A Late Jurassic Carbonate Ramp Colonized by Sponges and Benthic Microbial Communities (External Prebetic, Southern Spain)

Late Jurassic facies architecture of the Złoczew Graben: implications for evolution of the tectonic-controlled northern peri-Tethyan shelf (Upper Oxfordian–Lower Kimmeridgian, Poland)

“…The results obtained in the area of the Złoczew High and those reported from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland correspond well to successions described from the Lower Kimmeridgian ramp of western Europe (e.g., Aurell 2001, 2010;Olóriz et al 2003;Olivier et al 2008). Transition from carbonate ramp to mixed, carbonate-siliciclastic ramp systems observed in the Lower Kimmeridgian can be related to third-order sea-level oscillations and is indicated by the increasing content of terrigenous material (Fig.…”

“…Facies interpretation The FT 1 is a typical microbialsponge facies widely distributed over the whole northern shelf of the Tethys Ocean (see e.g., Keupp et al 1990;Leinfelder et al 1996;Matyszkiewicz 1997b;Schmid et al 2001;Olóriz et al 2003;Olivier et al 2004;Reolid et al 2005). Both the massive and the thick-bedded limestone represent microbial-sponge reefs or biostromes.…”

“…The FT 1 facies was deposited in a distal, mid-ramp setting, mostly a low-energy, nutrient-rich environment (e.g., Keupp et al 1993;Olóriz et al 2003;Olivier et al 2004). The growth of microbialites and their diversity were controlled mainly by sedimentation rate and energy level (e.g., Keupp et al 1993;Leinfelder et al 1996;Matyszkiewicz et al 2012), which reflect local conditions unaffected by significant changes in sea-water chemistry .…”

“…FT 1 represents typical Upper Oxfordian facies, widely distributed in Europe (e.g., Aurell et al 1995;Leinfelder et al 1996;Matyszkiewicz 1997b;Olóriz et al 2003;Olivier et al 2004Olivier et al , 2011Reolid et al 2005). The development of FT 1 can be related to a more distal mid-ramp setting.…”

“…The knowledge of facies development of Upper Jurassic sediments in the remaining areas of central and southern Poland is based on rarely published data from wells (e.g., Gutowski et al 2005;Złonkiewicz 2009;Krajewski et al 2011a and references therein). In the Oxfordian, the study area formed the eastern part of an epicontinental ramp system that developed in western and central Europe (e.g., Leinfelder et al 1996;Matyszkiewicz 1997b;Bádenas and Aurell 2001;Olóriz et al 2003;Reolid et al 2005;Olivier et al 2008). The Upper Oxfordian deposits from central and southern Poland were assigned to the deep-water open shelf, so-called sponge megafacies Abstract In recent years, numerous wells have been completed in the area of the Złoczew Graben.…”