The Miocene start of modern carbonate platforms
Abstract
The middle Miocene onset of modern ocean circulation pattern changed the growth style of isolated tropical carbonate platforms because surface and contour currents began shaping the flanks of these edifices. Since then ocean currents redistribute the off-bank transported sediment, reduce sedimentation by particle sorting or winnowing, and even erode slopes. As a result, flanks of isolated carbonate platforms around the world after 13 - 10 Ma are not only constructed by mass gravity deposits but equally by contourites with distinct drift and moat geometries. These produce specific stacking patterns of platform flank deposits. This flank architecture produced by the combined current and gravity processes is typical of tropical carbonate platforms growing in the Neogene icehouse world. Comparing this architecture with geometries in older platforms also has the potential to extract information about the rigor of ocean circulation in deep time where the deep-sea record is missing.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMPP34B..01B
- Keywords:
-
- 1039 Alteration and weathering processes;
- GEOCHEMISTRY;
- 1051 Sedimentary geochemistry;
- GEOCHEMISTRY;
- 4217 Coastal processes;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4912 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHY