Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds,

S.E. France
A.F. MAURIN 1, J. PHILIP 2 ,and P. BRUNEL 2

A. Regional Setting

The study area is located south-east of Marseilles, France (Fig. 1). The mounds under
consideration (La Perussone and La Marcouline, arrows on Fig. 1) flank both sides of
the E-W trending Carpiagne anticline; the core of this anticline is made of Urgonian
Limestones. Several sedimentologic data strengthen the concept of a former anticline
or dome during Cenomanian times.

o
- =- =- Skm

Fig. 1. Simplified map of Cretaceous outcrops and their surroundings. The two mounds discussed
are located with arrows. Insert locates the study area

1 Compagnie Frant;;aise des Petroles, 39, quai Andre Citroen, 75015 Paris, France
2 Laboratoire de Geologie Historique et Paleontologique, Centre St. Charles, Universite de
Provence, Marseilles, France

C. Monty (ed.), Phanerozoic Stromatolites

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1981
122 A.F. Maurin et al.

The mounds are part of a broad shelf scattered with shoals and reefs: hermatypic
corals and rudistids are indicative of warm tropical waters. Northwardly, the shelf
abuts against the emerged Durancian Arch (Bombement Durancien) which has been
active since the Austrian Phase of Albian Age. Southwardly, a flexure (near the Mar-
culine outcrop) commands the transition between shelf deposits and thin beds of open
marine sediments with ammonites and planktonic foraminiferas. Numerous sedimen-
tary breaks are found in these deeper facies.
Farther East, reefing fringes the north flank of the Beausset Basin (Fig. 1) and is
presently under study by Maurin and Philip and associate workers from the University
of Marseilles.

B. Rapid Description of the Mounds

If mound building ranges from Middle to Upper Cenomanian ages in the Marcouline
area (Fig. 1), the Perussonne Mound and the Marcouline Bz ones are Middle Cenomanian
which allows safer sedimentological comparisons (philip, 1970) between the two areas .

I. The Marcouline Mound

The Southern shelf edge shows a score of bioherms (rudistids and corals) passing on
the upper slope, to two mounds called Bl and Bz by Philip (1970,1975). The follow-
ing discussion deals with B2 only. This mound stands prominently over the Cassis area
where time-equivalent deeper water sediments are found (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. One of the Marcouline mounds, called B2 (B 1 is on the left). This outcrop is visible from
Dep . Road no. 1 north of Cassis (13). Notice strong external and internal dips. Towards the right,
a medial tongue develops a satellite mound discussed in the next
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 123

Overlying orbitolinids sands (Lower Cenomanian), the mound appears to be ini-

tiated by a sole of lamellar corals (Microsolenidae) about 7 m thick in its maximal
development.
The bulk of the mound is made of mud and muddy sands with scarce colonies of
rudistids (caprinids) or corals (bulbous or branching). Such an abundance of muddy
material in "reef-like" build-ups has already been reported by other scientists (philcox
1965; Desbordes and Maurin 1974; Mathur 1975, etc.). Finally, steep depositional
slopes (up to 50°) have been measured within the mass.

II. The Perussonne Mound

The Peru sonne mound, located on the Northern flank of the Carpiagne High (Cenoma-
nian?) has been heavily quarried, mainly in its core. However, the morphology of the
outcrop (Fig. 3) allows us to infer that the mound was an outstanding feature over-
lying Aptian shales, and surrounded by thinner Cenomanian sediments to the East and
to the West.
The Quarry (Fig. 4) shows a variety of facies which will not be described here as
this is not the scope of the paper.
Bioclastic beds overlying the same orbitolinid sands as found at the Marcouline
prepare the sole for the mound itself. The scarcity of corals and rudist debris contrasts
with what has been seen in the sole of previous mounds and points to slightly different
growth environments. Then rudistids (mainly caprinids) burst and initiate the individu-

S~ Mitre

Clos Ruffisque

o Les Rampins

0 - - .
Oualernary Oligocene
§ CenOM3n!.Lln
t Rud,Uit:ls Ilmes.onel
m.. Urgon l a" ( laclesl

m
•
[IT] TUlonian (Rud isli d S Is' ,) .. .... Cenomanian
' O,b i1ollnld5 sa ndstone) ~
Fault

~ G
Cenomanian Bedoulian GiiII'9~slan L. ~er ussonno OUDfty
I Praeahl'eolin ids loLl

Fig. 3. Detailed map of the Perussonne outcrop, north flank of Carpiagne Structure. The quarry
studied is located in the center of the Cenomanian N-S bulge
124 A.F. Maurin et al.

~ ."' ...

Fig. 4. Explosed block diagram of Perussonne Quarry with main facies exposed and their extrapola-
tion across the observation gap. Some sedimentary dips and breccias are leads for the mound recon-
struction

alization of depositional slopes rangi~g from 5° to 10°. The slopes are made up of
large fragments of caprinids (with a minor amount of radiolitids) floating apparently in
lime mud (Fig. 5); due to intensive quarrying we do not know whether in situ colonies
of rudistids are present further inside the core.

C. The So-Called Reef Builders

Although rudists and corals appear to act as sporadic reef builders in the Marcouline
complex (to the northeast of the mud mound in synchronous strata, above and down-
slope for younger ones), we do not consider the organisms described below as primary
reef or frame builders, but rather as bulk providers, increasing the volume of the
mounds by adding their (fragments of) skeletons to the mud .

I. Corals

Although contributing to the substrate accretion of the Perussonne mound, corals are
only noticeable in the Marcouline one; most belong to the Microsolenid group (Fig. 6 A);
in the sole, the colonies have a lamellar habit whereas upwards have digitate or bulbous
forms. Such lamellar forms generally give evidence of quiet or rather deep muddy
bottoms.
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 125

Fig. 5. Typical facies (pol-

ished slab) from the Perus-
sonne Caprinid-rich layer.
Rubble of Caprinids is en-
closed within a light gray
wackestone-mudstone ma-
trix. Micritized shells, coat-
ings and early infills are
pure white

II. Rudistids

The two main groups, radiolitids and caprinids, occur as sand-sized particles in the
wackestones of the Marcouline; they were certainly derived from the upper shelf
where colonies could thrive and eventually grow true reefs.
In the Perussonne mud, caprinids are the dominant representatives, whereas radio-
litids are scarce (Figs. 5 and 6 B- D). None are in growth position. However, they
occur as wholly preserved shells or as coarse fragments (about half of the original size).
Most of these fragments are very well preserved, very few are worn out. Although
encrusting organisms (foraminifera, red algae, Fig. 6 B) can playa role in such a pre-
servation state, we propose that the rudistids of the Perussonne mound have suffered
little or no transportation.

D. Possible Microbial Accretions

The overwhelming amount of mud (mudstones and wackestones) characterizing the

Marcouline mound somewhat hinders a clear interpretation of micritic fabrics (Fig. 6 A);
we shall accordingly start their analysis in the Perussonne facies illustrated in Fig. 5.
126 A.F. Maurin et al.

Fig. 6 A-D. The bulk providers. A Microsolenids (central one overturned) lamellar and digitate.
Early geopetal infill, layered, is in oblique position, indicating a late tilt. Arrow points to possible
coatings from Marcouline. B Two specimens of Caprina within wackestone-packstone matrix with
Orbitolinids. Different diagenesis ofthe two shells is explained by the thick encrusting foraminiferid
(arrow). C Badly worn lchthyosarcolithes encrusted with radiolitid. D Ichthyosarcolithes with
encrusting foraminifera in wackstone matrix. lithification prior to calcitization of the rudistid
aragonite is inferred from the angular downthrown block in the center (B, C, D are from Perus-
sonne)
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 127

Fig. 7 A-D. Perussonne. Shells of Caprinids in wacke-packstone matrix. A Micritic then peloidal
infIll of the natural cavity, geopetal. B Dual infill of natural cavity. First, very dense micrite with
few bioclastic grains, ending in a bumpy surface (arrows). Later infill of peloidal sediment with flat
geopetal floor. C Micritic coating directly associated with some canal infIllings (middle left).
D Caprinid canal partly infilled with peloidal or micritic sediments. External coating of the shell
is clearly laminated, pointing toward a possible micro stromatolitic origin
128 A.F. Maurin et al.

