Interaction of geodynamic and biosedimentary processes during the late Cenomanian - Coniacian on the calcareous shelf of the southern Tethyan margin (Sinai, Egypt)
Jan Bauer, Jochen Kuss and Thomas Steuber
This research project, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), aims at reconstructing the depositional history of Mid-Cretaceous, chiefly shallow marine sediments of Sinai, with special emphasis on the biosedimentary response to sea-level changes and geodynamic processes („Syrian Arc deformation“). For this purpose, an integrated approach of sedimentological, sequence stratigraphic and palaeontologic (benthic foraminifers, calcareous algae and rudists) methods is applied. We study the sedimentologic, cyclostratigraphic and paleogeographic evolution of 21 Cenomanian and Turonian sections in the Sinai. The evaluation of laterally and vertically changing stacking patterns is based on the analysis of sedimentary structures, microfacies, petrography and biostratigraphy.
Paleogeography and geodynamics
During early Late Cretaceous times, the Sinai peninsula was part of the
passive continental margin of the southern Tethys, forming a wide calcareous
shelf system with siliciclastic intercalations. In north central Sinai
and southern Israel, the transgression coincides with a flooding of the
late Cenomanian platform, reflected by deposits of an intrashelf basin
(Eshet-Zenifim basin). Only the marginal facies of the basin is exposed
in Sinai. A hiatus across the Cenomanian-Turonian transition occurs, which
is partly related to syndepositional uplift probably reflecting first
pulses of "Syrian Arc" movements. Sedimentation started again
in the Eshet-Zenifim basin during the late early Turonian with deposition
of partly condensed intervals. Further basin morphologies are mirrored
by increasing bed-thicknesses within individual sedimentary sequences
in west central Sinai. Subsequently, compression in the Coniacian resulted
in an increase in detritic input from the uplifted hinterland. During
the following highstand, an extended calcareous shelf system re-established
in the middle and late Turonian, which was more or less stable until the
Coniacian, although prominent 3rd order sea-level changes clearly affected
the depositional settings.
Biosedimentary response: distribution of shallow-water benthics
The interplay between environmental and geodynamic features had a major
influence on the temporal and spatial facies evolution, especially on
the benthic community. Diversities and frequencies of benthic foraminifers,
calcareous algae and rudists differ distinctively in the late Cenomanian-Turonian
southern Tethyan inner platform deposits of the Sinai peninsula: Rudists
and benthic foraminifers are common in the upper Cenomanian successions
but occurrences decline drastically in the lower Turonian and recover
again in the middle-upper Turonian. In contrast, calcareous algae of upper
Cenomanian deposits are poor in species-and flourish in the lower and
upper Turonian. In addition, the occurrence of the studied benthics is
closely related to regional facies belts, which prevail in individual
systems tracts. Rudists occur mainly in HSTs, benthic foraminifers and
calcareous algae mainly in TSTs and HSTs. The correlation of facies, systems
tracts and biota distribution suggests a link between repeated reorganisation
processes of the depositional system due to relative sea-level changes
and the distribution of individual benthic groups.
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