sedimentology,sequencestratigraphy,andcyclostratigraphy（10页）.docVIP

Sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, and cyclostratigraphy of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary interval at Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Andrew J. Jeram Michael J. Simms Abstract. In this preliminary report, a continuous and expanded succession through the Triassic-Jurassic boundary near Larne, Northern Ireland is described. The mudrock-dominated succession was deposited in a distal basinal setting. Sequence stratigraphic analysis has identified 3rd order eustsatic cyclicity, with sequence boundaries at the base of the Westbury Formation (?early Rhaetian), at the top of the Lilstock Formation (latest Rhaetian), and near the top of the planorbis zone (Hettangian). The Cotham Member (Lilstock Formation) contains evidence of shoaling-up, brief emergence, and transgression, which is incompatible with the 3rd order cyclicity, and an underlying 2nd order deepening trend. It is proposed that this reflects a late Rhaetian regional tectonic uplift, and subsequent subsidence. 4th order eustatic cyclicity is evident in the upper half of the succession, and can be traced also in the lower half. The origin of asymmetry, and variation in frequency, of the 3rd and 4th order cycles is explained. We conclude that 3rd and 4th order eustatic cyclicity provides an additional tool for global correlation through the boundary interval. Introduction. At outcrop, the T-J boundary succession at Larne, Co. Antrim, is not obviously cyclical, consisting of a range of lithofacies with differing carbonate content, hue, and fossil content. However, during detailed logging of the succession, the regularity of bedding thickness in the upper half of the logged interval became apparent, and when data was plotted in the form of a graphic log (see poster, Fig. 1), the cyclical nature of the succession could be more clearly appreciated. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and origins of that cyclicity, in addition to describing and interpreting the sedimentolog