Non-tropical carbonates related to rocky submarine cliffs (Miocene, Almeria, southern Spain)

Upper Miocene deposits in the Cabo de Gata region (SE Spain) provide a unique opportunity to study cliff-related temperate carbonates, a poorly known type of fossil non-tropical carbonates. The studied submarine cliffs lie on the western flank of the Monte Ricardillo volcanic dome. Two main biocenoses colonised the cliff walls: vertical and subvertical walls were either overgrown by vermetid gastropods, forming a vermetid framestone, or colonised by robust branching bryozoans, which were reworked post-mortem and accumulated as aprons at the foot of the submarine cliffs. Coralline algae in the vermetid build-up indicate palaeodepths below 15-20 m. Depressions in front of the cliffs were occupied by nodular bryozoans and bivalves. Within these depressions, barnacles settled on secondary hard substrates. With progressive flooding of the depositional area, substrate relief was filled in and a carbonate ramp with facies belts following the palaeobathymetric gradient evolved. A delicate branching bryozoan facies occurs in the proximal part of the ramp and a nodular bryozoan-bivalve facies in its middle part. Distally, these deposits give way to a coralline algal facies. These results provide a first insight into temperate-water carbonates related to rocky submarine cliffs. This work also reveals a major control of substrate relief on temperate carbonate facies and biofacies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.