Elsevier

Sedimentary Geology

Volume 401, 15 May 2020, 105628
Sedimentary Geology

Sedimentary features influencing the occurrence and spatial variability of seismites (late Messinian, Gargano Promontory, southern Italy)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2020.105628Get rights and content

Abstract

Seventeen layers characterized by soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) were identified within the “calcari di Fiumicello”, an upper Messinian (Miocene) stratigraphic unit (30 m thick), cropping out in the northern sector of the Gargano Promontory (Apulia, southern Italy). Facies analysis was performed on the whole outcrop and detailed sedimentological investigations were carried out on the deformed beds, in order to interpret the deformation mechanism, the driving mechanism and the possible trigger agent. Deformed layers occur in some thin-bedded ooidal limestones, skeletal calcarenite, as well as in some pebble-size conglomerate, alternated with marls, deposited in a protected embayment or barrier-island-lagoon system, possibly characterized by high salinity, and tidal influx. SSDS can be classified as load- and slump/slide structures. The continuous exposures allow us to follow a single deformed layer along tens of meters, hence several types of lateral variations were observed that can be summarised as follows: (1) SSDS disappear within a few meters (with a decreasing pattern of their deformation or in an abrupt way); (2) deformed layers laterally change in thickness and morphology; and (3) a single deformed bed can laterally correspond to two deformed beds. Most of the soft sediment deformation features were identified as liquefaction and/or fluidization features related to seismic shocks (seismites). Seismites are often used as an indicator of seismic events, especially along small outcrops, trench excavation and core analysis. This study highlights the value of the sedimentological analysis for paleoseismic investigations, with the aim of improving criteria for identifying seismites in the sedimentary record, and their suitability as marker of seismic events.

Introduction

The recognition and interpretation of soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) is the object of many papers (e.g.; Montenat et al., 1993; Moretti et al., 2016; Owen et al., 2011; Talwani and Amick, 1995). Seismically-induced layers with SSDS (seismites, sensu Seilacher, 1969) gained wide attention in sedimentological, structural and paleoseismic studies. Seismites have been recognized in: (a) sedimentary successions of different age (from Holocene Schneiderhan et al., 2005- to Archean); (b) all sedimentary environments from alluvial deposits (Allen and Banks, 1986; Pisarska-Jamroży et al., 2019) to pelagic successions (Haczewski, 1996); (c) all geodynamic settings, e.g., passive continental margins (Bezerra and Vita-Finzi, 2000), foreland (Moretti, 2000) and intracratonic areas (Tuttle et al., 2002), rift systems (Hilbert-Wolf and Roberts, 2015; Rodríguez-López et al., 2007), foreland basins (Hilbert-Wolf et al., 2009), intra-montane (Mohindra and Bagati, 1996) and strike-slip settings (Onofrio et al., 2009). Despite modelling of SSDS triggered by shaking (Moretti et al., 2011; Owen, 1996b), the analysis and identification of seismically-induced SSDS in the sedimentary record is still an open field of investigation, especially in terms of criteria for distinguishing these features by other types of SSDS. In the attempt to interpret SSDS as seismites, several criteria are considered in the literature, and summarised as follows (Hilbert-Wolf et al., 2009; Jones and Omoto, 2000; Obermeier, 1996; Owen et al., 2011; Wheeler, 2002): (1) SSDS should be laterally continuous and interlayered by undeformed horizons, which allow the deformation to be clearly outlined; (2) SSDS are exposed with a vertical repetition; (3) ancient SSDS show morphological similarities with present-day earthquake-related liquefaction; (4) the sedimentary basin in which they occur is known to have been tectonically active; and (5) the distance from the earthquake epicentre influences the morphology or abundance of SSDS, due to the length of the liquefaction process. However, it is not always possible to apply these aforementioned criteria when specific geological conditions exist (Moretti and van Loon, 2014). For example, the lateral exposure of ancient seismically-induced SSDS could be limited by facies variation, and in particular by textural and water-saturation changes of the sediment bodies (Alfaro et al., 2010; Pisarska-Jamroży and Paweł, 2019). Historical and present-day earthquakes confirm that the distribution of surface manifestation of liquefaction is strongly controlled by the geometry of water-saturated sandy layers and by their susceptibility to liquefaction process (Civico et al., 2015; Giona Bucci et al., 2018; Tuttle, 2001).

The vertical repetition of seismically-induced SSDS is used to assess the recurrence time of seismic shocks (Sims, 1975). However, often total liquefaction/fluidization of a sandy layer may result in lack or absence of appreciable deformation features, unless a driving force system takes place during liquefaction (Owen, 1987). In other words, the use of liquefaction features as estimator of earthquake recurrence time can be restricted by the chance that each seismic event has to leave a recognizable trace in the sedimentary record. The same layer can be affected by seismic liquefaction during multiple events; and, overprinting of SSDS can also be triggered by a single earthquake. Therefore, in the case of recurrence time calculated using ancient seismites, some authors prefer to employ the definition of “apparent” recurrence period of paleo-earthquakes (Ezquerro et al., 2015, Ezquerro et al., 2016).

