W. Cavazza - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by W. Cavazza

Research paper thumbnail of Calabria-Peloritani terrane and northern Ionian Sea

G.B. Vai and I.P. Martini (eds.), Anatomy of an Orogen: the Apennines and Adjacent Mediterranean Basins, 287–306. © , 2001

Research paper thumbnail of The Mediterranean region—a geological primer

Episodes, 2003

The last twenty-five years of geological investigation of the Mediterranean region have disproved... more The last twenty-five years of geological investigation of the Mediterranean region have disproved the traditional notion that the Alpine-Himalayan mountain ranges originated from the closure of a single, albeit complex, oceanic domain-the Tethys. Instead, the present-day geological configuration of the Mediterranean region is the result of the creation and ensuing consumption of two major oceanic basins-the Paleotethys and the Neotethys-and of additional smaller oceanic basins within an overall regime of prolonged interaction between the Eurasian and the African-Arabian plates. In greater detail, there is still some debate about exactly what Tethys existed at what time. A consensus exists as to the presence of (i) a mainly Paleozoic paleotethyan ocean north of the Cimmerian continent(s); (ii) a younger late Paleozoic-Mesozoic neotethyan ocean located south of this continent, and finally; (iii) a middle Jurassic ocean, the Alpine Tethys-Valais, an extension of the central Atlantic ocean in the western Tethyan domain. Additional late Paleozoic to Mesozoic back-arc marginal basins along the active Eurasian margin complicated somewhat this simple picture. The closure of these heterogeneous oceanic domains produced a system of connected yet discrete orogenic belts which vary in terms of timing, tectonic setting and internal architecture, and cannot be interpreted as the end product of a single "Alpine" orogenic cycle. In Neogene time, following prolonged indentation along the Alpine front, a number of small continental microterranes (Kabylies, Balearic Islands, Sardinia-Corsica, Calabria) rifted off the European-Iberian continental margin and drifted toward south or southeast, leaving in their wake areas of thinned continental crust (e.g. Valencia Trough) or small oceanic basins (Algerian, Provençal and Tyrrhenian basins). The E Mediterranean is similarly characterized by widespread Neogene extensional tectonism, as indicated by thinning of continental crust along low-angle detachment faults in the Aegean Sea and the periaegean regions. Overall, Neogene extension in the Mediterranean can be explained as the result of roll-back of the N-dipping subducting slab along the Ionian-E Mediterranean subduction zones. The complex Neogene geologic scenario of the Mediterranean is complicated further by the deposition of widespread evaporites during Messinian (late Miocene) time.

Research paper thumbnail of Planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and87Sr/86Sr isotopic stratigraphy of the Oligocene-to-Pleistocene sedimentary sequence in the southeastern Calabrian microplate, southern Italy

Journal of Paleontology, 1995

Integration of foraminiferal biostratigraphy,87Sr/86Sr isotope stratigraphy, and traditional phys... more Integration of foraminiferal biostratigraphy,87Sr/86Sr isotope stratigraphy, and traditional physical stratigraphy has provided a refined age control of a poorly known Oligocene-to-Pleistocene sedimentary sequence nonconformably covering the crystalline basement complex of the Calabrian microplate, a continental block which rifted off the southern margin of the European plate during Neogene time. In spite of the fossil-poor content of the sequence, the simultaneous use of paleontological and geochemical techniques have resulted in the following conclusions. 1) The age of an unnamed, thin calcarenite unit locally present at the base of the sequence, previously considered Rupelian to early Aquitanian in age, has been refined to Chattian (27.8–24.8 Ma). This calcarenite was considered a basal, conformable member of the overlying Stilo-Capo d'Orlando Formation. However, this study indicates that it is separated from the Stilo-Capo d'Orlando Formation either by an angular unconfo...

