DOCSLIB.ORG

Facies Characteristics and Diversity in Carbonate Eolianites

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Facies Characteristics and Diversity in Carbonate Eolianites Facies (2008) 54:175–191 DOI 10.1007/s10347-008-0134-8 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Facies characteristics and diversity in carbonate eolianites Gregory Frébourg · Claude-Alain Hasler · Pierre Le Guern · Eric Davaud Received: 12 September 2007 / Accepted: 24 January 2008 / Published online: 14 February 2008 © Springer-Verlag 2008 Abstract Carbonate eolian dunes can form huge sand Introduction bodies along the coasts but are seldom described in the pre- Quaternary record. The study of more than 600 thin-sec- Eolianites are wind-driven subaerial accumulations of tions collected in present-day, Holocene and Pleistocene carbonate-dominated and carbonate-cemented sand (Brooke dunes from Sardinia, Crete, Cyprus, Tunisia, Morocco, 2001). Two types can be diVerentiated: coastal eolianites Australia and Baja California conWrms that these deposits and inland eolianites. The latter results from large-scale can be easily misinterpreted as shallow marine at core or deXation of exposed carbonate margins and the accumula- thin-section scale. The classical eolian criteria (Wne-grained tion of the material far from the coastline (Abegg et al. and well-sorted sands) are exceptional in carbonate dunes 2001; Abegg and Hanford 2001). This distinction is impor- because the diversity of shapes and densities of carbonate tant as coastal eolianites build huge, elongated, often particles lowers the critical shear velocity of the sediment accreted sand belts (Aberkan 1989), while inland eolianites thus blurring the sedimentary structures. Wind carbonate form scattered sand bodies inWlling continental depressions deposits are mainly heterogeneous in size and often coarse- (Goudie and Sperling 1977; Abegg and Hanford 2001). grained. The paucity of eolianites in the pre-Quaternary Coastal eolianites are formed by material from the deXa- record could be due to misinterpretation of these deposits. tion of beach deposits and subtidal sediments when The recognition should be based on converging sedimento- exposed to wind during marine lowstand episodes (Abegg logical and stratigraphic elements at core scale, and dia- et al. 2001). Normal wave-induced shore input and rework- genetic (vadose diagenesis, pedogenetic imprints) and ing of washover deposits are the main sources of material petrographical (grain verticalization, scarcity of micritic during sea-level highstands. For a long time, the main envelopes, broken and/or reworked foraminifera) clues in coastal carbonate dune record was restricted to icehouse thin-section. Bioclastic or oolitic grainstones showing evi- periods, with abundant descriptions for the Late Tertiary dence of vadose diagenesis or pedogenetic imprints, should and Quaternary times (Johnson 1968; McKee and Ward always be suspected of having an eolian origin. 1983; see Brooke 2001 for detailed Quaternary inventory) and in the Carboniferous (Abegg and Hanford 2001; Dodd Keywords Eolianites · Coastal dunes · Holocene · et al. 2001; Smith et al. 2001, see Abegg et al. 2001 for Pleistocene · Microfacies Palaeozoic and Mesozoic detailed inventory). However, greenhouse eolianites have been discovered in recent years (Kilibarda and Loope 1997; Kindler and Davaud 2001), going against the assumption that eolianite G. Frébourg (&) · C.-A. Hasler · E. Davaud Section des Sciences de la Terre, deposition is constrained to icehouse periods, with large Rue des Maraîchers 13, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland glacio-eustatic sea-level Xuctuations. These variations e-mail: [email protected] would thus not be necessary to the formation of eolianites (Le Guern 2005). Several authors suggested that the scar- P. Le Guern Schlumberger Stavanger Research, Risabergveien 3, city of eolianites in the pre-Quaternary record is due to the Tananger, P.O. Box 8013, 4068 Stavanger, Norway low preservation potential of these deposits. However, this 123 176 Facies (2008) 54:175–191 assertion is not supported by the fact: eolianites, which are producing zone and eolian deposition appears to be com- characterized by high permeabilities and porosities, are plex, making simple rules inapplicable from one case to subjected to the percolation of meteoric water, and contain another. signiWcant aquifers. They undergo early vadose and phre- Icehouse periods are characterized by high amplitude atic cementation and form ridges which are able to resist variations of sea level due to the formation and meltdown coastal erosion even during transgressive phases. Early lithi- of continental ice-sheets. These Xuctuations may favour Wcation is probably favoured when aragonite and high- large-scale emersions and eolianite formation by deXation magnesium calcite particles are abundant. Furthermore, processes. On the other hand, the important carbonate pro- non-lithiWed carbonate dunes may also resist marine trans- duction during greenhouse times probably generated gression, for instance, when located on a leeward side of a enough sediment to deposit carbonate coastal dunes by nor- structural high (Kilibarda and Loope 1997). mal shore input even when the amplitude of the sea-level Their high preservation potential (Hasler et al. 2007a) variations is low. and their occurrence during the Quaternary suggests that Smaller scale climatic conditions also play an important eolianites are probably in the fossil record more frequently role on eolianite repartition. Climatic belts constrain their than suspected, but are misinterpreted as shallow-marine latitudinal deposition between the poleward temperature deposits. The aim of this paper is to document the high varia- limit of carbonate production and the warm, tropical, reef- bility of the facies encountered in present-day, Holocene building realm. The permanence and intensity of trade and Quaternary coastal eolianites and to provide clues for winds favour the development of carbonate eolian deposits. recognizing them at core or thin-section scale. Two latitudinal belts, where the combination of carbonate production and wind factors are optimal and allow maxi- Palaeogeographical and palaeoecological factors mum coastal dune formation (Brooke 2001) are found between 20° and 40° on both hemispheres (Fig. 1). Many factors can inXuence the deposition of carbonate The shore and slope morphology is of crucial impor- coastal dunes. Since these deposits are made of carbonate tance as it contributes to the control of the tidal amplitude sands, they depend on the presence of the latter. The position and the impact of storms. The tidal amplitude may play an of the continents, the climate and the climatic belts directly important role in the formation of coastal eolianites. The inXuence the carbonate factory. Continental palinspastical daily Xuctuation of the sea level exposes the shoreface sedi- and palaeoclimatical reconstructions must be taken into ment to wind deXation, thus potentially feeding the eolian account in the study of pre-Pleistocene eolianites. system twice a day. This process is well documented along Furthermore, the margin architecture appears to be a the macrotidal coast of Morocco where large active dunes determinant factor for the eventual deposition of eolianites. develop (north of Rabat). In the same area, highstand Pleis- Steep rimmed platforms such as the Bahamas are supposed tocene eolianites reaching more than 30 m in thickness to be producing carbonates dunes only during sea-level (Aberkan 1989; Plaziat et al. 2006), testifying to macrotidal highstands, with the lowstand sea-level dropping beneath conditions, are found to be associated with foreshore depos- the rim and stopping sediment input, leaving emerged lands its. Moreover, a coast subject to storms may have an impor- to early diagenesis and cementation (Carew and Mylroie tant sedimentary input right after these events, via the 2001). However, Russell and Johnson (2000) describe reworking of the overwash deposits; on the other hand, important sediment transport over steep cliVs and actual large storms and hurricanes can erode and even destroy eolian dune formation behind these in Punta Chivato (Baja dune belts (Wang and Horwitz 2007). California Sur, Mexico), demonstrating that abrupt supra- Carbonate eolian dunes display many features similar to tidal coastal topography is not an obstacle to eolianite for- subtidal carbonates (Abegg et al. 2001). Quaternary eolia- mation, going against Carew and Mylroie’s assumption. On nites show easily distinguishable sedimentary structures at the other hand, the incipient rimmed, Xat-topped and steep- outcrop scale such as large-scale landward-dipping fore- fronted Rottnest Shelf of western Australia will produce sets, grainXow, and pinstripe lamination, slump-scar struc- eolianites both during highstands because of the huge area tures, animal tracks and often pedogenetic imprints (Fig. 2). of the carbonate producing Xat top (James et al. 1999) and However, at core and thin-section scale, these structures are lowstands due to its emersion and exposure to deXation diYcult to distinguish from those generated in subtidal processes (Abegg et al. 2001). Low angle ramps will environments. The “climbing translatent ripples” or “pin- develop eolianites during both highstands and lowstands stripe laminations” (Fig. 2c) are the only unequivocal crite- (Abegg et al. 2001 and references therein). The presence of rion for discriminating eolian deposits (Loope and Abegg reefs may limit the development of eolianites by reducing 2001). Pinstripe laminations are inversely graded lamina- the sediment’s mobility and the onshore sediment transpor- tions of a few
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bulletin of the Geological Society of America Vol. 71. Pp. 1729-1754, 7 Figs. December 1960 Bermuda: a Partially Drowned, Late M
    BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA VOL. 71. PP. 1729-1754, 7 FIGS. DECEMBER 1960 BERMUDA: A PARTIALLY DROWNED, LATE MATURE, PLEISTOCENE KARST BY J HARLEN BRETZ ABSTRACT During Pleistocene time, the Bermuda Islands repeatedly underwent partial inundation and re-emergence. The land areas were continuously attacked and reduced by rain and ground water but repeatedly renewed, during times of submergence, by deposition of marine limestone and by contemporaneous additions of shore-born and wind-transported carbonate sand, now eolianite. Soils formed under subaerial conditions are now buried be- neath later deposits and constitute important stratigraphic markers. The igneous founda- tion rock appears to have been exposed during some low marine stands, and the former shore lines seem to be recorded by submerged terraces. The major karst features are largely below sea level, and they must date from times of continental glaciations. Previous writers have assigned eolian accumulation to times of Pleistocene low sea level and soil-making to times of interglacial high sea. Both conclusions are held to be er- roneous. CONTENTS TEXT Figure Page Page Navy and Air Force modifications of the Introduction 1729 shore line 1730 Acknowledgments 1732 2. Bermuda Islands with the adjacent Dunes and eolianites 1732 banks 1733 Paleosols 1736 3. Diagram of section at Whalebone Bay, Ber- Caves 1741 muda Islands 1735 Origin of the interior basins 1744 4. Diagram to show contrast in soil record on Correlation of soil-making and dune-building uplands and lowlands, Bermuda with Pleistocene eustatism 1746 Islands 1736 Conclusion 1752 5. Diagram of Shore Hills type section, References cited 1754 Bermuda Islands 1737 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Locational Factors Determining the Distribution of Nesting Sites for A
    Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 1998 Locational factors determining the distribution of nesting sites for a colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters, puffinus pacificus, onest W Wallabi Island, Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia Julie Davis Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Ornithology Commons Recommended Citation Davis, J. (1998). Locational factors determining the distribution of nesting sites for a colony of wedge- tailed shearwaters, puffinus pacificus, onest W Wallabi Island, Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/473 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/473 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
    [Show full text]
  • The Origin and Paleoclimatic Significance of Carbonate Sand Dunes Deposited on the California Channel Islands During the Last Glacial Period
    Pages 3–14 in Damiani, C.C. and D.K. Garcelon (eds.). 2009. Proceedings of 3 the 7th California Islands Symposium. Institute for Wildlife Studies, Arcata, CA. THE ORIGIN AND PALEOCLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CARBONATE SAND DUNES DEPOSITED ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS DURING THE LAST GLACIAL PERIOD DANIEL R. MUHS,1 GARY SKIPP,1 R. RANDALL SCHUMANN,1 DONALD L. JOHNSON,2 JOHN P. MCGEEHIN,3 JOSSH BEANN,1 JOSHUA FREEMAN,1 TIMOTHY A. PEARCE,4 1 AND ZACHARY MUHS ROWLAND 1U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225; [email protected] 2Department of Geography, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 3U.S. Geological Survey, MS 926A, National Center, Reston, VA 20192 4Section of Mollusks, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Abstract—Most coastal sand dunes, including those on mainland California, have a mineralogy dominated by silicates (quartz and feldspar), delivered to beach sources from rivers. However, carbonate minerals (aragonite and calcite) from marine invertebrates dominate dunes on many tropical and subtropical islands. The Channel Islands of California are the northernmost localities in North America where carbonate-rich coastal dunes occur. Unlike the mainland, a lack of major river inputs of silicates to the island shelves and beaches keeps the carbonate mineral content high. The resulting distinctive white dunes are extensive on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, San Nicolas, and San Clemente islands. Beaches have limited extent on all four of these islands at present, and some dunes abut rocky shores with no sand sources at all. Thus, the origin of many of the dunes is related to the lowering of sea level to ~120 m below present during the last glacial period (~25,000 to 10,000 years ago), when broad insular shelves were subaerially exposed.
    [Show full text]
  • Holocene Growth History of a Reef Complex on a Cool-Water Carbonate Margin: Easter Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, Eastern Indian Ocean
    Marine Geology, 115 (1993) 29-46 29 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam Holocene growth history of a reef complex on a cool-water carbonate margin: Easter Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, Eastern Indian Ocean L.B. Collins a, Z.R. Zhu a, K.-H. Wyrwoll b, B.G. Hatcher c, P.E. Playford d, A. Eisenhauer e'l , J.H. Chen e, G.J. Wasserburg e and G. Bonani f aSchool of Applied Geology, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA 6102, Australia bUniversity of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia CDepartment of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S. B3H 4Jl, Canada dGeological Survey of Western Australia, East Perth, WA 6004, Australia eDivision of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA f lnstitut fiir Mittelenergiephysik der ETH Ziirich, ETH-Hoenggerberg, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland (Received March 5, 1993; revision accepted August 18, 1993) ABSTRACT Collins, L.B., Zhu, Z.R., Wyrwoll, K.-H., Hatcher, B.G., Playford, P.E., Eisenhauer, A., Chen, J.H., Wasserburg, G.J. and Bonani, G., 1993. Holocene growth history of a reef complex on a cool-water carbonate margin: Easter Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, Eastern Indian Ocean. Mar. Geol., 115: 29-46. The Houtman Abrolhos reefs, situated on the western continental margin of Australia, occupy a transitional position between cool-water shelf carbonate sediments to the south and more tropical environments to the north. Their existence at the outer limits of the geographical range for coral reef growth is a result of the warm, poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current. Though the modern reefs differ ecologically from tropical reefs, their geological characteristics have been little known until recently.
    [Show full text]
  • Aeolianite, Calcrete/Microbialite and Karst in Southwestern Australia As Indicators of Middle to Late Quaternary Palaeoclimates
    Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 470 (2017) 11–29 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Aeolianite, calcrete/microbialite and karst in southwestern Australia as indicators of Middle to Late Quaternary palaeoclimates Matej Lipar a,⁎,JohnA.Webba, Matthew L. Cupper b,NingshengWangc a Environmental Geoscience, Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia b School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia c School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand article info abstract Article history: The mid-Late Pleistocene and Holocene aeolianites of the Tamala Limestone on the northern Swan Coastal Plain Received 25 September 2016 in southwestern Western Australia consist of six members that show cyclic deposition of coastal aeolianite, over- Received in revised form 15 December 2016 lain by calcrete/microbialite, karstified surface and palaeosol. Field work, combined with mineralogical, chemical, Accepted 16 December 2016 stable isotope analysis and uranium-thorium (U/Th) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, pro- Available online 10 January 2017 vides an insight into the repetitive glacial and interglacial climatic periods over the past 500 kyr. Deposition of the carbonate aeolianites occurred during interglacial episodes (marine isotope stage (MIS) 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, and pos- Keywords: fl Tamala limestone sibly 13), due to migration of coastal dunes under the in uence of strong southerly to southwesterly winds. Rain- Pleistocene fall was insufficient to support vegetation cover on the dunes, and so was probably limited or seasonal. The Holocene transition from interglacial to glacial climates was characterised by higher effective rainfall, accompanied by Calcarenite aeolianite dissolution and karstification.
    [Show full text]
  • Paleontology of the Bears Ears National Monument
    Paleontology of Bears Ears National Monument (Utah, USA): history of exploration, study, and designation 1,2 3 4 5 Jessica Uglesich ,​ Robert J. Gay *,​ M. Allison Stegner ,​ Adam K. Huttenlocker ,​ Randall B. ​ ​ ​ ​ Irmis6 ​ 1 Friends​ of Cedar Mesa, Bluff, Utah 84512 U.S.A. 2 University​ of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Geosciences, San Antonio, Texas 78249 U.S.A. 3 Colorado​ Canyons Association, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 U.S.A. 4 Department​ of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706 U.S.A. 5 University​ of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007 U.S.A. 6 Natural​ History Museum of Utah and Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108-1214 U.S.A. *Corresponding author: [email protected] or [email protected] ​ ​ ​ Submitted September 2018 PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.3442v2 | CC BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 23 Sep 2018, publ: 23 Sep 2018 ABSTRACT Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) is a new, landscape-scale national monument jointly administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in southeastern Utah as part of the National Conservation Lands system. As initially designated in 2016, BENM encompassed 1.3 million acres of land with exceptionally fossiliferous rock units. Subsequently, in December 2017, presidential action reduced BENM to two smaller management units (Indian Creek and Shash Jáá). Although the paleontological resources of BENM are extensive and abundant, they have historically been under-studied. Here, we summarize prior paleontological work within the original BENM boundaries in order to provide a complete picture of the paleontological resources, and synthesize the data which were used to support paleontological resource protection.
    [Show full text]
  • Stratigraphy and Timing of Eolianite Deposition on Rottnest Island, Western Australia
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com R Quaternary Research 60 (2003) 211–222 www.elsevier.com/locate/yqres Stratigraphy and timing of eolianite deposition on Rottnest Island, Western Australia Paul J. Hearty School of Earth Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811 Australia Received 7 May 2002 Abstract Over 100 whole-rock amino acid racemization (AAR) ratios from outcrops around Rottnest Island (32.0° S Latitude near Perth) indicate distinct pulses of eolian deposition during the late Quaternary. Whole-rock D-alloisoleucine/L-isoleucine (A/I) ratios from bioclastic carbonate deposits fall into three distinct modal classes or “aminozones.” The oldest, Aminozone E, averages 0.33 Ϯ 0.04 (n ϭ 21). Red palaeosol and thick calcrete generally cap the Aminozone E deposits. A younger Aminozone C averages 0.22 Ϯ 0.03 (n ϭ 63); comprising two submodes at 0.26 Ϯ 0.01 (n ϭ 14) and 0.21 Ϯ 0.02 (n ϭ 49). Multiple dune sets of this interval are interrupted by relatively weak, brown to tan “protosols.” A dense, dark brown rendzina palaeosol caps the Aminozone C succession. Ratios from Holocene dune and marine deposits (“Aminozone A”) center on 0.11 Ϯ 0.02 (n ϭ 15), comprising submodes of 0.13 Ϯ 0.01 (9) and 0.09 Ϯ 0.01 (6). Calibration of A/I averages from Aminozones E and A are provided by U/Th and 14C radiometric ages of 125,000 yr (marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 5e and 2000–6000 14C yr B.P. (MIS 1), respectively. The whole-rock A/I results support periodic deposition initiated during MIS 5e, continuing through MIS 5c, and then peaking at the end of MIS 5a, about 70,000–80,000 yr ago.
