Miocene Coralline algae
The coralline algae (Order Corallinales) were sedimentologically and ecologically important during the Miocene, a period when they were particularly abundant. The many poorly described and illustrated species and the lack of quantitative data in coralline thalli make specific determinations particularly difficult, but some species are well known and widespread in the Tethyan area. The sedimentologic importance of the Miocene coralline algae is reflected in the abundance of in-situ coralline buildups, rhodoliths, and coralline debris facies at Malta and Spain; similar sequences are known throughout the Tethyan Miocene. In-situ buildups vary from leafy crustose biostromes to walled reefs with dense coralline crusts and branches. Growth forms are apparently related to hydraulic energy. Rhodoliths vary from leafy, crustose, and open-branched forms in muddy sediments to dense, crustose, and radial-branching forms in coarse grainstones. Rhodolith form and internal structure correlate closely with hydraulic energy. Coralline genera are conservative and, as such, are useful in paleoenvironmental analysis. Of particular interest are the restricted depth ranges of recent coralline genera. More research is needed on the sedimentology, paleoecology, and systematics of the Cenozoic corallines, as they have particular value in paleoenvironmental analysis.
- OSTI ID:
- 6639103
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Mar 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
ALGAE
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PALEONTOLOGY
CORALS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
MALTA
OFFSHORE SITES
SEDIMENTATION
SEDIMENTS
SPAIN
TERTIARY PERIOD
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMISTRY
CNIDARIA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EUROPE
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
ISLANDS
MINERAL RESOURCES
PLANTS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
WESTERN EUROPE
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration