Cementation of Upper Miocene reefs in western Mediterranean
Coral reefs in the western Mediterranean (southeast Spain, Balearic Island, northern Morocco, Sicily, and Italy) show a wide variety of cement types, ranging from completely tight, well-cemented, to poorly cemented reefs with most of the primary porosity still preserved. Cementation processes in those coral reefs appear to be controlled to a great extent by repeated changes of relative sea levels and regional variations of seawater chemistry. Reef progradation occurred during four to six (or more) important sea level changes, resulting in complicated geometric relationships of reef complexes and their freshwater lenses. Progradation occurred during sea level rises and falls and is reflected in abrupt escarpments in some field localities, generally separated by important terraced erosional surfaces. Various types of aragonitic isopachous cement fringes of marine origin, 0.1 to 1.5 cm (.04 to .6 in.) thick, are well preserved in some localities. This is probably due to subsequent plugging by gypsum cement during the Messinian salinity crises. Another possible effect of salinity fluctuations is the abundance of thick crusts of peletoidal, micrite cement of marine origin, locally forming about three-fourths of the volume of the reef core.
- Research Organization:
- Amoco Espana Exploration Co., Spain
- OSTI ID:
- 6444489
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8304200-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 67:3; Conference: Annual AAPG/SEPM/EMD/DPA convention, Dallas, TX, USA, 17 Apr 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Miocene reefs in western Mediterranean
Miocene reef facies of Pelagian Block, central Mediterranean
Related Subjects
02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
REEFS
DIAGENESIS
CEMENTS
PRECIPITATION
TERTIARY PERIOD
VARIATIONS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CENOZOIC ERA
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MATERIALS
SEAS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACE WATERS
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)
020200 - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration