Table Of Content~-&;~ ~ - iZ',','g
Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 64
Editors:
.S Bhattacharji, Brooklyn
.G .M Friedman, Brooklyn and Troy
H. J. Neugebauer, Bonn
A. Seilacher, Tuebingen
Gianni Galli
Temporal
and Spatial Patterns in
Carbonate Platforms
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg kroYweN
London Paris oykoT
Kong Barcelona Hong
tsepaduB
Author
Dr. Gianni Galli
Via Samacchini 5
1-40141 Bologna
"For all Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences published llU now please see final pages of the
book"
ISBN 3-540-56231-1 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York
ISBN 0-387-56231-1 Springer-Verlag New York Berlin Heidelberg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Galli, Gianni, 1956-
Temporal and spatial patterns in carbonate platforms / Gianni Galli. p. cm. - (lecture
notes in earth sciences; 46) Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 3-540-56231 1 - (Berlin: acid-free). - ISBN 0-387-56231-1 (New York: acid-free)
.1 Rocks, Carbonate. 2. Sedimentation and deposition. I. Title. II. Series.
QE471.15.C3G35 1993 552' .58-dc20 93-8317
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of those who
helped me during this 12-yr long work project, started in 1981.
Prof.G.B.Vai (University of Bologna) allowed me to make a fresh
start at the beginning by introducing me to the field geology
of the Carnic Alps and later acting as a supervisor of my PhD
thesis, He also oriented my mental attitude towards a
neocatastrophist approach of geological processes.
Prof.R.N.Ginsburg allowed me to study Pleistocene cores of
Florida platform in 1987 and put me in the condition of
enjoying the fresh breeze of Fisher Island Station during a
Fullbright tenure,
Prof.C.G,St.C,Kendall gave access to the Sedpak program at the
South Carolina University, probably one of the most powerful
simulation programs existing today,
Dr,Mia Van Steenwinkel quite kindly sent me her thesis in 1988
which allowed the development of the sequence stratigraphy
approach to the case histories summarized in this work.
I am also indebted to Prof. Jonathan Tennenbaum (Fusion Energy
Foundation) who pushed me to develop section V on the
relativistic distribution of event horizons,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................. 1
Krikogenetic rejuvenation periods ........................ 3
Krikogenetic quiescence periods .......................... A
PART I ........................................................ 7
INTRODUCTION ............................................. 8
FACIES BELTS ............................................ 12
Shallow ramp ....................................... 13
Thin-bedded alternations ...................... 15
Thick-bedded alternations ..................... 17
Proximality-distality trends ....................... 2A
Intermediate ramp .................................. 27
Deep ramp .......................................... 31
GEOMETRIES OF INTRASHELF RAMPS .......................... ~I
0nlap geometry ..................................... ~I
0fflap geometry .................................... ~6
SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY ................................... 51
Transgressive facies tract ......................... 55
Shelf margin facies tract .......................... 57
Highstand facies tract ............................. 57
Lowstand facies tract .............................. 57
Ravinement surface ................................. 58
Transgressive surface .............................. 58
Maximum flooding surface ........................... 59
MECHANISMS OF FORMATION OF ONLAP RAMPS .................. 60
FORT THOMPSON FORMATION,PLEISTOCENE,FLORIDA PLATFORM .... 69
Introduction ....................................... 69
Lithofacies and environmental setting .............. 71
Marine Bay .................................... 71
Freshwater swamp .............................. 73
Facies associations ................................ 75
Shallow ramp .................................. 76
Deep ramp ..................................... 78
Depositional sequence .............................. 78
Transgressive surface ......................... 83
Ravinement surface ............................ 83
Maximum flooding surface ...................... 88
Transgressive facies tract .................... 88
Early highstand facies tract .................. 92
Late highstand facies tract ................... 95
"CALCARI GRIGI" FORMATION,JURASSIC,VENETIANALPS ........ 97
Introduction ....................................... 97
Study area ......................................... 99
Previous studies .................................. I01
Facies associations ............................... I01
Shallow ramp ................................. 102
lllV
Oncolite grainstones and packstones ..... 102
Bioclast-lithoclast grain-packstones .... 104
Lime mudstones .......................... 105
Intermediate ramp ............................ 105
Oolite grain-packstones ................. I05
Skeletal wackestones .................... 107
Deep ramp .................................... 109
Lithiotis wackestones ................... 109
Paleobathymetry ................................... i15
Depositional sequence ............................. 117
Transgressive facies tract ................... 117
Early highstand facies tract ................. I19
Late highstand facies tract .................. 121
Shelf margin facies tract .................... 122
Model of deposition ............................... 124
DEVONIAN CARBONATE PLATFORM,CARNIC ALPS,ITALY .......... 130
Introduction ...................................... 130
Facies associations ............................... 139
Shallow ramp ................................. 139
Pond facies ............................. 142
Intermediate ramp ............................ 142
Intraclast shoal ........................ 142
Deep ramp .................................... 143
Brachiopod grain-wackestones ............ 143
Depositional model ................................ 144
"CAPO RIZZUTO" SHORELINE SEQUENCE,PLEISTOCENE .......... 149
Introduction ...................................... 149
Depositional sequence ............................. 151
Lowstand facies tract ........................ 151
Transgressive facies tract ................... 152
Highstand facies tract ....................... 153
Concludin~ remarks ................................ 153
PART II .................................................... 154