    [Show full text]
  • Origin of Bermuda's Clay-Rich Quaternary Paleosols and Their Paleoclimatic Significance
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- Published Research US Geological Survey 1996 Origin of Bermuda's clay-rich Quaternary paleosols and their paleoclimatic significance Stanley R. Herwitz Clark University Daniel R. Muhs U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected] Joseph M. Prospero University of Miami Shannon Mahan U.S. Geological Survey Bruce Vaughn U.S. Geological Survey Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Herwitz, Stanley R.; Muhs, Daniel R.; Prospero, Joseph M.; Mahan, Shannon; and Vaughn, Bruce, "Origin of Bermuda's clay-rich Quaternary paleosols and their paleoclimatic significance" (1996). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 165. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/165 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- Published Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 101, NO. D18, PAGES 23,389-23,400, OCTOBER 27, 1996 Origin of Bermuda's clay-rich Quaternary paleosols and their paleoclimatic significance StanleyR. Herwitz,1 Daniel R. Muhs,2 JosephM. Prospero,3 ShannonMahan, 2 and Bruce Vaughn2 Abstract. Red clayeypaleosols that are chieflythe productof aerosolicdust deposition are interbeddedin the Quaternarycarbonate formations of the Bermuda oceanicisland system.These paleosolsprovide a basisfor reconstructingQuaternary atmospheric circulationpatterns in the northwesternAtlantic. Geochemicalanalyses were performed on representativepaleosol samples to identify their parent dust source.Fine-grained fractionswere analyzedby energy-dispersiveX ray fluorescenceto determine trace element (Zr, Y, La, Ti, and Nb) concentrationsand to derive geochemicalsignatures basedon immobile element ratios.
    [Show full text]
  • Last Interglacial Sea-Level Proxies in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean
    Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 1633–1651, 2021 https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1633-2021 © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Last interglacial sea-level proxies in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean Patrick Boyden1, Jennifer Weil-Accardo2, Pierre Deschamps2, Davide Oppo3, and Alessio Rovere1 1MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 2CEREGE, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Collège de France, Aix-en-Provence, France 3Sedimentary Basins Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Correspondence: Patrick Boyden ([email protected]) Received: 17 November 2020 – Discussion started: 23 November 2020 Revised: 4 March 2021 – Accepted: 12 March 2021 – Published: 20 April 2021 Abstract. In this paper, we describe a sea-level database compiled using published last interglacial, Marine Iso- topic Stage 5 (MIS 5), geological sea-level proxies within East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (EAWIO). Encompassing vast tropical coastlines and coralline islands, this region has many occurrences of well-preserved last interglacial stratigraphies. Most notably, islands almost entirely composed of Pleistocene reefs (such as Aldabra, the Seychelles) have provided reliable paleo relative sea-level indicators and well-preserved samples for U-series chronology. Other sea-level proxies include uplifted marine terraces in the north of Somalia and Pleistocene eolian deposits notched by the MIS 5 sea level in Mozambique to tidal notches in luminescence- limited eolian deposits in Mozambique. Our database has been compiled using the World Atlas of Last Inter- glacial Shorelines (WALIS) interface and contains 58 sea-level indicators and 2 terrestrial-limiting data points.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Major Environments and Their Deposits, Great Bahama Bank
