Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico

This contribution describes and discusses the development of the Isla Coronados Pleistocene coastal deposits. The south side of the 700,000–160,000 year-old volcanic cone on Isla Coronados (Baja California Sur, Mexico) forms a shelf that converges on older Miocene andesite from the Comondú Group. L...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J Ledesma-Vazquez, ME Johnson, DH Backus, C Mirabal-Davila
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Autónoma de Baja California 2007-12-01
Series:Ciencias Marinas
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cienciasmarinas.com.mx/index.php/cmarinas/article/view/1108
_version_ 1797279461144526848
author J Ledesma-Vazquez
ME Johnson
DH Backus
C Mirabal-Davila
author_facet J Ledesma-Vazquez
ME Johnson
DH Backus
C Mirabal-Davila
author_sort J Ledesma-Vazquez
collection DOAJ
description This contribution describes and discusses the development of the Isla Coronados Pleistocene coastal deposits. The south side of the 700,000–160,000 year-old volcanic cone on Isla Coronados (Baja California Sur, Mexico) forms a shelf that converges on older Miocene andesite from the Comondú Group. Later Pleistocene carbonates accumulated on and around the antecedent topography as related by stratigraphic sections strategically located with respect to small andesite islets that formed a fixed barrier along the outer margin of a large lagoon at the foot of the volcano. Distinct facies show the progressive foundering on the island and the infilling of the lagoon about 121,000 years ago during events correlated with marine isotope substage 5e. On the seaward side of the barrier, a basal conglomerate of andesite boulders and cobbles grades into limestone with a diverse shelly fauna and whole rhodoliths in a matrix of rhodolith sand. Similar limestone is found on the lagoon side of the barrier, but features the bivalve Pina corteziana from a sheltered environment. Other facies are represented by populations of the coral Porites panamensis at different levels of growth and integration. Biocalcarenite derived from the debris of crushed rhodoliths occurs as the most extensive facies in terms of area and thickness. Sheeted layers that dip 20º off the top of the islets toward the volcano are regarded as washover deposits typical of barrier systems. A cobble pavement, interpreted as a ravinement surface, marks a widespread unconformity at the top of the biocalcarenite. This surface was the foundation for a short-lived rocky-shore biota in transition to dense growth of branching P. panamensis. The sequence ends with a thin marine terrace deposit that buried the coral thickets at the present 12-m level. 
first_indexed 2024-03-07T16:25:41Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5cef317f9b6d49258f362294a313f558
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0185-3880
2395-9053
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T16:25:41Z
publishDate 2007-12-01
publisher Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
record_format Article
series Ciencias Marinas
spelling doaj.art-5cef317f9b6d49258f362294a313f5582024-03-03T18:18:14ZengUniversidad Autónoma de Baja CaliforniaCiencias Marinas0185-38802395-90532007-12-0133410.7773/cm.v33i4.1108Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, MexicoJ Ledesma-Vazquez0ME Johnson1DH Backus2C Mirabal-Davila3Universidad Autónoma de Baja CaliforniaWilliams CollegeWilliams CollegeUniversidad Autónoma de Baja California This contribution describes and discusses the development of the Isla Coronados Pleistocene coastal deposits. The south side of the 700,000–160,000 year-old volcanic cone on Isla Coronados (Baja California Sur, Mexico) forms a shelf that converges on older Miocene andesite from the Comondú Group. Later Pleistocene carbonates accumulated on and around the antecedent topography as related by stratigraphic sections strategically located with respect to small andesite islets that formed a fixed barrier along the outer margin of a large lagoon at the foot of the volcano. Distinct facies show the progressive foundering on the island and the infilling of the lagoon about 121,000 years ago during events correlated with marine isotope substage 5e. On the seaward side of the barrier, a basal conglomerate of andesite boulders and cobbles grades into limestone with a diverse shelly fauna and whole rhodoliths in a matrix of rhodolith sand. Similar limestone is found on the lagoon side of the barrier, but features the bivalve Pina corteziana from a sheltered environment. Other facies are represented by populations of the coral Porites panamensis at different levels of growth and integration. Biocalcarenite derived from the debris of crushed rhodoliths occurs as the most extensive facies in terms of area and thickness. Sheeted layers that dip 20º off the top of the islets toward the volcano are regarded as washover deposits typical of barrier systems. A cobble pavement, interpreted as a ravinement surface, marks a widespread unconformity at the top of the biocalcarenite. This surface was the foundation for a short-lived rocky-shore biota in transition to dense growth of branching P. panamensis. The sequence ends with a thin marine terrace deposit that buried the coral thickets at the present 12-m level.  https://www.cienciasmarinas.com.mx/index.php/cmarinas/article/view/1108barrier-island systemPleistocenetransgressiveoverwash fan
spellingShingle J Ledesma-Vazquez
ME Johnson
DH Backus
C Mirabal-Davila
Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Ciencias Marinas
barrier-island system
Pleistocene
transgressive
overwash fan
title Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
title_full Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
title_fullStr Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
title_short Coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on Isla Coronados, Baja California Sur, Mexico
title_sort coastal evolution from transgressive barrier deposit to marine terrace on isla coronados baja california sur mexico
topic barrier-island system
Pleistocene
transgressive
overwash fan
url https://www.cienciasmarinas.com.mx/index.php/cmarinas/article/view/1108
work_keys_str_mv AT jledesmavazquez coastalevolutionfromtransgressivebarrierdeposittomarineterraceonislacoronadosbajacaliforniasurmexico
AT mejohnson coastalevolutionfromtransgressivebarrierdeposittomarineterraceonislacoronadosbajacaliforniasurmexico
AT dhbackus coastalevolutionfromtransgressivebarrierdeposittomarineterraceonislacoronadosbajacaliforniasurmexico
AT cmirabaldavila coastalevolutionfromtransgressivebarrierdeposittomarineterraceonislacoronadosbajacaliforniasurmexico