Devonian Reef Complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia: A Historical Review

Playford, Phillip E.; Hocking, R. M.; Cockbain, A. E.

doi:10.2110/sepmsp.107.01

Cited by 12 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The apparent lack of coeval isolated carbonate platform field outcrop analogues, exhibiting laterally and vertically traceable facies belts at a kilometre scale, led to the use of land‐attached or non‐coeval isolated platforms for comparison. Thus, analogies are either made to well‐studied Palaeozoic high relief, flat‐top and steep slope platforms, such as the Devonian Great Barrier Reef of the Canning Basin (Playford, ; Playford et al ., , ; George et al ., ; Copp, ; Webb, ; Stephens & Sumner, ; Kerans & Harris, ; Chow et al ., ; among others), the Carboniferous Sierra del Cuera of northern Spain (Bahamonde et al ., ,b, , ; Della Porta et al ., ,b, , , , ; Kenter et al ., ; Della Porta, ; Verwer et al ., ), the Palaeozoic platforms of the Bolshoi Karatau (Cook et al ., ) and the Permian Capitan System of the USA (Borer & Harris, ; Kirkland et al ., ; Tinker, ; Hunt & Fitchen, ; Osleger & Tinker, ; publications in Saller et al ., ; Hunt et al ., ; Playton, ; Standen et al ., ; Van der Kooij et al ., ; among others), or to late Cainozoic isolated platforms, such as the Bahamas Islands (Mullins, ; Eberli & Ginsburg, ; Wilber et al ., ; publications in Ginsburg, ; Rankey, ; Harris et al ., ; Reijmer et al ., ). Among the cited examples, and in certain areas such as foreland basins and tilted blocks, the tectonic influence makes it difficult to discriminate among the factors controlling the sedimentary rock record (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facies, geometry and growth phases of the Valdorria carbonate platform (Pennsylvanian, northern Spain)

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The 14 km wide Valdorria outcrop (Pennsylvanian, Northern Spain) is one of the few examples of entirely exposed flat-topped and high relief carbonate platforms reported in the fossil rock record. Laterally and vertically traceable stratal patterns expose three phases of growth. Phase I is a 430 m thick platform to slope succession that prograded over 6 km, and is dated as Early Bashkirian (Akavasian–Askynbashian). Phase II aggraded and prograded, exhibiting 180 m thickness of cyclical platform top deposits, dated as Late Bashkirian (Asatauian). Phase III is a mound-shape structure that developed over the platform top of Phase II as a new phase of platform nucleation. It is 535 m thick and 2 km wide, and dated as Late Bashkirian (Asatauian–Transition interval). The observed changes of growth styles during platform evolution, from a prograding to an aggrading–prograding system, and a rapid aggradational phase, are inferred to be controlled by flexural subsidence in the active Cantabrian foreland basin, at the Variscan orogenic front. The metre-scale shallowing-upward cycles of the platform top are most probably due to glacioeustasy, as evidenced by well-recorded subaerial exposure surfaces superimposed on subtidal deposits, and by a stratal pattern recurrent in a short interval of about 160 Kyr. Observations of outcropping Bashkirian cyclothems in an isolated carbonate system, devoid of siliciclastic input, are relevant for a better understanding of the impact of high-frequency sea-level fluctuations on the carbonate factory. Moreover, progradation of the platform margin during Phase I reaches a rate of 2500 m/Myr, and 1810 m/Myr during Phase II; rates that are high when compared to other Pennsylvanian examples. The aggradation rate of 447 m/Myr calculated for Late Bashkirian–Transition interval (Phases I and II; uncorrected for compaction, missing beats and erosion) is uncommonly high in comparison to coeval Pennsylvanian examples. The platform exhibits a self-nourishing prograding microbial boundstone-dominated slope. Thus, the slope shedding model applies well to Valdorria. However, Phase II recorded eustatic variations able to inhibit the slope microbial boundstone factory during low sea-level stands; this is marked by common slope red-stained breccias synchronous to platform top subaerial exposure phases. Contrarily, periods of relative high sea-level and rapid subsidence in Phase III registered a greater development of cemented microbial boundstone. These observed, partly opposing relationships of sea-level stands, shedding modes and slope architecture provide an improvement of the currently used slope shedding model. The overall architecture of the Valdorria outcrop compares well with that of other contemporaneous platforms, such as Sierra del Cuera and Bolshoi Karatau. Valdorria shares the high-relief and flat-topped, steep slopes, cyclothemic patterns and occurrence of karst features with the Pricaspian Basin platforms (Tengiz, Karachaganak and Kashagan), with minor variations in facies distribution of the...

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facies, geometry and growth phases of the Valdorria carbonate platform (Pennsylvanian, northern Spain)

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Such steep gradients are thought to preclude the formation of calciclastic submarine fans (Payros & Pujalte, ), as is consistent with submarine fan‐like bodies in areas of gentle slopes (for example, Las Balsas; Figs B and ). In the study case, however, the steep relief is not constructional, as in other carbonate settings (McIlreath, ; Mullins & Cook, ; Playford et al ., ), but associated with an escarpment of uplifting substrate (Fig. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterozoan carbonate deposition on a steep basement escarpment (Late Miocene, Almería, south‐east Spain)

