GeolCarp_Vol59_No6_525

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, DECEMBER 2008, 59, 6, 525—535

www.geologicacarpathica.sk

Introduction, geological setting and objectives

The  internal  zones  of  the  Betic-Rifian  Chain  (Fig. 1)  are
characterized  by  the  superimposition  of  several  basement
nappes,  belonging  to  the  Alboran  terranes  (Chalouan  et  al.
2001; Michard et al. 2002) and commonly re-grouped, from
the bottom to the top, into the Nevado-Filabrides Units (not
present in the Rif), Ghomaride/Malaguide, Sebtide/Alpujar-
ride Units (Morocco/Spain, respectively) and “Dorsale Cal-
caire”  Units  (so-called  in  the  Rifian  Chain  from  the  French
geological  literature  after  Fallot  1937),  which  were  located
in  a  distinct  domain  extending  south  of  the  Ghomaride/
Malaguide Realm (Wildi 1983; Serrano et al. 2006).

Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites from the Gibraltar and

Calabria-Peloritani Arcs: provenance changes and

paleogeographic implications

DIEGO PUGLISI

Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, University of Catania, Corso Italia n. 57, 95129 Catania, Italy; dpuglisi@unict.it

(Manuscript received March 11, 2008; accepted in revised form June 12, 2008)

Abstract: Oligocene-Miocene turbiditic flows which formed thick sedimentary successions cropping out in the internal
sectors of the Betic-Maghrebian Chain, Tell and Calabria-Peloritani Arc, are commonly related to the dismantling of pre-
Alpine  crystalline  basements.  These  are  now  included  in  different  tectonic  edifices  along  the  central-western  peri-
Mediterranean Alpine Chain but originally they could have belonged to the same crustal block, known as the AlKaPeCa
Block (Al = Alboran, southern Spain and northern Morocco, Ka = Kabylian, Algeria, and PeCa = Calabria-Peloritani Arc).
Detrital modes from Oligocene-Miocene late-orogenic sandstone suites, unconformably overlying the uppermost struc-
tural units of the Betic-Rifian Chain and the Rifian “Dorsale Calcaire” Units, show a provenance closely related to source
areas mainly formed by Mesozoic carbonate sedimentary covers and, partially, by very slightly metamorphic rocks. In
contrast, sandstones of equivalent late-orogenic successions from the Calabria-Peloritani Arc appear to be mainly derived
by the erosion of high rank metamorphic and plutonic sources, which can be identified with the Hercynian basement rocks,
now  forming  the  highest  structural  units  of  the  Arc.  This  bimodality  of  provenance  (carbonate  covers  with,  partially,
epimetamorphic sources against a mainly plutonic and/or gneissic supply in the Gibraltar and Calabria-Peloritani Arcs,
respectively) occurring between coeval late-orogenic sandstone  suites, equivalent for age, geological significance and
structural position, can be justified by admitting that the Internal Domains, which played a role as sediment sources, did not
belong to the same crustal block or they were already separated as the consequence of an incipient break-out and fragmen-
tation of the AlKaPeCa Block before the Late Oligocene (age of the base of the studied late-orogenic deposits).

Key words: Oligocene—Miocene, Betic-Rifian Chain, Calabria-Peloritani Arc, paleogeography, provenance, sedimentary
petrography, turbidite sandstone suites.

The highest tectonic units (Ghomaride/Malaguide Nappes;

Figs. 2  and  3)  mainly  consist  of  very  slightly  metamorphic
Paleozoic  successions  subdivided,  in  the  Rifian  Chain,  into
minor  thrust  sheets  unconformably  covered  by  Mesozoic-
Tertiary sedimentary deposits (Chalouan 1986; Chalouan &
Michard 1990).

The Mesozoic sedimentary formations are composed of Tri-

assic reddish quartzose sandstones and conglomerates and
Upper Triassic dolomites and Liassic limestones, related to
the Tethyan rifting. The younger deposits (Late Eocene Num-
mulitic limestones and carbonate conglomerates) are collected
in a detrital marine sequence post-dating an early Alpine com-
pressive event (Maate 1996; Martin-Algarra et al. 2000).

