Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes
Widespread deposition of pelagic-hemipelagic sediments provide an archive for the Late Cretaceous greenhouse that triggered sea level oscillations. Global distribution of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) exhibited a comparable pattern to the eustatic sea level, and thus, considered reliable indicato...
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/12/1099 |
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| author | Ahmed Mansour Thomas Gentzis Michael Wagreich Sameh S. Tahoun Ashraf M.T. Elewa |
| author_facet | Ahmed Mansour Thomas Gentzis Michael Wagreich Sameh S. Tahoun Ashraf M.T. Elewa |
| author_sort | Ahmed Mansour |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Widespread deposition of pelagic-hemipelagic sediments provide an archive for the Late Cretaceous greenhouse that triggered sea level oscillations. Global distribution of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) exhibited a comparable pattern to the eustatic sea level, and thus, considered reliable indicators for sea level and sequence stratigraphic reconstructions. Highly diverse assemblage of marine palynomorphs along with elemental proxies that relate to carbonates and siliciclastics and bulk carbonate δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O from the Upper Cretaceous Abu Roash A Member were used to reconstruct short-term sea level oscillations in the Abu Gharadig Basin, southern Tethys. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between various palynological, elemental, and isotope geochemistry parameters and their response to sea level changes and examined the link between these sea level changes and Late Cretaceous climate. This multiproxy approach revealed that a long-term sea-level rise, interrupted by minor short-term fall, was prevalent during the Coniacian-earliest Campanian in the southern Tethys, which allowed to divide the studied succession into four complete and two incomplete 3<sup>rd</sup> order transgressive-regressive sequences. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of bulk hemipelagic carbonates were calibrated with gonyaulacoids and freshwater algae (FWA)-pteridophyte spores and results showed that positive δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub> trends were consistent, in part, with excess gonyaulacoid dinocysts and reduced FWA-spores, reinforcing a rising sea level and vice versa. A reverse pattern was shown between the δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>carb</sub> and gonyaulacoid dinocysts, where negative δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>carb</sub> trends were slightly consistent with enhanced gonyaulacoid content, indicating a rising sea level and vice versa. However, stable isotope trends were not in agreement with palynological calibrations at some intervals. Therefore, the isotope records can be used as reliable indicators for reconstructing changes in long-term sea level rather than short-term oscillations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:15:13Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:15:13Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-0db7d745178747ff9328e6b9dca460da2023-11-20T23:48:10ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2020-12-011012109910.3390/min10121099Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable IsotopesAhmed Mansour0Thomas Gentzis1Michael Wagreich2Sameh S. Tahoun3Ashraf M.T. Elewa4Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minia 61519, EgyptCore Laboratories LP, 6316 Windfern Road, Houston, TX 77040, USADepartment of Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, EgyptGeology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minia 61519, EgyptWidespread deposition of pelagic-hemipelagic sediments provide an archive for the Late Cretaceous greenhouse that triggered sea level oscillations. Global distribution of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) exhibited a comparable pattern to the eustatic sea level, and thus, considered reliable indicators for sea level and sequence stratigraphic reconstructions. Highly diverse assemblage of marine palynomorphs along with elemental proxies that relate to carbonates and siliciclastics and bulk carbonate δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O from the Upper Cretaceous Abu Roash A Member were used to reconstruct short-term sea level oscillations in the Abu Gharadig Basin, southern Tethys. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between various palynological, elemental, and isotope geochemistry parameters and their response to sea level changes and examined the link between these sea level changes and Late Cretaceous climate. This multiproxy approach revealed that a long-term sea-level rise, interrupted by minor short-term fall, was prevalent during the Coniacian-earliest Campanian in the southern Tethys, which allowed to divide the studied succession into four complete and two incomplete 3<sup>rd</sup> order transgressive-regressive sequences. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of bulk hemipelagic carbonates were calibrated with gonyaulacoids and freshwater algae (FWA)-pteridophyte spores and results showed that positive δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub> trends were consistent, in part, with excess gonyaulacoid dinocysts and reduced FWA-spores, reinforcing a rising sea level and vice versa. A reverse pattern was shown between the δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>carb</sub> and gonyaulacoid dinocysts, where negative δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>carb</sub> trends were slightly consistent with enhanced gonyaulacoid content, indicating a rising sea level and vice versa. However, stable isotope trends were not in agreement with palynological calibrations at some intervals. Therefore, the isotope records can be used as reliable indicators for reconstructing changes in long-term sea level rather than short-term oscillations.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/12/1099sequence palynologydinoflagellate cystsgonyaulacoid dinocystsstable carbon and oxygen isotopesmajor and trace elementssouthern Tethys |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed Mansour Thomas Gentzis Michael Wagreich Sameh S. Tahoun Ashraf M.T. Elewa Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes Minerals sequence palynology dinoflagellate cysts gonyaulacoid dinocysts stable carbon and oxygen isotopes major and trace elements southern Tethys |
| title | Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes |
| title_full | Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes |
| title_fullStr | Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes |
| title_short | Short-Term Sea Level Changes of the Upper Cretaceous Carbonates: Calibration between Palynomorphs Composition, Inorganic Geochemistry, and Stable Isotopes |
| title_sort | short term sea level changes of the upper cretaceous carbonates calibration between palynomorphs composition inorganic geochemistry and stable isotopes |
| topic | sequence palynology dinoflagellate cysts gonyaulacoid dinocysts stable carbon and oxygen isotopes major and trace elements southern Tethys |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/12/1099 |
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