Deep-water coral banks: an example from the “Calcare di Mendicino” (Upper Miocene, Northern Calabria, Italy) |
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Authors: | Adelaide Mastandrea Francesco Muto Claudio Neri Cesare A Papazzoni Edoardo Perri Franco Russo |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza);(2) Dipartimento Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, I-44100 Ferrara;(3) Dipartimento del Museo di Paleobiologia e Orto Botanico, via Università 4, I-41100 Modena |
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Abstract: | Summary The “Calcare di Mendicino” is a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic informal unit of Miocene (Late Tortonian-Early Messinian age),
that crops out extensively in the northwestern part of the Calabria. In the Scannelle quarry near Belsito (Cosenza), four
stratigraphic sections were studied to define the sedimentological and paleoecological setting. The carbonate body records
the development of a deep-water coral bank characterized by a low-diverse community of azooxanthellate scleractinian (Oculina andDendrophyllia) and stylasterine hydrozoans colonies. Two main stages of bioconstruction development can be distinguished: a thicket and
a bank stage. Among the biostromal dwellers the more common are bryozoans, echinoids, benthic foraminifers, gastropods, and
bivalves. A higher content of planktonic foraminifers occur in the thicket stage. The coral bank flourished within the aphotic
zone, with deep currents loaded with nutrients and siliciclastic sediments.
The upper part of the “Calcare di Mendicino” carbonate body has been affected by a pervasive dolomitization destroying almost
completely the sedimentary structures and the biofacies. The lower part, the main object of this paper, preserves the microfacies
but it experienced a widespread recrystallization obliterating the primary geochemical characteristics. The diagenetic history,
partly hidden, reveals three main stages: primary marine with isopachous fibrous cements, deep burial with cavities infilled
by sparry calcite, and meteoric-phreatic with dog-tooth cements. |
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Keywords: | Facies analysis deep-water coral bank Scleractinian corals Hydrozoans carbonate diagenesis Calabria (Italy) Miocene |
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