    Introduction to Major Environments and Their Deposits, Great Bahama Bank Guide to the 2001 Field Workshop in the Bahamas and South Florida, sponsored by the International Association of Sedimentologists and the Ocean Research and Education Foundation Robert N. Ginsburg and Guido L. Bracco Gartner (editors) With contributions by Layaan Al Kharusi Kelly Bergman Matt Buoniconti Christophe Dupraz Kathryn Lamb Tiina Manne Chris Moses Brad Rosenheim Amel Saeid Marie-Eve Scherer Brigitte Vlaswinkel September 2001 Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy Miami, FL 33149 ‘Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me follow, down to the hollow And there let me wallow in glorious mud’ -Flanders & Swann, 'At the drop of a hat', 1958 Table of Contents Preface _______________________________________________________________ 3 1. The geological history and proposed origin of the Bahamas___________________ 4 1.1. Why the Bahamas? ______________________________________________________ 4 1.2. Physiography ___________________________________________________________ 4 1.3. Origin of the Bahamas____________________________________________________ 5 1.4. Stratigraphy ____________________________________________________________ 7 2. Bank top morphology, surface sediments, and physical processes in the Bahamas 11 2.1. Introduction ___________________________________________________________ 12 2.2. The platform top _______________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Pleistocene), the Bahamas
    PLOS ONE RESEARCH ARTICLE First known trace fossil of a nesting iguana (Pleistocene), The Bahamas 1 2 3 4 Anthony J. MartinID *, Dorothy Stearns , Meredith J. Whitten , Melissa M. Hage , 1,5 5 Michael Page , Arya BasuID 1 Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, 2 School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America, 3 North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, North Carolina, United States of America, 4 Department of Environmental Sciences, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, Georgia, United States of America, a1111111111 5 Center for Digital Scholarship, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America a1111111111 * [email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract Most species of modern iguanas (Iguania, Iguanidae) dig burrows for dwelling and nesting, yet neither type of burrow has been interpreted as trace fossils in the geologic record. Here OPEN ACCESS we describe and diagnose the first known fossil example of an iguana nesting burrow, pre- Citation: Martin AJ, Stearns D, Whitten MJ, Hage served in the Grotto Beach Formation (Early Late Pleistocene, ~115 kya) on San Salvador MM, Page M, Basu A (2020) First known trace Island, The Bahamas. The trace fossil, located directly below a protosol, is exposed in a ver- fossil of a nesting iguana (Pleistocene), The tical section of a cross-bedded oolitic eolianite. Abundant root traces, a probable land-crab Bahamas. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0242935. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242935 burrow, and lack of ghost-crab burrows further indicate a vegetated inland dune as the paleoenvironmental setting.
    [Show full text]
  • Pleistocene Aeolianites at Cape Spencer, South Australia; Record of a Vanished Inner Neritic Cool- Water Carbonate Factory
    Received Date: 18-Dec-2014 Revised Date: 31-Mar-2015 Accepted Date: 15-May-2015 Article Type: Original Manuscript Pleistocene aeolianites at Cape Spencer, South Australia; record of a vanished inner neritic cool- water carbonate factory NOEL P JAMES* and YVONNE BONE† *Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada (E-mail: [email protected]) †School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Geology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia Associate Editor – Giovanna Della Porta Short Title – Aeolianites record cool-water marine carbonate factory This is an Accepted Article that has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication in the Sedimentology, but has yet to undergo copy-editing and proof correction. Please cite this article as an “Accepted Article”; doi: 10.1111/sed.12216 ABSTRACT Aeolianites are integral components of many modern and ancient carbonate depositional systems. Southern Australia contains some of the most impressive and extensive late Cenozoic aeolianites in the modern world. Pleistocene aeolianites on Yorke Peninsula are sculpted into imposing seacliffs up to 60 m high and comprise two distinct imposing complexes of the Late Pleistocene Bridgewater Formation. The lower aeolianite complex, which forms the bulk of the cliffs, is a series of stacked palaeodunes and intervening palaeosols. The diagenetic low Mg-calcite sediment particles are mostly bivalves, echinoids, bryozoans and small benthic foraminifera. This association is similar to sediments forming offshore today on the adjacent shelf in a warm-temperate ocean. By contrast, the upper aeolianite complex is a series of mineralogically metastable biofragmental carbonates in a succession of stacked lenticular palaeodunes with impressive interbedded calcretes and palaeosols.
    [Show full text]