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Heterozoan temperate‐water carbonates mixed with varying amounts of terrigenous grains and muddy matrix (Azagador limestone) accumulated on and at the toe of an inherited escarpment during the late Tortonian–early Messinian (late Miocene) at the western margin of the Almería–Níjar Basin in south‐east Spain. The escarpment was the eastern end of an uplifting antiform created by compressive folding of Triassic rocks of the Betic basement. Channelized coralline‐algal/bryozoan rudstone to coarse‐grained packstone, together with matrix‐supported conglomerate, are the dominant lithofacies in the higher outcrops, comprising the deposits on the slope. These sediments mainly fill small canyon‐shaped, half‐graben depressions formed by normal faults active before, during and after carbonate sedimentation. Roughly bedded and roughly laminated coralline‐algal/bryozoan rudstone to coarse‐grained packstone are the main lithofacies forming an apron of four small (kilometre‐scale) lobes at the toe of the south‐eastern side of the escarpment (Almería area). Channelized and roughly bedded coralline‐algal/bryozoan rudstone to coarse‐grained packstone, conglomerates, packstone and sandy silt accumulated in a small channel‐lobe system at the toe of the north‐eastern side of the escarpment (Las Balsas area). Carbonate particles and terrigenous grains were sourced from shallow‐water settings and displaced downslope by sediment density flows that preferentially followed the canyon‐shaped depressions. Roughly laminated rudstone to packstone formed by grain flows on the initially very steep slope, whereas the rest of the carbonate lithofacies were deposited by high‐density turbidite currents. The steep escarpment and related break‐in‐slope at the toe favoured hydraulic jumps and the subsequent deposition of coarse‐grained, low‐transport efficiency skeletal‐dominated sediment in the apron lobes. Accelerated uplift of the basement caused a relative sea‐level fall resulting in the formation of outer‐ramp carbonates on the apron lobes, which were in turn overlain by lower Messinian coral reefs. The Almería example is the first known ‘base of slope’ apron within temperate‐water carbonate systems.

show abstract

“…This exposure belt is optimal as a result of (1) its minimal structural and diagenetic overprinting since deposition, (2) its wellexposed platform-top, reef, slope, and basinal depositional settings, and (3) a well-established preexisting geological foundation to leverage. This underpinning of previous work consists of more than five decades of research, comprehensively summarized by Playford et al (2009Playford et al ( , 2016, which provides a framework for basin development, structural setting, evolution of the reefal carbonate platforms, facies models, and numerous other characteristics of the depositional system along the Lennard Shelf. Another key advantage for the CBCP is a robust biostratigraphic framework from conodonts (e.g., Klapper 2007) cephalopods (e.g., Becker et al 1993, Becker andHouse 1997), and other various vertebrates (e.g., Trinajstic and George 2009).…”

Section: Canning Basin Chronostratigraphy Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Stratigraphic Correlation of Upper Devonian Platform-to-Basin Carbonate Sequences, Lennard Shelf, Canning Basin, Western Australia: Advances in Carbonate Margin-to-Slope Sequence Stratigraphy and Stacking Patterns

Playton¹,

Hocking²,

Tohver³

et al. 2017

New Advances in Devonian Carbonates: Outcrop Analogs, Reservoirs, and Chronostratigraphy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High-resolution, time-significant correlations are integral to meaningful stratigraphic frameworks in depositional systems but may be difficult to achieve using traditional sequence stratigraphic or biostratigraphic approaches alone, particularly in geologically complex settings. In steep, reefal carbonate margin-to-slope systems, such correlations are essential to unravel shelf-to-basin transitions, characterize strike variability, and develop predictive sequence stratigraphic models-concepts that are currently poorly understood in these heterogeneous settings. The Canning Basin Chronostratigraphy Project integrates multiple independent data sets (including biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, stable isotope chemostratigraphy, and sequence stratigraphy) extracted from Upper Devonian (Frasnian and Famennian) reefal platform exposures along the Lennard Shelf, Canning Basin, Western Australia. These were used to generate a well-constrained stratigraphic framework and shelf-to-basin composite reconstruction of the carbonate system.The resultant integrated framework allows for unprecedented analysis of carbonate margin-to-slope heterogeneity, depositional architecture, and sequence stratigraphy along the Lennard Shelf. Systems tract architecture, facies partitioning, and stacking patterns of margin to lower-slope environments were assessed for six composite-scale sequences that form part of a transgressive-to-regressive supersequence and span the Frasnian-Famennian (F-F) biotic crisis. Variations are apparent in margin styles, foreslope facies proportions, dominant resedimentation processes, downslope contributing sediment factories, and vertical rock successions, related to hierarchical accommodation signals and ecological changes associated with the F-F boundary. We present these results in the form of carbonate margin-to-basin sequence stratigraphic models and associations that link seismicscale architecture to fine-scale facies heterogeneity. These models provide a predictive foundation for characterization of steep-sided flanks of reefal carbonate platform systems that is useful for both industry and academia. This study emphasizes the utility of an integrated stratigraphic approach and the insights gained from better-constrained facies and stratal architecture analysis, insights that were not achievable with traditional sequence stratigraphic or biostratigraphic techniques alone.

show abstract

Devonian Reef Complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia: A Historical Review

Cited by 12 publications

References 42 publications

Facies, geometry and growth phases of the Valdorria carbonate platform (Pennsylvanian, northern Spain)

Facies, geometry and growth phases of the Valdorria carbonate platform (Pennsylvanian, northern Spain)

Heterozoan carbonate deposition on a steep basement escarpment (Late Miocene, Almería, south‐east Spain)

Integrated Stratigraphic Correlation of Upper Devonian Platform-to-Basin Carbonate Sequences, Lennard Shelf, Canning Basin, Western Australia: Advances in Carbonate Margin-to-Slope Sequence Stratigraphy and Stacking Patterns

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About