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Title: Siliciclastic incursion in southern Florida and development of Florida reefs during late Cenozoic

Abstract

Only one major interruption has occurred in the long history of shallow-water carbonate deposition that has prevailed in southern Florida since the Jurassic. This break resulted from a substantial incursion of the finer siliciclastic sands interbedded or mixed with surprisingly coarse quartz sands during the late Cenozoic. Along the southeastern margin, this influx was succeeded by the development of reef during the Quaternary. The siliciclastics occur in the subsursurface beneath a section of Pliocene to Holocene shallow-water carbonates. Recent study of well samples shows that these sediments are thickest (120-200 m) along a north-south trend that extends from the central part of southern Florida to the upper Florida Keys. These sediments are largely composed of quartzose grains ranging in size from very fine sand to granule (0.06-4 mm), with minor proportions of calcareous clays, phosphatic grains, and marine faunal fragments. The medium sand to granule-sized sediments are composed of well-rounded quartzose grains and occur either interbedded or mixed with finer fractions. The sudden influx of siliciclastics in southern Florida beginning in the Miocene is quite unexpected considering the remoteness of the Appalachians, the postulated source. This southward transport may have been accomplished by rivers and/or longshore currents. The siliciclastic sectionmore » extends southward slightly beyond the curving arc of Quaternary reef deposits. The coincidence of the southeastern edge of siliciclastics with the arc of Quaternary reefs suggests that reef development may have been localized on the siliciclastic margin.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Miami, FL
OSTI Identifier:
5800814
Report Number(s):
CONF-850322-
Journal ID: CODEN: AAPGB
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 69:2; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, 25 Mar 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; CARBONATE ROCKS; DEPOSITION; FLORIDA; GEOLOGIC HISTORY; JURASSIC PERIOD; OFFSHORE SITES; QUATERNARY PERIOD; CENOZOIC ERA; FEDERAL REGION IV; GEOLOGIC AGES; MESOZOIC ERA; NORTH AMERICA; ROCKS; SEDIMENTARY ROCKS; USA; 580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Chung, G S, and Ginsburg, R N. Siliciclastic incursion in southern Florida and development of Florida reefs during late Cenozoic. United States: N. p., 1985. Web.
Chung, G S, & Ginsburg, R N. Siliciclastic incursion in southern Florida and development of Florida reefs during late Cenozoic. United States.
Chung, G S, and Ginsburg, R N. 1985. "Siliciclastic incursion in southern Florida and development of Florida reefs during late Cenozoic". United States.
@article{osti_5800814,
title = {Siliciclastic incursion in southern Florida and development of Florida reefs during late Cenozoic},
author = {Chung, G S and Ginsburg, R N},
abstractNote = {Only one major interruption has occurred in the long history of shallow-water carbonate deposition that has prevailed in southern Florida since the Jurassic. This break resulted from a substantial incursion of the finer siliciclastic sands interbedded or mixed with surprisingly coarse quartz sands during the late Cenozoic. Along the southeastern margin, this influx was succeeded by the development of reef during the Quaternary. The siliciclastics occur in the subsursurface beneath a section of Pliocene to Holocene shallow-water carbonates. Recent study of well samples shows that these sediments are thickest (120-200 m) along a north-south trend that extends from the central part of southern Florida to the upper Florida Keys. These sediments are largely composed of quartzose grains ranging in size from very fine sand to granule (0.06-4 mm), with minor proportions of calcareous clays, phosphatic grains, and marine faunal fragments. The medium sand to granule-sized sediments are composed of well-rounded quartzose grains and occur either interbedded or mixed with finer fractions. The sudden influx of siliciclastics in southern Florida beginning in the Miocene is quite unexpected considering the remoteness of the Appalachians, the postulated source. This southward transport may have been accomplished by rivers and/or longshore currents. The siliciclastic section extends southward slightly beyond the curving arc of Quaternary reef deposits. The coincidence of the southeastern edge of siliciclastics with the arc of Quaternary reefs suggests that reef development may have been localized on the siliciclastic margin.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5800814}, journal = {Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 69:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1985},
month = {Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1985}
}

Conference:
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