about 115 m tend to form models with no significant slope development. The impact of antecedent slope on the geometry of ramps is determined by the paleoslope inclination, with flat to subhorizontal paleosurfaces resulting in ramps that mirror the antecedent slope. In contrast, steeper paleosurfaces tend to result in ramps with well-defined slopes. Our models, therefore, show that the ramp profile becomes more influenced by the depth constraints on the carbonate sediment producers than by the geometry of the underlying topography as the inclination of the paleosurface increases. The presented models also show that seagrass-dominated shallow carbonate production tends to result in steep slopes due to the low-transport characteristic imposed by seagrass trapping. This steepness can, however, be altered by the introduction of high transport sediment grains from deeper carbonate producers, which fill the slopes and more distal sections of the ramp profile.…
Author details: | Timothy O. TellaORCiDGND, Gerd WinterleitnerORCiD, Michele MorsilliORCiD, Maria MuttiORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2022.106267 |
ISSN: | 0037-0738 |
ISSN: | 1879-0968 |
Title of parent work (English): | Sedimentary geology : international journal of applied and regional sedimentology |
Subtitle (English): | a 3D forward modelling approach |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Place of publishing: | Amsterdam [u.a.] |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2022 |
Publication year: | 2022 |
Release date: | 2024/09/20 |
Tag: | Carbonate production; Distally steepened ramp; Forward model; Grain; Sea-level fluctuation;; Sediment transport; Sensitivity analysis; association |
Volume: | 441 |
Article number: | 106267 |
Number of pages: | 18 |
Funding institution: | Petroleum Technology Development Fund; German Academic Exchange Service; [57401043]; University of Potsdam; Comfort Tella |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Umweltwissenschaften und Geographie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 50 Naturwissenschaften / 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik |
Peer review: | Referiert |