Tidal straits: basic criteria for recognizing ancient systems from the rock record

Longhitano, Sergio G.; Chiarella, Domenico

doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-64134-2.00014-6

Cited by 23 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…This latter interval, which includes the section documented herein, exhibits spectacular large-scale crossstratification that is thought to represent the sedimentary signature of an energetic tidal circulation established in the Siderno Basin during the early Pleistocene (Colella & D'alessandro, 1988;Cavazza et al, 1997;Longhitano et al, 2012b;Rossi et al, 2017), as well as in other adjacent and coeval tidal straits preserved in this sector of the Mediterranean (Longhitano, 2012(Longhitano, , 2013(Longhitano, , 2018b. The cross-stratified tidal deposits exposed in the Siderno Basin are erosionally overlain by several generations of coarse-grained marine terraces, recording a phase of tectonically-induced forced regression that caused the emergence of the Calabro-Peloritani block during the last 700 kyr (Tortorici et al, 1995) and the demise of the tidal circulation in the Quaternary straits of Calabria (Longhitano et al, 2012a).…”

Section: The Siderno Basin-fillmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Straits are marine passageways in which sedimentation is commonly governed by phenomena of current amplification due to local coastal constriction or bottom shallowing, providing somewhat unusual conditions for sediment transport and accumulation (Longhitano, 2013). Marine or tidal currents are subject to cyclical phases of acceleration and deceleration during their passage through the narrowest centre, and then expansion as the strait margins enlarge at the two opposing exits (Defant, 1958;Pugh, 1987;Pratt, 1990;Dalrymple, 2010;Longhitano et al, 2012a). In many modern examples, tides occur in phase opposition between the two interconnected basins, generating currents that flow bidirectionally with variable tidal asymmetry in each side of the strait (Vercelli, 1925;Defant, 1940;Androsov et al, 2002).…”

Section: Tidal Straitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Longhitano, 2013). The Siderno Strait was possibly the largest among all of these passageways (Colella & D'alessandro, 1988;Longhitano et al, 2012a). Water exchange gave rise to currents that underwent hydraulic amplification during their transit at the shallowest/narrowest central zone of the strait (Pugh, 1987;Pratt, 1990).…”

Section: Past and Present Sedimentary Dynamics Of The Quaternary Tidal Straits Of Southern Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Barrier, 1986Montenat et al, 1987;Colella, 1996;Longhitano et al, 2012aLonghitano et al, ,b, 2014. In these outcrops, specific types of deposits, as well as distinctive depositional architectures, reveal a process-based correspondence between modern and ancient sedimentary dynamics of tidal straits (Longhitano et al, 2012a(Longhitano et al, , 2014Longhitano, 2013Longhitano, , 2018a. Tidal dunes are the most common bottom feature in the modern Messina Strait and are dimensionally comparable with many of the cross-stratified facies observed in the outcrops of the ancient straits (e.g.…”

Section: Past and Present Sedimentary Dynamics Of The Quaternary Tidal Straits Of Southern Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These basins transitioned into geomorphic straits hosting phenomena of tidal amplification and resulting specific sedimentation roughly during the same time span, i.e. for the entire duration of the Gelasian stage (Longhitano et al, 2012a). The arc forms the uplifted crest of a small orogen presently located in the central Mediterranean and separating the fore-arc Ionian Basin to the east/south-east, from the back-arc Tyrrhenian Basin to the west/north-west (Knott & Turco, 1991).…”

Section: Geological Setting Of the Calabro-peloritani Arc And The Siderno Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anatomy of a mixed bioclastic–siliciclastic regressive tidal sand ridge: Facies‐based case study from the lower Pleistocene Siderno Strait, southern Italy

et al. 2021

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Sand ridges, a common feature of modern open shelves, reflect persistent currents and sediment availability under recent transgressive conditions. They represent the largest bedforms in the oceans and, as such, can yield information on long-term oceanographic processes. However, there is a limited number of tidal sand ridges documented from the rock record, examples of regressive tidal sand ridges are scarce and studies describing ridges in straits are even more rare. This study analyses a Gelasian succession within a structurally controlled, tide-dominated strait in the Siderno Basin, southern Italy. The strait connected two wider basins, and accumulated sediments reworked by amplified tidal (bi-directional) currents. A series of tidal sand ridges with superimposed dunes developed close to the south-eastern end of the strait, where bathymetry was deeper and flow expansion occurred. One of the best-exposed tidal sand ridges, 65 m thick, crops out along a ca 2 km long cliff. Large-scale, ESE-prograding, seaward-offlapping shingles contain sets of bioclastic-siliciclastic, coarse-grained, cross-stratified sandstones, erosionally overlying upper Pliocene shelf marls and fine-grained sandstones. Cross-strata show angular, tangential and sigmoidal foresets with compound architectures and a SSE migration, i.e. oblique to the main growth direction.Fossil content indicates open-marine conditions. The succession changes abruptly across an erosion surface to non-tidal, highly burrowed mixed siliciclastic-bioclastic fine-grained sandstones, less than 15 m thick. Documented features reflect stages of nucleation, active accretion and abandonment of an individual sand ridge, during a complete cycle of relative sea-level change. The ridge formed during a phase of normal regression, with accretion occurring during an initial highstand and the ensuing falling stage.

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Section: The Siderno Basin-fillmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Tidal Straitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Past and Present Sedimentary Dynamics Of The Quaternary Tidal Straits Of Southern Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Past and Present Sedimentary Dynamics Of The Quaternary Tidal Straits Of Southern Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Setting Of the Calabro-peloritani Arc And The Siderno Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anatomy of a mixed bioclastic–siliciclastic regressive tidal sand ridge: Facies‐based case study from the lower Pleistocene Siderno Strait, southern Italy

et al. 2021

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A tale of two end members: Tidal deposits in a semi‐arid, low subsidence, open coastal setting versus a high runoff, high subsidence, restricted environment

Wroblewski,

Steel,

Morris

et al. 2024

The Depositional Record

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Jurassic and Palaeocene tidal deposits of the epeiric Western Interior Sea in Wyoming, USA, differ significantly due to their contrasting climates and tectonic, geographic and depositional settings. Tidally generated, cross‐bedded sandstone bodies contained by incisions are common to both settings and can potentially be uncritically attributed to marine flooding of fluvial systems. Key differences in lithology, ichnology and relationships with surrounding sediment reveal fundamentally different depositional settings, however. The Jurassic system occupied a low accommodation, semi‐arid environment, with geographically open shorelines as relative sea‐level fell, creating an unconformable contact with the underlying, storm wave‐dominated shelf and shoreface deposits. Siliciclastic, intertidal flats formed adjacent to coastal aeolian and fluvial environments during brief turnarounds from the degradational (forced regressive) to aggradational and retrogradational (transgressive) system tract. Basinward of these environments, metre to decimetre‐scale cross‐bedded, bioclastic, subtidal compound dunes and tidal inlet complexes accumulated in areas of minimal clastic flux and within incisions created by submarine tidal currents. By contrast, the Palaeocene tidal systems formed in a high accommodation, subtropical setting, as rising sea levels forced the fluvial to marine transition zone landward and flooded coastal swamps, forming geographically irregular, back‐barrier complexes and tidally influenced fluvial systems. High volumes of siliciclastics, terrigenous organic material and freshwater were delivered by the rivers and created physicochemical stress on the marine embayments. Sandy tidal flat deposits accumulated in lagoons and interdistributary bays, but unlike the Jurassic examples, they do not mark a turnaround from the falling stage to the transgressive system tract. The potential preservation window for tidalites is significantly greater vertically in the aggradational to retrogradational setting than in the degradational system due to greater accommodation. The preservation window is vertically smaller, but areally greater in the Jurassic, forced regressive system because of basinward enhancement of tidal currents driven by complex palaeobathymetry caused by tectonic activity of local pre‐Laramide uplifts.

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The regressive surface of marine erosion generated by tides: A case study from a Pleistocene tidal sand ridge sequence, Calabria, Southern Italy

Longhitano,

Miocic

2024

The Depositional Record

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The regressive surface of marine erosion is a key stratigraphic discontinuity used to identify episodes of forced regression in marine strata. Typically, it marks the base of shallow‐marine (e.g. shoreface and deltaic) deposits eroding over relatively deeper‐water (e.g. shelf and prodelta) lithofacies. While well‐documented in marginal‐marine areas, its occurrence in offshore or strait settings dominated by tidal currents is less understood. This study investigates lower Pleistocene outcrops in the Plio‐Quaternary Siderno Basin, Calabria, southern Italy, where tidal sand ridges developed in a Mediterranean strait. High‐resolution drone images reveal a basinward‐dipping basal surface marking the onset of tidally dominated sedimentation. This discontinuity separates underlying shelf fines from overlying cross‐stratified, tidal bioclastic/siliciclastic arenites, indicating a prolonged period of marine regression in a strait setting. The stratal architecture of the ridges shows cross‐strata aggradation in up‐dip sections, transitioning down‐dip into balanced aggrading/prograding strata, and further basinward into markedly prograding deposits. These features are interpreted to reflect an initial phase of normal regression, evolving into forced regression. This latter stage is characterised by a progressive deepening of the basal discontinuity, causing more erosional effects on the underlying beds, with a vertical basinward fall of about 60 m over 2 km. Internal foreset geometry (two‐dimensional vs. three‐dimensional cross strata) and their vertical and lateral repetition indicate stages of equilibrium and disequilibrium for tidal bedforms, reflecting varying current speeds and water depth changes. The regressive surface of marine erosion here is formed by tidal currents, rather than waves, suggesting a new type of sequence stratigraphic discontinuity associated with tide‐dominated settings.

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Tidal straits: basic criteria for recognizing ancient systems from the rock record

Cited by 23 publications

References 127 publications

Anatomy of a mixed bioclastic–siliciclastic regressive tidal sand ridge: Facies‐based case study from the lower Pleistocene Siderno Strait, southern Italy

Anatomy of a mixed bioclastic–siliciclastic regressive tidal sand ridge: Facies‐based case study from the lower Pleistocene Siderno Strait, southern Italy

A tale of two end members: Tidal deposits in a semi‐arid, low subsidence, open coastal setting versus a high runoff, high subsidence, restricted environment

The regressive surface of marine erosion generated by tides: A case study from a Pleistocene tidal sand ridge sequence, Calabria, Southern Italy

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