Research paper thumbnail of The Rhodope Zone as a primary sediment source of the southern Thrace basin (NE Greece and NW Turkey): evidence from detrital heavy minerals and implications for central-eastern Mediterranean palaeogeography

International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2014

a common origin of tectonic units exposed in NW Turkey (Biga Peninsula) with those of NE Greece a... more a common origin of tectonic units exposed in NW Turkey (Biga Peninsula) with those of NE Greece and SE Bulgaria (Rhodope region). The entire region displays (1) common extensional signatures, consisting of comparable granitoid intrusion ages, and a NE-SW sense of shear (2) matching zircon age populations between the metapelitic and metamafic rocks of the Circum-Rhodope Belt (NE Greece) and those of the Çamlica-Kemer complex and Çetmi mélange exposed in NW Turkey. Detrital heavy mineral abundances from Eocene-Oligocene sandstones of the southern Thrace basin demonstrate the influence of two main sediment sources mostly of ultramafic/ophiolitic and low-to medium-grade metamorphic lithologies, plus a third, volcanic source limited to the late Eocene-Oligocene. Detrital Cr-spinel chemistry is used to understand the origin of the ultramafic material and to discriminate the numerous ultramafic sources exposed in the region. Compositional and stratigraphic data indicate a major influence of the metapelitic source in the eastern part (Gallipoli Peninsula) during the initial stages of sedimentation with increasing contributions from metamafic sources through time. On the other hand, the western and more external part of the southern Thrace margin (Gökçeada, Samothraki and Limnos) displays compositional signatures according to a mixed provenance from the metapelitic and metamafic sources of the Circum-Rhodope Belt (Çamlıca-Kemer complex and Çetmi mélange). Tectonic restoration and compositional signatures provide constraints on the Palaeogene palaeogeography of this sector of the central-eastern Mediterranean region.

Research paper thumbnail of Provenance Modelling as a Technique for Analysing Source Terrane Evolution and Controls on Foreland Sedimentation

Foreland Basins

... PG, Ingersoll, RV, Bargar, E., Caldwell, M., Cavazza, W., Edwards, DP, Follo, MF, Handschy, J... more ... PG, Ingersoll, RV, Bargar, E., Caldwell, M., Cavazza, W., Edwards, DP, Follo, MF, Handschy, JF, Lemke, L., Moxon, I., Rice, R., Smith, GA and White, J. (2009) Provenance Modelling as a ... Department of Geology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA. 5 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Orogen-scale thermochronologic trends of the Central Andes

Research paper thumbnail of Upper Messinian siliciclastic rocks in southeastern Calabria (southern Italy): palaeotectonic and eustatic implications for the evolution of the central Mediterranean region

Tectonophysics, 1998

The Messinian stratigraphy of eastern Calabria (southern Italy) is characterised by a threefold s... more The Messinian stratigraphy of eastern Calabria (southern Italy) is characterised by a threefold subdivision: (1) a pelite section with local limestone and gypsum, deposited in a restricted-marine environment, is unconformably, or disconformably, overlain by (2) coarse-grained alluvial conglomerate, which is in turn locally overlain by (3) a thin and discontinuous ribbon-shaped sedimentary body of sandstone and pelite, commonly displaying a shallow-marine to continental progradational trend. The basal unconformity=disconformity, coarse grain-size, and abrupt compositional-sedimentological change of unit 2 with respect to unit 1 can be explained as a response to tectonic instability and out-of-sequence thrusting in the Calabrian orogenic wedge, possibly induced by isostatic back-tilting of the wedge following the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea. This mechanism could explain widespread late Messinian thrusting and syntectonic sedimentation along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic belt. The uppermost Messinian continental to shallow-marine siliciclastic deposits of unit 3 crop out today at elevations of up to 300 m. Similar, age-equivalent sedimentary deposits can be traced along the Apennines and the Sicilian Maghrebides, thus, indicating that the Mediterranean area was flooded before deposition of the Trubi Formation, the base of which is traditionally regarded as marking the reestablishment of marine conditions in the Mediterranean region.

Research paper thumbnail of Reconstruction of Oligo-Miocene Volcaniclastic Dispersal Patterns in North-Central New Mexico Using Sandstone Petrofacies

Sedimentation in Volcanic Settings, 1991

Research paper thumbnail of Miocene sediment dispersal in the central Española basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico, U.S.A

Sedimentary Geology, 1986

Abstract The central Espanola basin in north-central New Mexico represents one of the best opport... more Abstract The central Espanola basin in north-central New Mexico represents one of the best opportunities to examine deposits related to the development of the Rio Grande rift. The Miocene Tesuque Formation represents the bulk of the Espanola basin fill. It is composed of a 2000–2500 m thick sequence of alluvial-fluvial and, subordinately, lacustrine deposits with numerous interbedded ash-fall tuff layers. The overall detrital composition of the Tesuque Formation is very similar throughout the central Espanola basin. Provenance is primarily from basement uplifts composed of Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nevertheless, the combined use of paleocurrent analysis, and sandstone and conglomerate petrology allows a detailed reconstruction of the sediment paleodispersal system. Two sedimentary provinces are present within the Tesuque Formation: Province A, present in the eastern, central and southern portions of the study area, has a predominantly plutoniclastic and metamorphiclastic composition, and shows systematic paleocurrents toward the west. The sediments were derived from the Precambrian-cored Santa Fe block of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, located directly to the east of the study area. Province B, present only in the northwestern portion of the study area, is characterized by a minor but significant amount of volcaniclastic and sedimentaclastic detritus, and shows consistent SSW-directed paleocurrents. The source area was possibly located in the area of the Taos Plateau and Latir volcanic fields. An intermediate narrow and discontinuous belt (province A + B) represents a hybrid province, where directional and compositional parameters are gradational.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Host-Rock Texture on the Morphology of Carbonate Concretions in a Meteoric Diagenetic Environment

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2009

The integrated stratigraphic-petrographic-geochemical study of Quaternary marine terraces that ha... more The integrated stratigraphic-petrographic-geochemical study of Quaternary marine terraces that have undergone well-constrained sea-level and water-table oscillation(s) over geologically short time periods can provide important clues on diagenetic processes at the marine-continental interface. The Punta di i Cani marine terrace (Quaternary; Saint-Florent, Corsica) unconformably overlies the well-cemented, low-permeability arenites of the Miocene Monte S. Angelo Formation and is erosively overlain by unlithified, high-permeability Holocene continental sediments. The terrace is composed of a retrogradational, fining-upward succession, from fluvial pebbly sandstone to beach and shoreface deposits. The entire thickness of the terrace hosts concretions made of low-Mg calcite. Concretion geometry is linked to the sedimentological facies of the host sediment: (i) massive fluvial pebbly sandstone at the base of the terrace contains knobby, subhorizontal concretions somewhat resembling turbidite flute casts; (ii) very low-angle cross-bedded, well sorted beach deposits contain pipy, subhorizontal concretions; (iii) trough-crossbedded upper-shoreface deposits in the upper part of the terrace contain a subtle diagenetic lineation on the laminae, locally obliterated by a patchy, isotropic cementation. Overall, the degree of cementation decreases from the bottom to the top of the terrace. Cement chemistry and morphology, as well as stable carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures, indicate that the concretions formed by precipitation of meteoric phreatic water flowing toward the coast. Elongate concretions are invariably parallel to the topographic gradient, consistent with the notion that the growth of concretions was controlled by advection. Smectitic vadose cement is locally present; its crosscutting relationships with calcite cement point to periodic oscillations of the water table. The results of this study (i) show that elongate concretions can be used as interstitial paleoflow indicators and (ii) suggest that concretion geometry in an advection-dominated diagenetic environment can depend on the small-scale permeability distribution, as suggested by the fact that each type of concretion is invariably associated with a specific sedimentary facies. GEOLOGICAL SETTING The studied Quaternary terrace unconformably overlies the sedimentary deposits of the Saint-Florent Basin in northern Corsica (Fig. 1). The early-middle Miocene Saint-Florent Basin sits at the boundary between

Research paper thumbnail of Constraints on the Formation of Pliocene Hummocky Cross-stratification in Calabria (Southern Italy) from Consideration of Hydraulic and Dispersive Equivalence, Grain-Flow Theory, and Suspended-Load Fallout Rate

SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1992

... The sand beneath the crests of hummocks is slightly finer than sand beneath swales ($swale = ... more ... The sand beneath the crests of hummocks is slightly finer than sand beneath swales ($swale = 1.85; $crest= 1.98). Beds are normally graded, from medium-coarse sand to very fine sand. With the exception of dispersed mica grains that are horizontally aligned, no obvious ...

Research paper thumbnail of Diagenetic Processes Along a Basin-Wide Marker Bed as a Function of Burial Depth

SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1992

... On the other hand, Contessa samples plot along a line parallel to the NCE-CI side of the diag... more ... On the other hand, Contessa samples plot along a line parallel to the NCE-CI side of the diagram, showing con-siderable scatter. ... Additional petrologic data can be found in Gandolfi and Gazzi (1963), Deneke and Giinther (1981) and Gandolfi et at. (1983). ...

Research paper thumbnail of Sedimentation pattern of a rift-filling unit, Tesuque Formation (Miocene), Espanola Basin, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico; discussion and reply

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1990

Research paper thumbnail of Upper Messinian conglomerates in Calabria, southern Italy: Response to orogenic wedge adjustment following Mediterranean sea-level changes

Geology, 1995

Widespread uppermost Miocene conglomerate and sandstone along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic b... more Widespread uppermost Miocene conglomerate and sandstone along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic belt in the central Mediterranean region cannot be explained as a result of the Messinian base-level falls. Along the Ionian coast of Calabria, southern Italy, these rocks were deposited in marine fan deltas and rest in angular unconformity or disconformity upon the internal part of the Calabrian accretionary wedge. We propose that the upper Messinian deposits were produced by internal shortening of the Calabrian accretionary wedge as it compensated for the decrease in upper surface slope caused by flexural rebound as the ϳ3.4-km-thick Ionian water mass evaporated. Latest Miocene-Pliocene marine inundation reloaded the basin, restored the wedge to a critical state, and caused the rear part of the wedge again to become tectonically stable. This isostatically driven mechanism could explain widespread latest Messinian thrust faults and coarse siliciclastic deposits along much of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen.

Research paper thumbnail of Geometry of a Miocene submarine canyon and associated sedimentary facies in southeastern Calabria, southern Italy

Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1993

... boo - Gcr'n - Sm/Sh shp _u. __ ' Gcm/Sh ~' sn S /Sh msm Gmm Sm!) i Gcm ~ El &#... more ... boo - Gcr'n - Sm/Sh shp _u. __ ' Gcm/Sh ~' sn S /Sh msm Gmm Sm!) i Gcm ~ El ' Gcm Gcm . , ' Sm O K' ' “ - 12°55 Gm] -Bea 300-48° G°'”' ecmm Gcm ~. / Gmm 0 , Gcm+Smp Sh/F 1 11" - . '° arm smps - Slip: Gcm ' Gmm % Sm ...

Research paper thumbnail of The paleotectonic atlas of the Peritethyan domain

Research paper thumbnail of Laramide thrust-generated alluvial-fan sedimentation

… , southwestern Montana: …, 1987

The uppermost Cretaceous-lower Tertiary Sphinx Conglomerate crops out over an area of approximate... more The uppermost Cretaceous-lower Tertiary Sphinx Conglomerate crops out over an area of approximately 20 km² (8 mi²) in the Madison Range of southwestern Montana. The Sphinx consists of more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) of synorogenic boulder and cobble conglomerate derived from a Late Cretaceous Laramide uplift that was located in the area presently occupied by the Madison River valley.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid early-middle Miocene exhumation of the Kazdağ Massif (western Anatolia)

International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Apatite fission‐track analysis of Neogene exhumation in northern Corsica (France)

Terra Nova, 2001

Apatite fission‐track analyses along a W–E‐orientated transect across northern Corsica indicate a... more Apatite fission‐track analyses along a W–E‐orientated transect across northern Corsica indicate an important episode of crustal exhumation in late early Miocene time. Samples taken from the Alpine orogenic wedge, from the adjacent foreland basin and from the crystalline basement complex flooring the basin are completely reset. This implies that a ≥ 2.0–2.3‐km‐thick crustal section made of thrust sheets and/or autochthonous foreland deposits has been removed by erosion since early Miocene time. A geometric projection of this lost cover towards the west indicates that all of northern Corsica was covered either by Alpine nappes or middle Eocene foreland deposits. Fission‐track ages are the same across the main boundary fault system separating the Alpine orogenic wedge and the foreland, indicating the absence of significant differential vertical displacement between upper and lower plates during Neogene unroofing.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeotectonic and palaeogeographic evolution of the western Tethys and PeriTethyan domain (IGCP Project 369)

Episodes, 2001

Program produced a new palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic atlas of the western PeriTethyan domain. T... more Program produced a new palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic atlas of the western PeriTethyan domain. The atlas contains more than two hundred new maps and documents grouped in nine regional sets (Iberia,

Research paper thumbnail of Calabria-Peloritani terrane and northern Ionian Sea

G.B. Vai and I.P. Martini (eds.), Anatomy of an Orogen: the Apennines and Adjacent Mediterranean Basins, 287–306. © , 2001

Research paper thumbnail of The Mediterranean region—a geological primer

Episodes, 2003

The last twenty-five years of geological investigation of the Mediterranean region have disproved... more The last twenty-five years of geological investigation of the Mediterranean region have disproved the traditional notion that the Alpine-Himalayan mountain ranges originated from the closure of a single, albeit complex, oceanic domain-the Tethys. Instead, the present-day geological configuration of the Mediterranean region is the result of the creation and ensuing consumption of two major oceanic basins-the Paleotethys and the Neotethys-and of additional smaller oceanic basins within an overall regime of prolonged interaction between the Eurasian and the African-Arabian plates. In greater detail, there is still some debate about exactly what Tethys existed at what time. A consensus exists as to the presence of (i) a mainly Paleozoic paleotethyan ocean north of the Cimmerian continent(s); (ii) a younger late Paleozoic-Mesozoic neotethyan ocean located south of this continent, and finally; (iii) a middle Jurassic ocean, the Alpine Tethys-Valais, an extension of the central Atlantic ocean in the western Tethyan domain. Additional late Paleozoic to Mesozoic back-arc marginal basins along the active Eurasian margin complicated somewhat this simple picture. The closure of these heterogeneous oceanic domains produced a system of connected yet discrete orogenic belts which vary in terms of timing, tectonic setting and internal architecture, and cannot be interpreted as the end product of a single "Alpine" orogenic cycle. In Neogene time, following prolonged indentation along the Alpine front, a number of small continental microterranes (Kabylies, Balearic Islands, Sardinia-Corsica, Calabria) rifted off the European-Iberian continental margin and drifted toward south or southeast, leaving in their wake areas of thinned continental crust (e.g. Valencia Trough) or small oceanic basins (Algerian, Provençal and Tyrrhenian basins). The E Mediterranean is similarly characterized by widespread Neogene extensional tectonism, as indicated by thinning of continental crust along low-angle detachment faults in the Aegean Sea and the periaegean regions. Overall, Neogene extension in the Mediterranean can be explained as the result of roll-back of the N-dipping subducting slab along the Ionian-E Mediterranean subduction zones. The complex Neogene geologic scenario of the Mediterranean is complicated further by the deposition of widespread evaporites during Messinian (late Miocene) time.

Research paper thumbnail of Planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and87Sr/86Sr isotopic stratigraphy of the Oligocene-to-Pleistocene sedimentary sequence in the southeastern Calabrian microplate, southern Italy

Journal of Paleontology, 1995

Integration of foraminiferal biostratigraphy,87Sr/86Sr isotope stratigraphy, and traditional phys... more Integration of foraminiferal biostratigraphy,87Sr/86Sr isotope stratigraphy, and traditional physical stratigraphy has provided a refined age control of a poorly known Oligocene-to-Pleistocene sedimentary sequence nonconformably covering the crystalline basement complex of the Calabrian microplate, a continental block which rifted off the southern margin of the European plate during Neogene time. In spite of the fossil-poor content of the sequence, the simultaneous use of paleontological and geochemical techniques have resulted in the following conclusions. 1) The age of an unnamed, thin calcarenite unit locally present at the base of the sequence, previously considered Rupelian to early Aquitanian in age, has been refined to Chattian (27.8–24.8 Ma). This calcarenite was considered a basal, conformable member of the overlying Stilo-Capo d'Orlando Formation. However, this study indicates that it is separated from the Stilo-Capo d'Orlando Formation either by an angular unconfo...

Research paper thumbnail of The Rhodope Zone as a primary sediment source of the southern Thrace basin (NE Greece and NW Turkey): evidence from detrital heavy minerals and implications for central-eastern Mediterranean palaeogeography

International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2014

a common origin of tectonic units exposed in NW Turkey (Biga Peninsula) with those of NE Greece a... more a common origin of tectonic units exposed in NW Turkey (Biga Peninsula) with those of NE Greece and SE Bulgaria (Rhodope region). The entire region displays (1) common extensional signatures, consisting of comparable granitoid intrusion ages, and a NE-SW sense of shear (2) matching zircon age populations between the metapelitic and metamafic rocks of the Circum-Rhodope Belt (NE Greece) and those of the Çamlica-Kemer complex and Çetmi mélange exposed in NW Turkey. Detrital heavy mineral abundances from Eocene-Oligocene sandstones of the southern Thrace basin demonstrate the influence of two main sediment sources mostly of ultramafic/ophiolitic and low-to medium-grade metamorphic lithologies, plus a third, volcanic source limited to the late Eocene-Oligocene. Detrital Cr-spinel chemistry is used to understand the origin of the ultramafic material and to discriminate the numerous ultramafic sources exposed in the region. Compositional and stratigraphic data indicate a major influence of the metapelitic source in the eastern part (Gallipoli Peninsula) during the initial stages of sedimentation with increasing contributions from metamafic sources through time. On the other hand, the western and more external part of the southern Thrace margin (Gökçeada, Samothraki and Limnos) displays compositional signatures according to a mixed provenance from the metapelitic and metamafic sources of the Circum-Rhodope Belt (Çamlıca-Kemer complex and Çetmi mélange). Tectonic restoration and compositional signatures provide constraints on the Palaeogene palaeogeography of this sector of the central-eastern Mediterranean region.

Research paper thumbnail of Provenance Modelling as a Technique for Analysing Source Terrane Evolution and Controls on Foreland Sedimentation

Foreland Basins

... PG, Ingersoll, RV, Bargar, E., Caldwell, M., Cavazza, W., Edwards, DP, Follo, MF, Handschy, J... more ... PG, Ingersoll, RV, Bargar, E., Caldwell, M., Cavazza, W., Edwards, DP, Follo, MF, Handschy, JF, Lemke, L., Moxon, I., Rice, R., Smith, GA and White, J. (2009) Provenance Modelling as a ... Department of Geology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA. 5 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Orogen-scale thermochronologic trends of the Central Andes

Research paper thumbnail of Upper Messinian siliciclastic rocks in southeastern Calabria (southern Italy): palaeotectonic and eustatic implications for the evolution of the central Mediterranean region

Tectonophysics, 1998

The Messinian stratigraphy of eastern Calabria (southern Italy) is characterised by a threefold s... more The Messinian stratigraphy of eastern Calabria (southern Italy) is characterised by a threefold subdivision: (1) a pelite section with local limestone and gypsum, deposited in a restricted-marine environment, is unconformably, or disconformably, overlain by (2) coarse-grained alluvial conglomerate, which is in turn locally overlain by (3) a thin and discontinuous ribbon-shaped sedimentary body of sandstone and pelite, commonly displaying a shallow-marine to continental progradational trend. The basal unconformity=disconformity, coarse grain-size, and abrupt compositional-sedimentological change of unit 2 with respect to unit 1 can be explained as a response to tectonic instability and out-of-sequence thrusting in the Calabrian orogenic wedge, possibly induced by isostatic back-tilting of the wedge following the desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea. This mechanism could explain widespread late Messinian thrusting and syntectonic sedimentation along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic belt. The uppermost Messinian continental to shallow-marine siliciclastic deposits of unit 3 crop out today at elevations of up to 300 m. Similar, age-equivalent sedimentary deposits can be traced along the Apennines and the Sicilian Maghrebides, thus, indicating that the Mediterranean area was flooded before deposition of the Trubi Formation, the base of which is traditionally regarded as marking the reestablishment of marine conditions in the Mediterranean region.

Research paper thumbnail of Reconstruction of Oligo-Miocene Volcaniclastic Dispersal Patterns in North-Central New Mexico Using Sandstone Petrofacies

Sedimentation in Volcanic Settings, 1991

Research paper thumbnail of Miocene sediment dispersal in the central Española basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico, U.S.A

