Morphometric patterns in Modern carbonate platforms can be applied to the ancient rock record: Similarities between Modern Alacranes Reef and Upper Palaeozoic platforms of the Barents Sea

Purkis, Samuel J.; Casini, Giulio; Hunt, Dave; Colpaert, Arnout

doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2015.03.001

Cited by 40 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…If the bedforms and lamination presented in the current study were preserved in the rock record and used for a geological reconstruction, the feedbacks and self‐organization mechanism proposed here may significantly affect such reconstructions (e.g. Purkis et al ., ). The observed ridge flattening (2017) might be preserved in the rock record as horizontally wider, but vertically thinner (or even absent), ridge layers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

Vijsel

Belzen

Bouma

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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This field and laboratory study examines whether regularly patterned biofilms on present‐day intertidal flats are equivalent to microbially induced bedforms found in geological records dating back to the onset of life on Earth. Algal mats of filamentous Vaucheria species, functionally similar to microbial biofilms, cover the topographic highs of regularly spaced ridge–runnel bedforms. As regular patterning is typically associated with self‐organization processes, indicators of self‐organization are tested and found to support this hypothesis. The measurements suggest that biofilm‐induced sediment trapping and biostabilization enhance bedform relief, strength and multi‐year persistence. This demonstrates the importance of primitive organisms for sedimentary landscape development. Algal‐covered ridges consist of wavy‐crinkly laminated sedimentary deposits that resemble the layered structure of fossil stromatolites and microbially induced sedimentary structures. In addition to layering, both the morphological pattern and the suggested formation mechanism of the recent bedforms are strikingly similar to microbialite strata found in rock records from the Precambrian onwards. This implies that self‐organization was an important morphological process in times when biofilms were the predominant sessile ecosystem. These findings furthermore emphasize that self‐organization dynamics, such as critical transitions invoking ecosystem emergence or collapse, might have been captured in fossil microbialites, influencing their laminae. This notion may be important for paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on such strata. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

Vijsel

Belzen

Bouma

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…The workflow used for mapping follows that detailed by Purkis et al . (, ) Purkis et al . () and Saul & Purkis ().…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex interplay between depositional and petrophysical environments in Holocene tidal carbonates (Al Ruwais, Qatar)

et al. 2017

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Carbonate rocks can be classified in terms of those properties relating to the pore system of lithified sediments, so‐called ‘petrophysical rock types’, or ‘depositional rock types’ which are categorized based on characteristics directly reflecting their original depositional environment. Whereas petrophysical rock types are typically used to identify and distribute rock bodies within a reservoir with similar flow characteristics, depositional rock types ignore pore types and capture sedimentary structures, lithology and fossils. Both classification systems are extensively used to describe reservoir rocks, but the degree of plurality between them remains poorly understood and is the motivation for this study. To examine the degree of congruency between the two classification schemes, a field assessment was conducted for a 175 km2 area situated offshore Al Ruwais, northern Qatar, encompassing depositional environments spanning supratidal, intertidal, shallow subtidal and open marine conditions. A total of 350 surficial sediment samples were collected along 24 shore‐normal transects. Each sample was assigned a ‘petrophysical rock type’ class based on analysis of sedimentary texture (grain size and sorting). ‘Depositional rock type’ classes, by contrast, were defined with reference to faunal content and, in turn, classes of mineralogy were delimited by weighting this content against the mineralogy of each faunal category. Of course, the samples studied correspond to unconsolidated sediments and not to indurated rocks. However, considering only primary porosity and permeability preservation, it is reasonable to assume that the classified sediments would become petrophysical rock types and depositional rock types when consolidated, following their primary grain size, sorting and grain type distribution. Therefore, the term ‘rock type’ is retained here for ease of terminology but, for clarity, these are sediment samples. The discrete samples were interpolated into continuous surfaces describing the distribution of depositional rock types, petrophysical rock types and mineralogy, and spatial correspondence between those surfaces was statistically evaluated. In order to link these parameters with environment of deposition, their correlation with water depth (as audited from airborne light detection and ranging) and ecological habitat (mapped from DigitalGlobe satellite imagery) was also assessed. The data reveal that spatial distributions of sedimentary faunal, petrographic and mineralogical properties do not show exactly congruent patterns. Other meaningful trends do exist, however. For example, the occurrence of certain depositional rock types is indicative of particular petrophysical rock types, and vice versa. Further, connections between petrophysical rock types and mineralogy are emphasized and offer insight as to how the evolution of matrix porosity might be predicted via diagenetic models tuned to specific sediment textures. Useful relationships are also identified between the occurrence of petrophysical...

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“…Applying comparative sedimentology to shoal systems is relatively straightforward, relative to reefs, because shoals lack the temporal faunal changes that can affect morphology (but see Purkis et al ., ). Although sedimentological features of the Miami oolite have previously been compared with modern sand bodies in the Bahamas (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quantitative interrogation of a fossilized carbonate sand body – The Pleistocene Miami oolite of South Florida

Purkis

Harris

2017

Sedimentology

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Exposures of the Pleistocene Miami oolite in South Florida provide excellent examples of preserved primary sedimentary features and subsequent diagenetic changes of a ‘fossilized’ ooid sand body that has been subaerially exposed in a tropical climate since its deposition during the last interglacial highstand – Marine Isotope Stage 5e. Using a robust airborne light detection and ranging digital terrain model and select outcrops, a detailed analysis of the morphologies and dimensions of the different portions of the Miami oolite was conducted. The sand body, extending 95 km north to south and approximately 15 km wide, consists of shoals (or bars) separated by tidal channels and is partly bounded on the ocean‐facing side by a prograding barrier bar that collectively cover an area of approximately 1000 sq. km. Results of the quantitative interrogation of the Miami oolite are compared with those of previously published work from modern sand bodies on Great Bahama Bank including the Exumas, Schooners Cays and Tongue of the Ocean. Digital terrain models developed for these modern sand bodies on the Great Bahama Bank and the ancient Miami oolite were used as the basis for the definition of shoals, shoal crests (peaks) and channels which were examined with respect to their size, shape and orientation. The Exumas sand body is the best morphometric match when analysing the bars and the channels, and the Joulter Cays area is an analogue for the formation of the barrier bar and for burrow reworking of cross‐bedding within stabilized sand shoals. The Exumas is a particularly compelling analogue for the Miami oolite with respect to length and overall visual comparison between the morphologies of the sand bodies, shoal (or bar) shape, number of tidal channels, channel length and width, and high areas parallel to the strike trend of the sand body (islands in the Exumas and possible islands as part of the Miami oolite barrier bar). Despite ca 115 kyr of subaerial exposure and meteoric diagenesis including karst, the morphology of the Miami oolite is still relatively intact to the point where it can be easily analysed and meaningful comparisons to modern systems can be made. The Miami oolite serves as a key reference example for comparison to Holocene sand units in the Bahamas – it validates the concept of comparative sedimentology and in particular emphasizes how results from the modern can improve the interpretation of a fossilized example.

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Morphometric patterns in Modern carbonate platforms can be applied to the ancient rock record: Similarities between Modern Alacranes Reef and Upper Palaeozoic platforms of the Barents Sea

Cited by 40 publications

References 103 publications

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

Complex interplay between depositional and petrophysical environments in Holocene tidal carbonates (Al Ruwais, Qatar)

Quantitative interrogation of a fossilized carbonate sand body – The Pleistocene Miami oolite of South Florida

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