%0 Journal Article
%A Benito Moreno, María Isabel
%A Mas Mayoral, José Ramón
%T Sedimentary evolution of the Torrecilla Reef Complex in response to tectonically forced regression (Early Kimmeridgian, Northern Spain)
%D 2006
%@ 0037-0738
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/118455
%X The early Kimmeridgian Torrecilla Reef Complex in the northern Iberian Basin of Spain consists of a fringing reef composed of eight accretionary units. The first four were deposited along a steep margin. They display down-lapping and off-lapping geometries, and are characterised by poor reef-framework development, large volumes of reworked corals and transported sediment, and limited growth of micro-encrusters. In contrast, deposition of the fifth and younger accretionary units occurred on a shallow platform without a pronounced slope where coral reefs grew in a shallow protected environment. The main features of these reefs are an absence of reef-slope facies, a high proportion of preserved framework elements, relatively low volumes of intra-reef sediment, high proportions of terrigenous material, and abundant micro-encrusters and microbialites. These reefs were protected from storm waves by long-shore sand bars, which also protected a very shallow lagoon during the last stage of sedimentation.The early Kimmeridgian was a period of rising global sea level, a trend apparent across other portions of the Iberian Basin. However, geometry and sedimentary evolution of the Torrecilla Reef Complex is consistent with those of off-lapping reefs that develop during sea-level fall. Thus, we conclude that down-stepping geometries and evolution to progressively shallower environments within the Torrecilla Reef Complex occurred as a result of a tectonically forced regression.
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