This contribution describes 17 individual SSDS layers in a 30 m-thick upper Messinian (late Miocene, from 7.2 to 5.3 Ma) succession called “calcari di Fiumicello” (Morsilli, 2005, Morsilli, 2016; Morsilli et al., 2017; Morsilli and Moretti, 2009), and deposited in a semi-enclosed, low-energy, shallow marine/lagoonal setting (Morsilli, 2016). The sedimentary succession is characterized by sediments susceptible to liquefaction and detectable syn-sedimentary tectonics, in lateral continuity out along some rail trenches in the northern sector of the Gargano Promontory (Apulia, southern Italy). This makes the exposure ideal for investigating seismites. The site has relative absence of autogenic triggers (“internal to the system”; Owen and Moretti, 2011), and it presents occurrences of easily recognizable driving-force systems (essentially unstable density gradients and gravitational body forces).

The case study presented in this paper allows identification and interpretation of SSDS, characterized by lateral changes in the pattern of deformation, thickness, number of deformed beds, and their lateral persistence. The detailed sedimentary description will be used to identify variations in the pre-deformation system such as primary sedimentological lateral changes in geometry and texture of the layers affected by SSDS. The cases study will also be utilized to identify different deformation mechanisms/sediment behavior/driving force features acting during deformation. The environmental significance of seismites and their lateral changes within a specific sedimentary setting will be discussed in light of allogenic and autogenic trigger mechanisms. Results from this investigation will also provide insights about active tectonics and seismic events during the late Messinian in the northern part of the Gargano area.

Section snippets

Geological setting

The Apulia Region and part of the Adriatic Sea represent the foreland of both the NE-verging southern Apennine and the SW-verging Dinarides-Albanides thrust belts. The Gargano Promontory represents the northern sector of the Apulian foreland, showing moderate to strong deformed zones, and forms a broad gentle WNW-ESE oriented regional anticline (Brankman and Aydin, 2004). The Gargano Promontory (Fig. 1) is part of the Apulia Carbonate Platform, a major paleogeographic element of the southern

Methods

Standard sedimentological analyses were carried out along the stratigraphic succession and three detailed logs (Fig. 2) have been measured to interpret the main facies. More than eighty samples have been taken to describe the microfacies observing washed residue of disaggregated material and thin sections. Micro-palaentological analyses (sampling and processing) were carried out on thirteen samples (Fig. 2, Fig. 3) collected from the marly-clayey levels cropping out at Trench 1 (8 samples),

The “calcari di Fiumicello” deposits

The “calcari di Fiumicello” unit is made up of an alternation of well-bedded fine-grained carbonate deposits, with marly limestones, marls, calcarenites and rare calcirudites (Fig. 3). Three main lithofacies have been recognized. The first lithofacies is represented by limestones, with a grainstone to packstone texture mostly made up by superficial ooids (mainly dissolved and sometimes recrystallized), and less abundant intraclasts and lithoclasts, arranged in 10 to 120 cm thick beds. This

Log Trench 1 (6 deformed units)

The deformed unit A is about 25 cm thick and comprises homogenised fine- to medium-grained calcarenite (Fig. 4A). Narrow upward-directed laminae occur close to the bottom of the unit. Small-scale pillows (2–5 cm in height and 7–8 cm in width) of fine-grained calcarenite appear in the midst of this layer (between about 10–15 cm from the bottom of the unit), often showing a teardrop shape (sensu Owen and Moretti, 2008). Pillows are characterized by regular concentric laminae parallel to the outer

Interpretation of deformation mechanisms and driving force system for SSDS

The mechanisms of deformation (sensu Owen, 1987) recorded by most SSDS in the “calcari di Fiumicello” formation are liquefaction and fluidization (viscous-fluid behaviour in load- and water-escape structures); some others show plastic and/or brittle behaviour (folds and breccia).

Load-structures are the most widespread SSDS in the analysed stratigraphic sections. They form in response to a driving force system (sensu Owen, 1987) related to an unstable density gradient (Rayleigh-Taylor

Conclusions

Seventeen SSDS layers were identified in the Calcari di Fiumicello unit, and twelve of these are inferred to be seismites. The recognition of seismites at this site suggests that the Gargano Promontory was affected by strong (Mw > 5.0) and recurrent earthquakes at the end of the Miocene. The co-occurrence of (i) syn-sedimentary faults within the analysed outcrops, (ii) literature indicating a main tectonic phase during the end of the Miocene in the Gargano Promontory, and (iii) the occurrence

Acknowledgments

The authors of this paper are grateful to the Editor Dr. Jasper Knight for his comments on the early drafts of the paper and to Dr.Gosia Pisarska-Jamrozy (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland) and Dr. Kari Bassett (Canterbury University, New Zealand) for their insightful revisions and comments for improving the readability of the paper.

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