Sedimentary Geology, 1986

Abstract The central Espanola basin in north-central New Mexico represents one of the best opport... more Abstract The central Espanola basin in north-central New Mexico represents one of the best opportunities to examine deposits related to the development of the Rio Grande rift. The Miocene Tesuque Formation represents the bulk of the Espanola basin fill. It is composed of a 2000–2500 m thick sequence of alluvial-fluvial and, subordinately, lacustrine deposits with numerous interbedded ash-fall tuff layers. The overall detrital composition of the Tesuque Formation is very similar throughout the central Espanola basin. Provenance is primarily from basement uplifts composed of Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nevertheless, the combined use of paleocurrent analysis, and sandstone and conglomerate petrology allows a detailed reconstruction of the sediment paleodispersal system. Two sedimentary provinces are present within the Tesuque Formation: Province A, present in the eastern, central and southern portions of the study area, has a predominantly plutoniclastic and metamorphiclastic composition, and shows systematic paleocurrents toward the west. The sediments were derived from the Precambrian-cored Santa Fe block of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, located directly to the east of the study area. Province B, present only in the northwestern portion of the study area, is characterized by a minor but significant amount of volcaniclastic and sedimentaclastic detritus, and shows consistent SSW-directed paleocurrents. The source area was possibly located in the area of the Taos Plateau and Latir volcanic fields. An intermediate narrow and discontinuous belt (province A + B) represents a hybrid province, where directional and compositional parameters are gradational.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Host-Rock Texture on the Morphology of Carbonate Concretions in a Meteoric Diagenetic Environment

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2009

The integrated stratigraphic-petrographic-geochemical study of Quaternary marine terraces that ha... more The integrated stratigraphic-petrographic-geochemical study of Quaternary marine terraces that have undergone well-constrained sea-level and water-table oscillation(s) over geologically short time periods can provide important clues on diagenetic processes at the marine-continental interface. The Punta di i Cani marine terrace (Quaternary; Saint-Florent, Corsica) unconformably overlies the well-cemented, low-permeability arenites of the Miocene Monte S. Angelo Formation and is erosively overlain by unlithified, high-permeability Holocene continental sediments. The terrace is composed of a retrogradational, fining-upward succession, from fluvial pebbly sandstone to beach and shoreface deposits. The entire thickness of the terrace hosts concretions made of low-Mg calcite. Concretion geometry is linked to the sedimentological facies of the host sediment: (i) massive fluvial pebbly sandstone at the base of the terrace contains knobby, subhorizontal concretions somewhat resembling turbidite flute casts; (ii) very low-angle cross-bedded, well sorted beach deposits contain pipy, subhorizontal concretions; (iii) trough-crossbedded upper-shoreface deposits in the upper part of the terrace contain a subtle diagenetic lineation on the laminae, locally obliterated by a patchy, isotropic cementation. Overall, the degree of cementation decreases from the bottom to the top of the terrace. Cement chemistry and morphology, as well as stable carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures, indicate that the concretions formed by precipitation of meteoric phreatic water flowing toward the coast. Elongate concretions are invariably parallel to the topographic gradient, consistent with the notion that the growth of concretions was controlled by advection. Smectitic vadose cement is locally present; its crosscutting relationships with calcite cement point to periodic oscillations of the water table. The results of this study (i) show that elongate concretions can be used as interstitial paleoflow indicators and (ii) suggest that concretion geometry in an advection-dominated diagenetic environment can depend on the small-scale permeability distribution, as suggested by the fact that each type of concretion is invariably associated with a specific sedimentary facies. GEOLOGICAL SETTING The studied Quaternary terrace unconformably overlies the sedimentary deposits of the Saint-Florent Basin in northern Corsica (Fig. 1). The early-middle Miocene Saint-Florent Basin sits at the boundary between

Research paper thumbnail of Constraints on the Formation of Pliocene Hummocky Cross-stratification in Calabria (Southern Italy) from Consideration of Hydraulic and Dispersive Equivalence, Grain-Flow Theory, and Suspended-Load Fallout Rate

SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1992

... The sand beneath the crests of hummocks is slightly finer than sand beneath swales ($swale = ... more ... The sand beneath the crests of hummocks is slightly finer than sand beneath swales ($swale = 1.85; $crest= 1.98). Beds are normally graded, from medium-coarse sand to very fine sand. With the exception of dispersed mica grains that are horizontally aligned, no obvious ...

Research paper thumbnail of Diagenetic Processes Along a Basin-Wide Marker Bed as a Function of Burial Depth

SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1992

... On the other hand, Contessa samples plot along a line parallel to the NCE-CI side of the diag... more ... On the other hand, Contessa samples plot along a line parallel to the NCE-CI side of the diagram, showing con-siderable scatter. ... Additional petrologic data can be found in Gandolfi and Gazzi (1963), Deneke and Giinther (1981) and Gandolfi et at. (1983). ...