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF CLASTIC WEDGES .................. 155
Introduction ...................................... 155
Parallel pattern .................................. 159
Convergent pattern ................................ 162
Diversent pattern ................................. 169
Concludin~ remarks ................................ 179
SLOPE CARBONATES (CRETACEOUS-PALEOCENE),GARGANO MASSIF.181
Introduction ...................................... 181
First depositional sequence ....................... 184
Fining- and thinning-upward unit ............. 184
Coarsenin E- and thickening-upward unit ....... 187
Second depositional sequence ...................... 19A
Lowstand facies tract ........................ 19d
Transgressive facies tract ................... i97
Highstand facies tract ....................... 207
XI
Shelf margin facies tract .................... 209
Distal lobe ............................. 209
Proximal lobe ........................... 209
Third depositional sequence ....................... 213
Lowstand facies tract ........................ 215
Transgressive facies tract ................... 215
Highstand facies tract ........................ 216
Proximal clinoforms ..................... 216
Distal clinoforms ....................... 216
Concluding remarks ................................ 218
MIDDLE TRIASSIC CARBONATE BUILDUPS,DOLOMITES ........... 223
Introduction ...................................... 223
Shallow ramp ...................................... 225
Intermediate ramp ................................. 226
Deep ramp ......................................... 227
PART III .................................................... 229
MODAL SEQUENCE ......................................... 230
PART IV ..................................................... 233
SHORT-TERM SEA-LEVEL FALLS : AN INDICATOR OF GEOIDAL
PULSES? ................................................ 23A
Megabreccias ...................................... 237
Seismoturbidites .................................. 2~9
Are megabreccias the product of oompressional
or vertical tectonics? ............................ 252
Drowning of carbonate platforms ................... 258
Relief inversions ................................. 261
PART V ...................................................... 281
RELATIVISTIC DISTRIBUTION OF "EVENT HORIZONS". ......... 282
Introduction ...................................... 282
Relativistic concept of event ..................... 286
Neg-entropy ....................................... 288
Generation of singularities ....................... 289
Hierarchy of singularities ........................ 290
Geometrical distribution of singularities ......... 291
Biological evolution .............................. 295
Event horizons .................................... 297
REFERENCES .................................................. 300
Introduot ion
"The geological history,as expressed by the stratigraphic
column,is basically composed of cycles of sedimentation,
stratification and magmatism which correlate with relative
changes in sea level determined in turn by different types of
crustal movements. The classical sequence of stages
"transgression - inundation - differentiation - regression -
emergence" is believed to reflect the deformation phases of a
geotectonic cycle" (Wezel,1988: p.37).
The concept of geotectonic cycle is fundamental in geology
because it links tectonics with sedimentary processes.
According to Wezel (1988) the geotectonic cycle is an
expression of cyclic variations in the behavior of the crust;
more precisely,it is a geodynamic response to the Earth's
variations in the rate of rotation (M~rner,19869 Whyte,1977~
Carey,1976).Based on a global analysis of geotectonic data,
synchronous episodes of intense global swelling, governed by
cyclically ordered diastrophic processes, were identified
(Wezel,1985;1988).
The process leading to these swells was termed krikogenesis
(Wezel, 1988).It basically consists of not steady, localized,
migratory vertical movements linked to mantle diapirism and
concentrated in single zones.The overlying crust adjusts itself
to mantle motions induced by krikogenesis, with the formation
of transient troughs and swells ('touche-de-piano'
tectonics).This mechanism was individuated in several areas
(Wezel,1988).
The history of the Earth is described by six episodes that
repeat in the same way in the course of geological time.Their
duration progressively decreases:the first cycle has a duration
of about 200 million years, the following,younger cycles lasted
150,I15,65,A5 and 20 m.y.
These cycles can be traced along a time-spiral,its length
representing the time (Fig.l). Each cycle of deposition and
uplift can be subdivided into the following phases:
krikogenesis, inundation, regression and emergence. The last
phase is preceeded by a tectogenic phase, linked to an increase
in tectonic activity (Fig.2).
G 4vlILCNYSOE
I NUNDA.I.IOIv
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0
0
UL oc
uj
0
..h
o
0
0
+
"eln~. vto ~" \
flOGEN! c
Fig.l - Time spiral showing the six ma~or sedimentary cycles of
Earth history, each separated by a tectogenetic phase
(Wezel,1976:p.87).Each cycle is divisible into four main
phases.
The geological history is marked by the rhythm of k riko~enetic
rejuvenation and k~ikogenetic quiescence periods (Wezel,1988),
each punctuated by a recurrent set of changes of different
organic and inorganic processes.
==
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13- DER BEDS
~oOoOoO O 0
Z )O °O~OG o DDo
O • O=< DO °OOO~ 12--MOLASSE
COMPRESSION
11- PDSTFLYSCH AND WILDFLYSCH
10-ARENITIC H FLYSC
3<
9 - GREENISH--GREY MARLY SHALES
Z --
J=
U
8 - BIOCLASTIC CALCITURBIDITES
3u
O
m 7 -- VARIEGATED SHALES AND OLISTOLITHS
o
' 6 -- BLACK SHALES
5 -- CHERTY LIMESTONE
o
t¢ -- LIMESTONE-- CHERT--MARL
z
u/
3 -- SHALLOW--WATER CARBONATES
O
~ 9 ~ N BASAL TERR,GENOUS CLAST,CS
~97~3B
Fig.2 - Geotectonic cycle showing the vertical sequence of
lithofacies and correlations with the diastrophic phases
(adapted from Wezel,1988).The sequence, consisting of a
transgressive hemicyole overlain by a regressive hemicycle,
occurs in different situations on various scales, also in
carbonate settings ranging from shallow-water to basinal.
Kriko~enetic rejuvenation periods
Periods characterized by krikogenetic rejuvenation record the
formation of a 'basin-and-swell' morphology (geoanticlinal
ridges), high heat flow and volcanioity of shoshonite to
tholeite affinity. These periods are associated with episodes
