Reef Diagenesis Edited by J. H. Schroeder and B. H. Purser With 187 Figures Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York London Paris Tokyo Professor JOHANNES H. SCHROEDER Ph.D. George Washington University, Washington Technische Universitat Berlin Institut fur Geologie und Palaontologie HardenbergstraBe 42 1000 Berlin 12, FR Germany Professor Dr. BRUCE H. PURSER Laboratoire de Petrologie Sedimentaire et Paleontologie Universite Paris-Sud Orsay Batiment 504 91405 Orsay Cedex, France Cover illustration. Zoned sparry calcite cement in Miocene corals from Khor Eit, NE Sudan (Cathodoluminescence microphotograph Schroeder/ Zinkernagel). Inner front cover. Left: Marine aragonite needle cement in Recent algal cup reefs, Bermuda (SEM Schroeder). Right: Calcified algal filament and mi crite, both high Mg calcite, with aragonite needle cement, all marine; Recent algal cup reefs, Bermuda (SEM Schroeder). Inner end cover. Left: Marine aragonite needle cement in subaerially ex posed boulders from Pleistocene algal reefs, Bermuda (SEM Schroeder). Right: Low Mg calcite microsparite on aragonite substrate in dead Holo cene corals, Poe Beach, New Caledonia (SEM Aissaoui). ISBN-13:978-3-642-82814-0 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-82812-6 DOl: 10.1007/978-3-642-82812-6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Reef diagenesis. Includes index. I. Dia genesis. 2. Reefs. 3. Sedimentation and deposition. I. Schroeder, Johannes H., 1939-. II. Purser, B. H. QE571.R39 1986 551.4'24 86-15604. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the ma terial is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broad casting, reproduction by photocopying machine or similar means, and storage in data banks. Under § 54 of the German Copyright Law where copies are made for other than private use a fee is payable to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort", Munich. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1986 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1986 The use of registered names, trademarks etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Typesetting: Fotosatz GmbH, Beerfelden 2132/3130-543210 Contents Reef Diagenesis: Introduction J.H. SCHROEDERandB.H. PURSER...................... 1 I Cenozoic Reefs Regional Distribution of Submarine Cements Within an Epicontinental Reef System: Central Great Barrier Reef, Australia J.F. MARSHALL(With 9 Figures) .................... ..... 8 Model of Reef Diagenesis: Mururoa Atoll, French Polynesia D. M. AISSAOUI, D. BUIGUES, and B. H. PURSER (With 12 Figures) ...................................... 27 The Primary Surface Area of Corals and Variations in Their Susceptibility to Diagenesis B. R. CONSTANTZ (With 8 Figures) ....................... 53 Variation in Diagenetic Sequences: An Example from Pleistocene Coral Reefs, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia W.-C. DULLO(With 7 Figures) .... ....................... 77 Internal Hydrology and Geochemistry of Coral Reefs and Atoll Islands: Key to Diagenetic Variations R. W. BUDDEMEIERand J.A. OBERDORFERI (With 9 Figures) ....................................... 91 Diagenesis of a Miocene Reef-Platform: Jebel Abu Shaar, Gulf of Suez, Egypt D. M. AISSAOUI, M. CONIGLIO, N. P. JAMES, and B.H. PURSER (With 10 Figures) .......................... 112 Diagenetic Diversity in Paleocene Coral Knobs from the Bir Abu EI-Husein Area, S Egypt J. H. SCHROEDER (With 9 Figures) ....................... 132 VI Contents II Mesozoic Reefs Diagenesis of Mid-Cretaceous Rudist Reefs, Valles Platform, Mexico P. ENOS (With 8 Figures) ............................... 160 A Comparative Study of the Diagenesis in Diapir-Influenced Reef Atolls and a Fault Block Reef Platform in the Late Albian of the Vasco-Cantabrian Basin (Northern Spain) J. REITNER(With 8 Figures) ............................. 186 Micrite Diagenesis in Senonian Rudist Build-ups in Central Tunisia A. M'RABET, M. H. NEGRA, B. H. PURSER, S. SASSI, and N. BEN A YED (With 8 Figures) ........................... 210 Diagenesis of Upper Jurassic Sponge-Algal Reefs in SW Germany R. KOCH and M. SCHORR (With 11 Figures) ....... . . . . . . . .. 224 Diagenesis of Upper Triassic Wetterstein Reefs of the Bavarian Alps R. HENRICH and H. ZANKL (With 9 Figures) ............... 245 III Paleozoic Reefs The Upper Permian Reef Complex (EZ 1) of North East England: Diagenesis in a Marine to Evaporitic Setting M.E. TUCKER and N. T.J. HOLLINGWORTH (With 12 Figures) 270 Diagenesis of Aragonitic Sponges from Permian Patch Reefs of Southern Tunisia M. SCHERER (With 8 Figures) . .... . . ...... . . ... ..... . . ... 291 Facies Relationships and Diagenesis in Waulsortian Mudmounds from the Lower Carboniferous of Ireland and N. England J. MILLER (With 10 Figures) .................... ......... 311 Early Lithification, Dolomitization, and Anhydritization of Upper Devonian Nisku Buildups, Subsurface of Alberta, Canada H.-G. MACHEL(With 14 Figures) ........................ 336 Marine Diagenesis in Devonian Reef Complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia C. KERANS, N.F. HURLEY, and P. E. PLAYFORD (With 13 Figures) ...................................... 357 Contents VII Diagenetic History of the Union 8 Pinnacle Reef (Middle Silurian), Northern Michigan, USA K.R. CERCONE and K. C. LOHMANN (With 10 Figures) 381 Diagenesis of Silurian Bioherms in the Klinteberg Formation, Gotland, Sweden P. FRYKMAN(With 8 Figures) . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 399 Conclusions The Diagenesis of Reefs: A Brief Review of Our Present Understanding B. H. PURSER and J. H. SCHROEDER (With 4 Figures) ....... 424 Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 447 List of Contributors You will find the addresses at the beginning of the respective contribution Aissaoui, D.M. 27, 112 Machel, H.-G. 336 Ben Ayed, N. 210 Marshall, J. F. 8 Buddemeier, R. W. 91 Miller, J. 311 Buigues, D. 27 M'Rabet, A. 210 Cercone, K. R. 381 Negra, M. H. 210 Coniglio, M. 112 Oberdorfer, J. A. 91 Constantz, B. R. 53 Playford, P. E. 357 Dullo, W.-C. 77 Purser, B.H. 1,27, 112, Enos, P. 160 210,424 Frykman, P. 399 Reitner, J. 186 Henrich, R. 245 Sassi, S. 210 Hollingworth, N. T. J. 270 Scherer, M. 291 Hurley, N.F. 357 Schorr, M. 224 James, N.P. 112 Schroeder, J.H. 1,132, Kerans, C. 357 424 Koch, R. 224 Tucker, M.E. 270 Lohmann, K.C. 381 Zankl, H. 245 Reef Diagenesis: Introduction J. H. SCHROEDER1 and B. H. PURSER2 1 Introduction A symposium convened during the Vth International Coral Reef Congress in Papeete, Tahiti, 1985, encouraged the editors to assemble this volume of case studies by participating and, especially, by nonparticipating scientists. An attempt was made to include case studies from various regions and geological periods, carried out on various scales from regional to ultrastructural. We hope to present an overall view of reef diagenesis. Although the volume focuses on reef diagenesis, fields also to be considered are biology, paleontology, and sedimentary facies distribution, as they provide the context and, to some extent, encompass the determinants of diagenetic processes. The scope has been limited to reef diagenesis because we feel that reefs have relatively clearly defined geometries, which facilitate the evaluation of diagenetic trends and the definition of diagenetic models. On the other hand, their many different components make reefs somewhat more complex than other deposits, and this creates difficulties in deciphering diagenetic histories; the study of reefs, therefore, is not the simplest manner of solving the many problems relating to carbonate diagenesis. An additional reason for evaluating reef diagenesis is the reservoir potential of these carbonate bodies. To illustrate the point, in the recent collection of 35 case studies of carbonate reservoirs (Roehl and Choquette 1985), reefs were involved in 15. The emphasis on porosity development in many studies of the present volume is therefore not of mere academic interest. Most scientists concerned with reef diagenesis probably aim at presenting the perfect example showing the three-dimensional distribution of diagenetic phenomena and porosity, from which a clear understanding of the successive diagenetic environments and processes can be derived. The "model" can then be applied to comparable cases. Although only few models are offered in this volume, each case study with its particular scope and scale is a step toward this ambitious goal. Therefore the sum of these contributions, rather than one single study, suggests possible directions and pertinent questions for future research. 1 Institut fiir Geologie und Palaontologie, Technische Universitat Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 42, 1000 Berlin 12, FRGermany 2 Laboratoire de Petrologie Sedimentaire et Paleontologie. Biitiment 504, Universite de Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France Reef Diagenesis Edited by J. H. Schroeder and B. H. Purser © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1986 2 J. H. Schroeder and B. H. Purser 2 Terminology, Concepts, and Historical Aspects In order to establish a minimal basis of communication, it may be useful to recall some general definitions, to refer to some general concepts, and to provide a brief historical perspective. 2.1 Reefs The AGI glossary (Bates and Jackson 1980) generally serves as a good starting point. Its definition of an "organic reef" reads: "A ridgelike or moundlike struc ture, layered or massive, built by sedentary calcareous organisms, esp. corals, and consisting mostly of their remains; it is wave-resistant and stands above the surrounding comtemporaneously deposited sediment". Many would debate one or the other point of this definition, and indeed, the literature includes many such discussions, which would certainly lead far beyond the scope of this introduction. As a next step toward the subject, beyond mere definition, two recent reviews of James (1983, 1984) provide convenient points of (re-)entry into the study of reefs; the first is broad and well illustrated, the second concise; both have many helpful references. From there, the way invariably leads back to neo-classical papers such as Heckel (1974), Ladd (1969), and Nelson et al. (1962). Even today a step back to the classics such as Walther (1888) involves more than a nostalgic scientific experience. A primary concern of many reef workers has been morphology and internal framework as well as type and function of frame builders. This approach pro vides a basis for many concepts and classifications reviewed by Heckel (1974). As the frame builders evolve through geological time, so the reefs vary in external morphology and internal structure. However, reefs exist in which no frame builders appear; Dunham (1970) called them "stratigraphic reefs" in order to distinguish them from "ecologic reefs" with frame builders. Another approach views reefs as one in a system of facies belts comprising a composite profile extending from coast to basin. Wilson (1975) defined the standard facies, among them the "organic reef of platform margin" whose "ecologic character varies in response to water energy, steepness of slope, organ ic productivity, amount of framework construction, binding or trapping, fre quency of subaerial exposure and consequent cementation". He distinguished three types, the downslope mud and debris accumulation, the knoll reef, and the frame-constructed reef rim. Within their respective facies context he traced them throughout geologic history. On a complementary note, Longman (1981) draws attention to the important relation between reef growth, sea-level fluctuation and subsidence. On a somewhat smaller scale, there is a third approach based essentially on the morphology of the individual reef body. Maxwell (1968) distinguished reef patterns based on shape, morphological zonation, and central topography which reflect the respective "hydrologic, bathymetric and biological balance". Reefs evolve from an "embryonic colony" through various patterns in response to Reef Diagenesis: Introduction 3 changes in this balance. In this context an important French contribution comes to mind which includes many excellent examples of physiographic! ecologic zona tions of reefs; a very useful reference, although not necessarily the most represen tative of this work, is the bi-lingual contribution to coral reef terminology (Clausade et al. 1971). A fourth approach, with roots in the work of Walther (1888) and of Ginsburg and Lowenstam (1958), focuses on the sedimentological processes involved (Schroeder and Zankl1974). Reefs are considered the result of successively effec tive reef-forming and reef-destroying processes: construction by various or ganisms, bioerosive and mechanical destruction, internal sedimentation, and cementation. In a given reef, or any portion thereof, the sequence of processes may be highly varied. Ultimately, all skeletal structures may be repla~ed by cemented internal sediment which fills successive borings of various bioerosive organisms. The processes involved are partly genetic and partly diagenetic. All four approaches are useful in the sedimentological and reservoir analysis of reefs, although on different scales; all provide an essential background for the study of reef diagenesis. 2.2 Diagenesis The definition of Bates and Jackson (1980) again serves as a starting point; for diagenesis it reads: "All the chemical, physical, and biological changes undergone by a sediment after its initial deposition, and during and after its lithification, exclusive of surficial alteration (weathering) and metamorphism". An important general review of the term and its use has been presented by Dunoyer de Segonzac (1968). Reef diagenesis is treated in two recent review papers by MacIntyre (1984) and Haley (1984). The former is concerned with preburial processes, both biological (encrustation, bioerosion, and soft tissue destruction) and geological (mechanical destruction and cementation). Halley (1984) deals with diagenetic alteration of original aragonite and high magnesium calcite by freshwater, brine, mixed water, deep-sea water, and subsurface water, and in some respects ex pands the process approach presented by Matthews (1974). Even this very brief summary of these reviews shows that in reef diagenesis, as in reef formation, one is faced with an interaction of physical, chemical, biological, and geological pro cesses. When tracing the history of research on reef diagenesis, one invariably turns to Cullis' (1904) outstanding study of the Funafuti cores with its wealth of observation: it remains essential reading for any student of reef diagenesis. One should not forget, however, that a number of valuable observations concerning living and raised reefs were collected long before Cullis, in the late nineteenth century (see Walther 1894 for review). Interest in the subject decreased at the beginning of our century, but rose again to considerable heights in the 1960's; this increase was preceded by a number of important individual studies, among them that of Newell (1955), who postulated submarine cementation for the Permian Guadelupe Reefs, and that of