Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 311 (2011) 200–214

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Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Early Turonian pelagic sedimentation at Moria (Umbria-Marche, Italy): Primary and

diagenetic controls on lithological oscillations
João Trabucho-Alexandre a, b,⁎, Alessandra Negri c, d, Poppe L. de Boer a
a
Sedimentology Group, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands
b
Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road DH1 3LE Durham, United Kingdom
c
Dipartimento di Scienze del Mare, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 60131 Ancona, Italy
d
Centro Euromediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici, viale Aldo Moro, 44 – 40127 Bologna, Italy

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The Upper Cretaceous of the Umbria-Marche Basin (Italy) consists of an alternation of calcareous and sili-
Received 28 September 2010 ceous fine-grained sedimentary rocks in which the calcareous lithologies are predominant. The Cenomanian
Received in revised form 22 August 2011 succession is dominated by white, micritic limestones and contains a black shale horizon (Bonarelli Level) in
Accepted 30 August 2011
its uppermost part which is the regional expression of oceanic anoxic event 2. In the Turonian, the rocks grad-
Available online 7 September 2011
ually become red upwards and are referred to as Cretaceous oceanic red beds. The lithological variability in
Keywords:
the succession reflects the local response of sedimentary systems to varying local and global environmental
Black shale conditions. In this study, local processes behind the transition from black shale to red bed deposition and, in
Cenomanian particular, behind lithological oscillations within the lowermost Turonian are studied and placed in their
OAE global context. Sediment colour, composition, geochemistry and nannofossil content were studied using
CORB samples of the Scaglia Formation at Moria (Umbria-Marche Basin). The results show that, following the Cen-
Scaglia omanian/Turonian boundary, terrigenous input decreased and its composition was different in calcareous
Turonian and siliceous oozes. Organic productivity was high during the deposition of siliceous ooze due to upwelling
Cretaceous
and varied on orbital timescales. The alternation between the siliceous and calcareous ooze was further con-
trolled by carbonate dissolution. Small fluctuations in the calcite compensation depth (CCD) had a significant
impact on sediment composition because depositional depth was between the lysocline and the CCD. Diagen-
esis resulted in the segregation of carbonate and silica, in the concentration of terrigenous material in smarl
interbeds and in the enhancement of bedding. After the earliest Turonian, ocean circulation patterns changed,
seawater temperatures declined slowly and seawater became better oxygenated. Productivity and terrige-
nous input also declined and the resulting combination of oxygen demand in the sediments and sedimenta-
tion rates favoured the formation of authigenic haematite in the sediments which led to their reddening.
© 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The marine Cretaceous System contains several supraregional hori-
zons of dark-coloured, organic matter-rich mudstones and calcareous or
siliceous biogenic rocks, which may be more or less condensed, and
which represent time envelopes that are referred to as ‘oceanic anoxic
events’ (OAEs; Schlanger and Jenkyns, 1976; Arthur et al., 1990). In
turn, the varied lithologies that compose these horizons are commonly
collectively referred to as ‘black shales’. These organic matter-rich strata
are interpreted as the result of high organic productivity in the euphotic
zone coupled to relatively oxygen-poor, warm seawater in Mesozoic
basins with a relatively restricted physiography (e.g. North Atlantic,
Western Tethys). The intervals dominated by black shales alternate
⁎ Corresponding author at: Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South
Road, Durham DH1 3LE, England, UK. Tel.: + 44 191 33 42304; fax: + 44 191 253 2648.
E-mail address: joao.trabucho@durham.ac.uk (J. Trabucho-Alexandre).
with marine red bed intervals, which are characterised by an extremely
low organic matter content and by a trace element composition that
suggests little terrigenous input and oligotrophic conditions in surface
waters (Scott et al., 2009). The red beds, referred to as ‘Cretaceous oce-
anic red beds’ (CORBs), are pink to red (or brown) fine-grained sedi-
mentary rocks that were deposited in the marine environment. Their
red colour arises from the early diagenetic oxidation of available iron
leading to a relatively high authigenic ferric oxide (haematite) content.
The occurrence of marine red beds in the Cretaceous System has
been noted by several authors (Arthur and Fischer, 1977; Arthur,
1979; Erba, 1988; Premoli Silva et al., 1989; Fiet and Masure, 2001).
Arthur and Fischer (1977), for example, stated that the transition
from the comparatively unoxidised Aptian/Albian to the more oxi-
dised Cenomanian is of more than local significance and reflects glob-
al changes in ocean dynamics. Premoli Silva et al. (1989) mentioned
that the change in sediment colour from grey-green to red and red-
brown in Upper Aptian strata in central Italy reflects a change to
more vigorous circulation and better oxygenated bottom waters.

0031-0182/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.08.021
 J. Trabucho-Alexandre et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 311 (2011) 200–214 201

Nevertheless, these beds were not studied in detail until the work of,
among others, Hu et al. (2005, 2006) and Wagreich and Krenmayr
(2005).
Since these more detailed studies of Cretaceous oceanic red beds, most
authors have focussed on the processes that led to the formation of red
beds as a whole and, in particular, on how environmental conditions
changed between OAE intervals and periods of red bed deposition (e.g.
Hu et al., 2005, 2006, 2009; Wagreich and Krenmayr, 2005; Neuhuber
et al., 2007; Cai et al., 2009; Jansa and Hu, 2009; Wang et al., 2011). For in-
stance, Hu et al. (2005), who studied CORBs from various locations in the
Tethys and North Atlantic, have shown that these pelagic red beds have
different stratigraphical positions in different basins and proposed several
mechanisms for their formation and for the diachroneity between basins.
There is, however, much lithological variability within these sedimentary
successions that has hitherto not been subject of much attention. This var-
iability reflects how sedimentary systems have locally responded to
changes in the global climate/ocean system and may, therefore, yield im-
portant information on how local sedimentary systems respond to global
forcing mechanisms.
In this study, the focus lies on the sedimentary processes behind
the development of lithological oscillations in the Scaglia Formation
of the Umbrian Apennines (Fig. 1). For this purpose, a section near
the village of Moria was studied. The results, consisting of field, petro-
graphic, biostratigraphical and geochemical data, are interpreted and
discussed. The processes that have led to the observed lithological os-
cillations are placed in their palaeoceanographical context and an ex-
planation for the transition from OAE 2 to the red beds of the Lower
Turonian is offered.
a pronounced submarine topography. Slumps and rapid lateral changes
in the thickness of stratigraphical units (Alvarez et al., 1985) indicate
that submarine topography, which had an important influence on sed-
imentation during the Jurassic, probably continued to play an important
role during the Cretaceous.
Aptian–Turonian (mid-Cretaceous) sediments in Umbria were
mostly deposited above the calcite compensation depth (CCD). The
depositional water depth has been estimated to have been between
1 and 2 km (de Boer and Wonders, 1984). The sediments were depos-
ited at a palaeolatitude of ca 20°N in the tropical Tethys seaway. They
were buried to a depth of ca 1–2 km under Miocene siliciclastic turbi-
dites (Arthur and Fischer, 1977). The mid-Cretaceous succession in
Umbria is traditionally subdivided into three formations: the Marne
a Fucoidi, the Scaglia Bianca and the Scaglia Rossa (Fig. 1). The Scaglia
Bianca consists of a series of white limestones alternating with dark,
organic matter-rich smarls and cherts and a few pink/red intervals.
Calcium carbonate content is higher than in the underlying Marne a
Fucoidi and organic carbon content is lower, except in the Bonarelli
Level. The Bonarelli Level is a ca 1.10 m composite bed of radiolarite,
black and varicoloured mudstones with up to ca 15% total organic car-
bon (TOC) (de Boer and Wonders, 1984; Tsikos et al., 2004; Turgeon
and Brumsack, 2006). It represents the organic matter-rich lithologi-
cal expression of OAE 2 (ca 93.6 Ma) in the region. The Scaglia Rossa
is similar to the white limestones it overlies (the contact is gradation-
al), but differs in colour and in the progressive disappearance of the
smarl interbeds or their substitution by pressure solution bedding. It
further differs from the Scaglia Bianca in that, up to the Campanian,
chert beds are more abundant and deep red.

2. Geological setting
The Cretaceous System in the Umbrian Apennines of Italy is part of a
parautochtonous system of units arranged in large anticlines trending
northwest and cut by normal faults (Bortolotti et al., 1970). Similarly
to other Tethyan subbasins, depositional environments evolved from a
carbonate shelf setting in the Triassic/Early Jurassic into a pelagic
phase that extends into the Palaeogene and is succeeded by Miocene
siliciclastic turbidites (Arthur and Fischer, 1977). Vertical tectonic
movements governed the transition to pelagic sedimentation. These
movements caused a deepening of the basin and the development of
3. Material and methods
3.1. Material
Several exposures of Aptian–Turonian sedimentary rocks were
visited and studied in the Apennines in July 2008. A section of pelagic
sedimentary rocks of Aptian–Turonian age is exposed at Moria (N 43°
30.719; E 12° 35.242), a small village near Cagli (Fig. 1), along the
road to the summit of Monte Petrano. The section at Moria is well ex-
posed, apparently complete and is easily accessible.

Stage Lithology Formations B San Marino Pesaro

organic-rich levels

km
Danian 10 30
Maastrichtian
OAE-related

Urbino
Scaglia Ancona
Campanian Piobbico
Rossa
Cagli

Santonian Moria
Coniacian
Turonian
Bonarelli
Cenomanian Scaglia C
Bianca

Albian
Urbino
Marne Monte Nerone
a 113
Fucoidi
Aptian

Selli
Barremian
Faraoni
Hauterivian
Valanginian Maiolica
Berriasian
Tithonian A
Fig. 1. Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Apennines and location of studied site. (A) Synoptic stratigraphical scheme of the Cretaceous of the Umbria-Marche Basin, Italy. (B) Geographical
location of the Moria section in Italy and in the Marche. (C) Partial view of the Moria section (lowermost Turonian).
202 J. Trabucho-Alexandre et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 311 (2011) 200–214

For this study, the uppermost Cenomanian Scaglia Bianca above into reflectance values. The measurements were taken on fresh rock
the Bonarelli Level (Whiteinella archaeocretacea Zone/NC12 nannofos- surfaces in a stratigraphically vertical straight line oblique to the bed-
sil Zone) and the Lower Turonian Scaglia Rossa (Helvetoglobotruncana ding planes. L* represents the lightness of the colour (L* = 0 yields
helvetica Zone/NC13–14 nannofossil zones) were studied until all black and L* = 100 indicates diffuse white) of the sediment and is
consecutive limestones were decidedly red (Fig. 2). Depending on therefore regarded to reflect carbonate content. The a* record repre-
bed thickness, 1–5 samples were taken per bed which resulted in a sents the position of the colour between red (magenta) and green
sampled sedimentary column of 16 m including limestones, smarls (a* b 0 indicates green and a* N 0 indicates magenta). Since it reflects
and cherts of varying colour and composition. A 0 m height datum the redness of the sediment it is taken as a proxy for dispersed hae-
was arbitrarily assigned to the top of the Bonarelli Level (Fig. 2). matite in the sediment.
Fifty-three samples from all rock types were analysed for calcare-
3.2. Analytical methods ous nannofossil content. Smear slide preparation was kept simple in
order to retain the original composition of the nannofossil assem-
The colour reflectance records were obtained in the field with a blages and was made from a selection of the set of samples that
handheld Minolta CM 508i spectrophotometer at a 1–10 cm resolu- were used for sediment geochemistry. Estimates of calcareous nanno-
tion depending on bed thickness. The data consist of an average of fossil totals and species abundances were carried out using a polaris-
three automatic measurements per sample that the machine converts ing light microscope at a magnification of 1250#. For each smear
Top of limestone beds
Biostratigraphy

thin-sections
Stratigraphy

Chert beds
Height [m]

Lithology

127

107

096

085

052

033

033

022

15 cm

009

Legend
White limestone
Marly limestone
Reddish limestone
Marl
Reddish marl
Red chert
003
Brown chert
Grey chert
Black shale, radiolarian sand

Fig. 2. Log of the Moria section, field photos of studied outcrop and thin-section micrographs. Photos to the right of the log show (A) aspect of the Bonarelli Level, (B) of lowermost
Turonian white limestones and (C) of Lower Turonian red limestones. Thin-section micrographs are numbered and their position in the section is shown on the log. The scale bar to
the left of micrograph 003 equals 100 μm for all micrographs except for micrograph 003 for which it equals 50 μm. Micrographs 003, 009, 033, 052, 085, 096, 107 and 127 corre-
spond to limestones. Micrograph 022 corresponds to a smarl. The upper, light-coloured 033 micrograph shows a radiolarian chert nodule and its petrographic aspect is identical to
that of chert beds. Micrograph 052 shows a biomicrite mudstone with H. helvetica tests and small bivalve shells. Micrograph 096 shows a stylolyte running approximately NW–SE.