Geol 464: Carbonate Geology

Semester 062
2007

Lecture 15
 Sequence stratigraphy of
carbonate depositional systems
• Sediment supply and carbonate platform flooding
– Carbonate production is proportional to the area of flooded platform
top. *
– The greatest supply of sediment in carbonate platform systems occur
during periods of elevated relative sea-level because shallow-water
carbonate-secreting communities (the carbonate factories) will be
able to extend over the entire upper surface of carbonate platforms.
• Relationships between carbonate platform morphology, sea-level and carbonate
sediment supply.
• The graphs show vertical changes in carbonate production (in meters of vertical
thickness per 1000 years) with depth (in meters below sealevel).
• Production reaches a maximum between 10 and 30 m water depth and then
• decreases with increasing water depth. (a) During periods of relatively low sea-level,
the limited horizontal extent of the carbonate platform results in small total amounts
of carbonate being generated because of the small area of high productivity.
• (b) Flooding over the platform top significantly increases the horizontal extent of the
productive area, and sediment production will rapidly fill all the newly created
accommodation space.
 Sequence stratigraphy of carbonate
depositional systems
¾ Shallow-marine warm water carbonate factories produce sediment at greater
rates (1-10m per 1000 years) than rates of increase of accommodation
space due to long-term basin subsidence and low-order sea-level changes
(0.01-0.1m per 1000 years).
¾ This means that on many platforms shallow-water carbonate sediment may
infill or overfill accommodation space even when relative sea-level is rising.
¾ Such systems will show aggradation or progradation during both rising
relative sea-level and high sea-level.
 Dissolution and cementation
• During relative sea-level fall, carbonate platform top sediments are
drained of the seawater contained within pore spaces and this is replaced
by meteoric water, derived from rainfall, which is CO2-rich and therefore
acidic.
• Such fluid will dissolve unstable aragonitic grains (e.g. ooids, mulluscs,
corals) and may precipitate this dissolved carbonate as a calcite cement.
 Sequence stratigraphy of rimmed
carbonate platforms
¾ TST
¾ During times of relative sea-level rise, rimmed carbonate platforms may
respond in two very different ways depending on the balance between
the rate of relative sea-level rise and rate of carbonate production:
¾ 1. Backstepping platforms: when rates of increase in accommodation
space are greater than rates of carbonate production, then the facies will
retrograde, or carbonate platform margin may drown.
¾ Offshore areas will accumulate pelagic facies and sediment starvation
may result in submarine cementation and hardground formation.
¾ 2. Aggrading and prograding platforms: if production is equal to or faster
than the rate of increase in accommodation space, the platform will
either aggrade or prograde into the basin.
 Sequence stratigraphy of rimmed
carbonate platforms
• HST
• When the platform top is flooded by shallow-marine waters, there is a very
large area for the carbonate factory to occupy and the platforms are likely
to produce the greatest amounts of reefal material, and bioclastic or ooid
sand.
• HST will be characterized by prograding clinoforms and regressive
successions.
Sequence stratigraphy of rimmed carbonate
platforms
• FSST and LST
• Falling sea-level will usually lead to the subaerial exposure of large areas
of platform top carbonate facies.
• Basin margin facies may include rock fall deposits, and beaches and
fringing reefs may form on the steep slope.
 Sequence stratigraphy of
carbonate ramp
• The different morphology of ramps means that they respond to relative sea-
level changes in a different fashion form rimmed shelves.
• Ramps don’t have the highly productive carbonate communities such s
fringing and barrier reefs that characterize rimmed carbonate platforms.
Diagrams illustrating variations in the sequence stratigraphy of carbonate
ramps: (a) distally steepened ramp; (b) arid climate (evaporitic) ramp.
 Sequence stratigraphy of
carbonate ramp
• TST
• The shoreline and associated facies belts will migrate large
distances landward.
• in most cases, the rate of relative sealevel rise exceed the
rate of carbonate production so that retrogradational
parasequence set is deposited.
• This result in deepening-upward profiles with muddier facies in
inner ramp settings, and condensed beds of shelly
concentrations, hardgrounds or pelagic facies may be found in
mid to outer ramp locations.
 Sequence stratigraphy of
carbonate ramp
• HST
• The decreasing rates of relative sea-level rise during the period of HST
times result in a decrease in accommodation space that is normally
exceeded by sediment production and development of progradational
parasequences.
• The low angle of slope results in progradation taking place across large
distances.
• Depending on the efficiency of wave and tidal current to redistribute
sediment on the ramp, a margin or slope break may develop.
• The extensive progradational inner ramp packstones and grainstones will
become leached and develop a secondary porosity and/or sediments will
become cemented and lithified.
 Sequence stratigraphy of
carbonate ramp
• FSST and LST
• Relative sealevel fall on a ramp will expose updip section that will develop
an unconformity and the locus of sedimentation will shift considerable
distances downslope.
• FST and LST comprising breccias or debris flows are not generally found
on ramps unless the submarine slope is distally steepened by faulting.