Research paper thumbnail of Sedimentation pattern of a rift-filling unit, Tesuque Formation (Miocene), Espanola Basin, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico; discussion and reply

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1990

Research paper thumbnail of Upper Messinian conglomerates in Calabria, southern Italy: Response to orogenic wedge adjustment following Mediterranean sea-level changes

Geology, 1995

Widespread uppermost Miocene conglomerate and sandstone along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic b... more Widespread uppermost Miocene conglomerate and sandstone along the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic belt in the central Mediterranean region cannot be explained as a result of the Messinian base-level falls. Along the Ionian coast of Calabria, southern Italy, these rocks were deposited in marine fan deltas and rest in angular unconformity or disconformity upon the internal part of the Calabrian accretionary wedge. We propose that the upper Messinian deposits were produced by internal shortening of the Calabrian accretionary wedge as it compensated for the decrease in upper surface slope caused by flexural rebound as the ϳ3.4-km-thick Ionian water mass evaporated. Latest Miocene-Pliocene marine inundation reloaded the basin, restored the wedge to a critical state, and caused the rear part of the wedge again to become tectonically stable. This isostatically driven mechanism could explain widespread latest Messinian thrust faults and coarse siliciclastic deposits along much of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen.

Research paper thumbnail of Geometry of a Miocene submarine canyon and associated sedimentary facies in southeastern Calabria, southern Italy

Geological Society of America Bulletin, 1993

... boo - Gcr'n - Sm/Sh shp _u. __ ' Gcm/Sh ~' sn S /Sh msm Gmm Sm!) i Gcm ~ El &#... more ... boo - Gcr'n - Sm/Sh shp _u. __ ' Gcm/Sh ~' sn S /Sh msm Gmm Sm!) i Gcm ~ El ' Gcm Gcm . , ' Sm O K' ' “ - 12°55 Gm] -Bea 300-48° G°'”' ecmm Gcm ~. / Gmm 0 , Gcm+Smp Sh/F 1 11" - . '° arm smps - Slip: Gcm ' Gmm % Sm ...

Research paper thumbnail of The paleotectonic atlas of the Peritethyan domain

Research paper thumbnail of Laramide thrust-generated alluvial-fan sedimentation

… , southwestern Montana: …, 1987

The uppermost Cretaceous-lower Tertiary Sphinx Conglomerate crops out over an area of approximate... more The uppermost Cretaceous-lower Tertiary Sphinx Conglomerate crops out over an area of approximately 20 km² (8 mi²) in the Madison Range of southwestern Montana. The Sphinx consists of more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) of synorogenic boulder and cobble conglomerate derived from a Late Cretaceous Laramide uplift that was located in the area presently occupied by the Madison River valley.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid early-middle Miocene exhumation of the Kazdağ Massif (western Anatolia)

International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Apatite fission‐track analysis of Neogene exhumation in northern Corsica (France)

Terra Nova, 2001

Apatite fission‐track analyses along a W–E‐orientated transect across northern Corsica indicate a... more Apatite fission‐track analyses along a W–E‐orientated transect across northern Corsica indicate an important episode of crustal exhumation in late early Miocene time. Samples taken from the Alpine orogenic wedge, from the adjacent foreland basin and from the crystalline basement complex flooring the basin are completely reset. This implies that a ≥ 2.0–2.3‐km‐thick crustal section made of thrust sheets and/or autochthonous foreland deposits has been removed by erosion since early Miocene time. A geometric projection of this lost cover towards the west indicates that all of northern Corsica was covered either by Alpine nappes or middle Eocene foreland deposits. Fission‐track ages are the same across the main boundary fault system separating the Alpine orogenic wedge and the foreland, indicating the absence of significant differential vertical displacement between upper and lower plates during Neogene unroofing.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeotectonic and palaeogeographic evolution of the western Tethys and PeriTethyan domain (IGCP Project 369)

Episodes, 2001

Program produced a new palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic atlas of the western PeriTethyan domain. T... more Program produced a new palaeotectonic-palaeogeographic atlas of the western PeriTethyan domain. The atlas contains more than two hundred new maps and documents grouped in nine regional sets (Iberia,