Paleokarst pp 385-405 | Cite as

Sedimentation and Diagenesis Along an Island-Sheltered Platform Margin, El Abra Formation, Cretaceous of Mexico

  • Charles J. Minero
Chapter

Abstract

The mid-Cretaceous El Abra Formation was studied along the eastern margin of the Valles—San Luis Potosi (SLP) platform to determine (1) environments and processes of platform-margin sedimentation, and (2) the diagenetic sequence and mechanisms of porosity evolution in carbonates subjected to extensive early diagenesis, including subaerial exposure and development of microkarst. Syndepositional, late eogenetic, and telogenetic episodes of karst formation are present.

Eight lithofacies are recognized from textural and faunal attributes and sedimentary structures. Platform-lagoon lithofacies include peloid-miliolid, requienid, and bioclastic limestones. Lime mudstone, laminated lime grainstone, cryptalgal laminites, and fenestral limestone record tidal-flat environments. Perireefal islands consisted of storm-deposited rudistid-skeletal limestones cemented by calcrete.

Numerous subaerial discontinuity surfaces marked by microkarst, calcrete, and penecontemporaneous dolomite horizons provide correlation surfaces for identification of laterally equivalent depositional environments. Islands graded bankward through a mosaic of coalescing tidal flats into the platform lagoon. Whereas islands persisted through time, tidal flats were episodically submerged during rapid relative rises in sealevel of less than 10 m net magnitude. Subsequently, tidal flats prograded into the platform lagoon, resulting in asymmetric, shoaling-upward sequences separated by subaerial discontinuity surfaces.

Early diagenetic environments on tidal flats were ephemeral; but comparable environments were recreated at comparable stages of each depositional cycle. Extensive penecontemporaneous meteoric diagenesis occurred as a consequence of enduring exposure of islands and repeated exposure of tidal flats. Dissolution below microkarst surfaces, calcrete formation, and mineralogic stabilization rapidly transformed the sediment to limestone. Upon submergence, marine cementation by radiaxial fibrous Mg-calcite and internal sedimentation were important porosity-reducing processes, further lithifying the limestone and precluding compaction.

The Valles—SLP platform was locally exposed and subjected to a second episode of karst development during latest Turonian to Santonian time. Major porosity occlusion by meteoric calcite cement occurred at this time. Limited burial diagenesis included precipitation of saddle dolomite, stylolitization, and fracturing during the Laramide Orogeny. Uplift and erosion during the Cenozoic resulted in a third episode of karst development, evident in the present landscape as subsurface drainage.

Keywords

Tidal Flat Subaerial Exposure Platform Margin Bioclastic Limestone Internal Sediment 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Aguayo, J.E., 1978, Sedimentary environments and diagenesis of a Cretaceous reef complex, eastern Mexico: An. Centro Cienc. del Mar y Limnol., Univ. Nal. Auton. Mexico, v. 5, p. 83–140.Google Scholar
  2. Brand, U., Veizer, J., 1980, Chemical diagenesis of a multicomponent carbonate system—1: trace elements: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 50, p. 1219–1236.Google Scholar
  3. Dodd, J.R., Siemers, C.T., 1971, Effect of Late Pleistocene karst topography on Holocene sedimentation and biota, lower Florida Keys: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 82, p. 211–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Dunham, R.J., 1969, Early vadose silt in Townsend Mound (Reef), New Mexico: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Spec. Pub. 14, p. 139–181.Google Scholar
  5. Dunham, R.J., 1971, Meniscus cement, in Bricker, O.P., ed., Carbonate cements: Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, p. 297–300.Google Scholar
  6. Ebanks, W.J., 1975, Holocene carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis, Ambergris Cay, Belize: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Studies in Geology 2, p. 234–296.Google Scholar
  7. Enos, Paul, 1974, Reefs, platforms, and basins of middle Cretaceous of northeast Mexico: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 58, p. 800–809.Google Scholar
  8. Enos, Paul, 1983, Introduction, in Minero, C.J., Enos, P., Aguayo, J.E., Sedimentation and diagenesis of mid-Cretaceous platform margin, east-central Mexico, Dallas Geological Society, p. 1–19.Google Scholar
  9. Enos, Paul, 1986, Diagenesis of mid-Cretaceous rudist reefs, Valles Platform, Mexico, in Purser, B.H., Schroeder, J.H., eds., Reef diagenesis: Berlin, Springer-Verlag, p. 160–185.Google Scholar
  10. Enos, Paul, Freeman, T., 1978, Shallow-water limestones from the Blake Nose, sites 390 and 392: Initial Reports of D.S.D.P., v. 44, p. 413–461.Google Scholar
  11. Enos, Paul, Perkins, R.D., 1979, Evolution of Florida Bay from island stratigraphy: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 90, p. 59–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Esteban, M., Klappa, C.F., 1983, Subaerial exposure environment, in Carbonate depositional environments: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Memoir 33, p. 1–54.Google Scholar
  13. Fish, J.E., Ford, D.C., 1973, Karst geomorphology and hydrology of the Sierra de El Abra, S.L.P., Tamps., Mexico: Proc. 6th Intl. Congress of Speleology (Prague), v. 2, p. 151–156.Google Scholar
  14. Füchtbauer, H., Hardie, L.A., 1976, Experimentally determined homogeneous distribution coefficients for precipitated magnesian calcites: applications to marine carbonate cements: Geol. Soc. Amer. Abs. Prog., v. 8, p. 877.Google Scholar
  15. Graf, D.L., Goldsmith, J.R., 1956, Some hydrothermal syntheses of dolomite and protodolomite: Jour. Geology, v. 64, p. 173–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Hardie, L.A., Ginsburg, R.N., 1977, Layering—the origin and environmental significance of lamination and thin bedding, in Hardie, L.A., ed., Sedimentation on the modern carbonate tidal flats of northwest Andros Island, Bahamas: Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, p. 50–123.Google Scholar
  17. Harmon, R.S., 1971, Preliminary results on the groundwater geochemistry of the Sierra de El Abra region, north-central Mexico, Nat. Speleological Soc. Bull., v. 33, p. 73–85.Google Scholar
  18. Harrison, R.S., 1977, Caliche profiles: indicators of near-surface subaerial diagenesis, Barbados, West Indies: Bull. Can. Petroleum Geology, v. 25, p. 123–173.Google Scholar
  19. Jennings, J.N., 1971, Karst: Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 252 p.Google Scholar
  20. Kendall, A.C., 1985, Radiaxial fibrous calcite: a reappraisal: carbonate cements: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Spec. Pub. 36, p. 59–77.Google Scholar
  21. Kennedy, W.J., 1975, Trace fossils in carbonate rocks, in Frey, R.W., ed., The study of trace fossils: New York, Springer-Verlag, p. 377–398.Google Scholar
  22. Land, L.S., 1973, Holocene meteoric dolomitization of Pleistocene limestones, North Jamaica: Sedimentology, v. 20, p. 411–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Lindholm, R.C., Finkelmann, R.B., 1972, Calcite staining: semiquantitative determination of ferrous iron: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 42, p. 239–242.Google Scholar
  24. Lohmann, K.C., Meyers, W.J., 1977, Micro-dolomite inclusions in cloudy prismatic calcites: a proposed criterion for former high-magnesium calcites: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 47, p. 1078–1088.Google Scholar
  25. Matthews, R.K., 1974, A process approach to diagenesis of reefs and reef associated limestones: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Spec. Pub. 18, p. 234–256.Google Scholar
  26. McKee, E.D., 1959, Storm sedimentation on a Pacific atoll: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 29, p. 354–364.Google Scholar
  27. Michard, C.R., 1968, Coprecipitation de l’ion manganeux avec le carbonate de calcium: Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. D., v. 269, p. 1685–1688.Google Scholar
  28. Minero, C.J., 1983a, Sedimentary environments and diagenesis of the El Abra Formation (Cretaceous), Mexico: Unpubl. Ph.D. thesis, SUNY Binghamton, 367 p.Google Scholar
  29. Minero, C.J., 1983b, Back-reef facies, El Abra Formation, in Minero, C.J., Enos, P., Aguayo, J.E., Sedimentation and diagenesis of mid-Cretaceous platform margin, east-central Mexico: Dallas Geological Society, p. 32–52.Google Scholar
  30. Müller, G., 1971, “Gravitational” cement: an indicator for the vadose zone of the subaerial diage- netic environment, in Bricker, O.P., ed., Carbonate cements: Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, p. 301–302.Google Scholar
  31. Multer, H.G., Hoffmeister, J.E., 1968, Subaerial laminated crust of the Florida Keys: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 79, p. 183–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Nelson, R.A., 1981, Significance of fracture sets associated with stylolite zones: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 65, p. 2417–2425.Google Scholar
  33. Perkins, R.D., 1977, Depositional framework of Pleistocene rocks in south Florida: Geol. Soc. America Memoir 147, p. 131–198.Google Scholar
  34. Pingitore, N.E., 1978, The behavior of Zn2+ and Mn2+ during carbonate diagenesis: theory and applications: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 48, p. 799–814.Google Scholar
  35. Plummer, L.N., 1975, Mixing of sea water with calcium carbonate ground water: Geol. Soc. America Memoir 142, p. 219–238.Google Scholar
  36. Read, J.F., 1974, Calcrete deposits and Quaternary sediments, Edel province, Shark Bay, western Australia: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Memoir 22, p. 250–282.Google Scholar
  37. Richter, D.K., Füchtbauer, H., 1978, Ferroan calcite replacement indicates former magnesian calcite skeletons: Sedimentology, v. 25, p. 843–860.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Richter, D.K., Zinkernagel, U., 1981, Zur anwendung der katodolumiszenz in der karbonat- petrographie: Geol. Rundschau, Bd. 70, p. 1276–1302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Shinn, E.A., 1968, Selective dolomitization of recent sedimentary structures: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 38, p. 612–615.Google Scholar
  40. Shinn, E.A., Ginsburg, R.N., Lloyd, R.M., 1965, Recent supratidal dolomite from Andros Island, Bahamas: Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Spec. Pub. 13, p. 112–123.Google Scholar
  41. Shinn, E.A., Lloyd, R.M., Ginsburg, R.N., 1969, Anatomy of a modern carbonate tidal flat, Andros Island, Bahamas: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 39, p. 1202–1228.Google Scholar
  42. Skougstad, M.W., Horr, C.A., 1963, Occurrence and distribution of strontium in natural water: U.S. Geol. Survey Water Supply Paper 1496-D, p. 55–97.Google Scholar
  43. Stoddart, D.R., Steers, J.A., 1977, The nature and origin of coral reef islands, in Jones, O.A., Endean, R., eds., Biology and geology of coral reefs: New York, Academic Press, v. 4, p. 59–105.Google Scholar
  44. Sweeting, M.M., 1973, Karst landforms: New York, Columbia Univ. Press, 362 p.Google Scholar
  45. Walkden, G.M., 1974, Paleokarstic surfaces in Upper Visean (Carboniferous) limestones of the Derbyshire Block, England: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 44, p. 1232–1247.Google Scholar
  46. White, D.E., Hem, J.D., Waring, G.A., 1963, Chemical composition of subsurface waters: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 440-F, 67 p.Google Scholar
  47. Woo, K.S., Sandberg, P.A., Anderson, T.F., 1985, Radiaxial fibrous calcite in mid-Cretaceous rudist limestones, Geol. Soc. America Abstracts with Programs, v. 17, p. 754.Google Scholar
  48. Wright, V.P., 1982, The recognition and interpretation of paleokarst: two examples from the Lower Carboniferous of South Wales: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 52, p. 83–94.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1988

Authors and Affiliations

  • Charles J. Minero

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations