Depositional facies and stratal geometry of an Upper Carboniferous prograding and aggrading high-relief carbonate platform (Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Seismic-scale continuous exposures of an Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian–Moscovian) carbonate platform (N Spain) provide detailed information about the lithofacies and stratal geometries (quantified with differential global positioning system measurements) of microbial boundstone-dominated, steep prograding and aggrading platform margins. Progradational and aggradational platform-to-slope transects are characterized by distinct lithological features and stratal patterns that can be applied to the understanding of geometrically comparable, high-relief depositional systems. The Bashkirian is characterized by rapid progradation at rates of 415–970 m My)1. Characteristic outerplatform facies are high-energy grainstones with coated intraclasts, ooids and pisoids, moderate-energy algal-skeletal grainstones to packstones and lower energy algal packstone and boundstone units. The Moscovian aggradational phase is characterized by aggradation rates of 108 m My)1. Coated-grain shoals are less common, whereas crinoidal bars nucleated in well-circulated settings below wave-base. Boundstones form a belt (30–300 m wide) at the platform break and interfinger inwards with massive algal-skeletal wackestones (mud-rich banks). The progradational phase has divergent outer-platform strata with basinward dips of 12 to 2. Steep clinoforms with dips of 20–28 are 650–750 m in relief and possibly sigmoidal to concave in the lower part. The basinward-dipping outer-platform strata might be depositional for less than 6, consistent with lithofacies deepening seaward. The basinward dip is attributed to the downward shift of upperslope boundstone, forced by late highstand and relative sea-level fall, and to compaction-induced differential subsidence during progradation. The aggradational phase is characterized by horizontally layered platform strata. Clinoforms steepen to 30–45 reaching heights of 850 m and are planar to concave. The evolution from progradation to aggradation, at the Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary, is attributed to increased foreland-basin subsidence and decreased boundstone accumulation rates. Progradation was primarily controlled by boundstone growth rather than by highstand shedding from the platform top. Within the major phases, aggradational–progradational increments are produced by third- to fourth-order relative sea-level fluctuations.