I. La Perussonne

Various cavity fillings and micritic coatings can be found in association with bioclasts.
Some of these appear to represent plain geopetal infillings such as could be deduced
from Fig. 7 A; Fig. 7 B shows a more complicated contact between the peloidal sedi-
ments and the underlying denser micrite. A faint lamination is present but does not
show on these photographs. These contrasting infIlling will be best approached on
Fig. 8. The lower half of Fig. 8 A shows a cavity between two valves of oyster (the
lowermost valve appears only on the lower right and lower left sides) which has been
"normally" filled with fme wackestone. The upper cavity, between the oyster and the
overlying caprinid fragment, has been filled differently; it fIrst shows three micritic
accretions (Fig. 8 A, arrows) which grew vertically, the central and the right-sided ones
abuting on the caprinid shell; it also appears that after meeting the caprinid ceiling, the
right-sided accretion kept on growing sideways. Similar pyramidal or pinnacle shape
accretions are shown in Figs. 6 A and 8 D; they furthermore show a gross laminated
pattern made of rather loose layers capped by micritic ftlms.
The spaces between these accretions are fIlled by fme- to medium-sized grained
peloidal sediment; if in some cases this infIlling is almost horizontal (Fig. 8 C) in others
it can be separated into individual stacked laminae, the confIguration of which closely
replicates the morphology of the substrate, i.e., the outer part of the oyster shell
(Fig. 8 B); such encrustations can also be found outside of cavities: Figs. 7 C and D
show micritic coatings over caprinid shells; Fig. 7 D is particularly interesting as the
encrustation shows a very distinct fme lamination; in both cases these coatings are in
relation with the geopetals as the maximum thickness is on the top of the shell frag-
ment and thins sideways. Such encrustations can be compared with those reported by
Land and Goreau (1970) from dead corals in Jamaica.

II. La Marcouline

As stated earlier, most of this mound is made of very fine mudstones and wackestones;
this accounts for the fact that it is not always easy in this case to separate the original
lime matrix from later infIllings of rudistid fragment, or from coatings as described
above.
For instance, coral gravels found in a satellite mound to the right of the main
mound (Fig. 2) show micritic coating (Fig. 9, arrows); these grains have effectively
been abraded, then coated; however, this coating - which has been encrusted (?) by a
red alga - is not laminated as that shown on Fig. 7 D, and is made of a very fIne-grained
biomicrite similar to that found within the cavities of the coral and in the surrounding
matrix; so it is not as convincing an accretion as the ones described above.
These differences, with respect to what has been observed in the Perussonne
Mound, may also result from different environmental conditions as suggested above on
other grounds.
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 129

Fig. 8. A A cavity comprised between an oyster shell (itself filled with fine wackestone) and an
overlying caprinid fragment has been filled first by a growths of micritic accretions (arrows), then
by geopetal layers of peloid grainstone. B Enlarged central part of A showing micritic laminae
replicating the substrate topography. To the right the top of the small micritic accretion is
obviously abuting against the caprinid ceiling then turning leftward. C Enlarged part of D to illus-
trate the almost spherical bulge of micrite (arrow). D Intra-caprinid cavity with pinnacle-like accre-
tions and successive layers of micrite-peloidal sediments as for Fig. 7 A
130 A.F. Maurin et al.

Fig. 9. Marcouline. Two digitate micro-

solenids have been coated with micrite
(arrows), then the upper right one has
been encrusted by red algae. The
remaining cavity is partly filled with
geopetal sediments, assigning an earlier
age for micrite on the left

E. Discussion

The reported features found in the cavities within or between shells or even on skeletal
fragments in the Perussonne mound itself, depart somewhat from normal (geopetal)
cavity fillings. None of these features appears geotropic or gravitational.
The millimeter-sized domes and pinnacles rising from the floor of the cavities to
eventually reach the ceiling where their hindered growth may then become inflexed
laterally, joined to their rhythmic internal lamination (Figs. 8 A, B), appear definitely
as bio-accreationnary features of some sort. Similarly the micritic-peloidal lamination
conforming regularly to the irregularities of the substrate (Fig. 8 B) is not simple infil-
ling but is very reminiscent of the growth of cyanobacterial laminae and films trapping
and/or producing fine pelloidal and micritic material.
Cyanobacterial encrustations appear also very probable for external shell encrusta-
tions such as shown in Fig. 7 D.
Finally, scanning electron microscopy carried out on etched fresh fragments of
these white layered micritic structures has shown that they were crowded with bac-
teria and cyanobacterial filaments (Fig. 10). We are aware that a recent infestation by
these organisms could have occurred and more work is needed to provide proofs of
the contemporaneity of these organisms and the development of the "stromatolitic" (?)
features (see also Maurin and Noel 1977).
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 131

Fig. 10. A Marcouline. B-D Perussonne. Possible bacterias under SEM microscopy. Although time
relationships with micrite are not clear, these objects are definitely protruding out of etched
crystals

From various approaches, it would appear, however (Desbordes and Maurin 1974,
pp. 322-323; Monty 1976, p. 249; 1977, p. 27, work in progress) that many mounds
owe their accretion or consolidation to the activity of cyanophytes and/or bacteria.
Another approach to the role of blue-green algae in the consolidation of mound is
presented in Cross and Klosterman (this vol.).
In our case, however, "stromatolitic" overgrowth may have formed in environ-
ments different from those where the encrusted organisms did grow; in many cases
these are indeed represented by tumbled pieces and fragments that fell down from the
production zones into the mud where microbial accretion seems to have operated. In
extreme cases (Fig. 11) this accretion could have developed after a long diagenetic
history of the host particle. Accordingly the possible microstromatolitic accretions
presented here do not necessarily interact or compete with other living encrusting
communities (as illustrated by Monty 1979, plate 2 C in the case of Devonian mud
mounds or as discussed by Scott and Brenckle, 1977, in the case of Cretaceous reefs)
but may have formed much later on dead, eventually transported material.
The present description and interpretation may appear nonconventional, but we
have presented it to open the debate about mud mounds sedimentology. We consider
132 A.F. Maurin et al.

Fig. 11. A Caprina shell (cf. Fig. 6 B), embedded in orbitolinid wacke stones, has been partially
filled before dissolved aragonitic walls could be transformed into calcite (arrows for outer limits
of original shell). Each irregular pulse ends in dense micrite. This micrite, toward the end of infill,
extends inside remnants of former canals and tubular borings of the original aragonitic walls

the economical importance of such lime bodies (both for oil and mineral exploration)
justifies more observatories and discussions.

Acknowledgment. The authors specially thank C.L.V. Monty for his kind and critical review of the
first draft of the manuscript.

References

Cross TA, Klosterman MJ (1980) Autoecology and development of a stromatolitic-bound phylloid

algal bioherm, Laborcita Formation (Lower Permian), Sacramento Mountains,' New Mexico,
USA. In: this volume
Desbordes B, Maurin AF (1974) Trois exemples d'etude du Frasnien d'Alberta, Canada. Notes
Mem Cie Fr Petrol 11 : 293-336
Land LS, Goreau TF (1970) Submarine lithification of Jamaican Reefs. J Sediment Petrol 40:
No 1,457-462
Mathur AC (1975) A deeper water mud mound facies in the Alps. J Sediment Petrol 45: No 4,
787-793
Maurin AF, Noel D (1977) A possible bacterial origin for Famennian micrites. In: Fliigel E (ed)
Fossil algae. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 136-142
Monty CLV (1976) The origin and development of cryptalgal fabrics. In: Walter MR (ed) Develop-
ments in sedimentology, vol 20. Stromatolites. Elsevier, Amsterdam Oxford New York,
pp 194-249
Possible Microbial Accretions in Cenomanian Mounds, S.E. France 133

Monty CLV (1977) Evolving concepts on the nature and the ecological significance of stromato-
lites. In: Flugel E (ed) Fossil algae. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 15-35
Monty CLV (1979) Scientific reports of the Belgian expedition on the Australian Great Barrier
Reefs, 1967. Sedimentology: 2 Monospecific stromatolites from the Great Barrier Reef tract
and their paleontological significance. Ann Soc Geol Belg 101: 163-171
Philcox ME (1965) Sedimentation of Upper Devonian stromatactis bioherms, Alberta, Canada.
A. Geol Soc Am Abstr 1964. Geol Soc Am Assoc Soc Joint Meet
Philip J (1970) Les formations calcaires a Rudistes du Cretace superieur proven9al et rhodanien.
These Marseille No A.O. 4791, 438 p
Philip J (1975) Indicateurs sedimentologiques et paleoecologiques dans les milieux de plateforme
carbonatee du Cretace superieur. L'exemple du Cenomanien de la Basse Provence occidentale
(France). 9 C Int Sediment Nice 1: 143-146
Scott RW, Brenckle PL (1977) Biotic zonation of a lower Cretaceous Coral Algal - Rudist reef,
Arizona. Proc 3rd Int Coral Reef Symp Miami 1: 183-189