Fig. 1. Sketch map of the Alpine chains in the central-western Mediterranean region. 1 – Internal Domain Units; 2 – “Dorsale Calcaire”
Units; 3 – Flysch Domain Units; 4 – Betic and Maghrebian External Units; 5 – Apenninic External Units; 6 – Foredeep and Foreland.

527

PROVENANCE OF OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE SANDSTONE (GIBRALTAR AND CALABRIA-PELORITANI ARCS)

al.  2000;  Serrano  et  al.  2006,  2007):  the  Ciudad  Granada-
Fnideq  Formation  Cycle  (Upper  Oligocene-Early  Miocene
boundary)  and  Vi±uela-Sidi  Abdesslam  Formation  Cycle
(mainly Lower Burdigalian).

Puglisi et al. (2001) first recognized the possibility of the

comparison with the syn- and late-orogenic flysch deposits
marking the younger successions involved in the deformations
of the basement nappes and the oldest ones unconformably
overlying the Calabria-Peloritani tectonic edifice, respectively
(Fig. 4).

The Vi±uela-Sidi Abdesslam Formation Cycle, in particu-

lar, is well known all along the Maghrebian Chain where it
can be compared with the tectonic-sedimentary evolution of
the internal domains of the Kabylian massifs (“Oligo-Mi-
oc

ne Kabyle”, Géry et al. 1981 and references therein).

Similarly, the Stilo-Capo d’Orlando Formation (Puglisi 1998
and references therein) represents the tectonic-sedimentary
evolution of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc.

Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss the recently col-

lected petrographic data from these Oligocene-Miocene tur-
biditic successions of the Betic-Rifian Chain and to compare
them with those of equivalent sedimentary successions from
the Calabria-Peloritani Arc. The petrographic characters of
these sandstones and their provenance are discussed and in-
terpreted here in order to debate the paleogeographic context
of the Internal Domains, supposed to be the sediment sourc-
es of the analysed arenaceous successions.

Furthermore, the paleogeographic evolution of these areas

is detected here and tentatively related to the Late Oligocene
rifting  phase  which  widely  affected  the  western  Mediterra-
nean  region,  as  a  prelude  to  the  Miocene  opening  of  new
oceanic  areas  (Cherchi  &  Montandert  1982;  Rehault  et  al.
1984, 1985; Dercourt et al. 1986; Boccaletti et al. 1990).

Detrital modes of sandstones and related

provenance changes

The sandstones of the Ciudad Granada-Fnideq Formation

Cycle come from the Betic Cordillera (Rio Pliego Formation

Fig. 4. Geological sketch map of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc showing the outcrops of the Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites compared in
this paper.

Auct.; Guerrera et al. 1997; Gigliuto 2005) and from the Rif
(Fnideq Formation; Puglisi et al. 2001; Zaghloul et al. 2003).

The sandstones of the Vi±uela-Sidi Abdesslam Formation

Cycle were sampled in the Betic Cordillera (El Ni±o Forma-
tion Auct.; Gigliuto 2005) and in the Rif (Sidi Abdesslam
Formation; Puglisi et al. 2001; Zaghloul et al. 2003).

Table 1 lists the means and standard deviations of the de-

trital modes of Oligocene-Miocene sandstones collected from
several logs sampled in the internal sectors of the Betic-Rifian
Chain (Figs. 2 and 3) and from coeval and equivalent turbidite
successions of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc (Fig. 4).

Modal data from all the sandstones have been acquired us-

ing the same methodology, consisting of modal point count-
ing  in  thin  section,  performed  according  to  the  criteria
suggested by Gazzi (1966),  Dickinson (1970) and by Gazzi
et  al.  (1973),  in  order  to  minimize  the  dependence  of  the
rock composition on grain size.

Table 1 also includes the Qm, F and Lt parameters

(Monocrystalline Quartz, Feldspars and Total Lithic Frag-
ments, respectively), suggested by Graham et al. (1976) and
by Dickinson & Suczek (1979) as a means of recognizing the
provenance of the clastic supply.

Quartz is nearly always present and, locally, it is the most

abundant  mineral.  Thus,  in  order  to  appreciate  the  contribu-
tion  of  different  lithologies  of  the  sources  areas,  the  detrital
quartz  has  been  distinguished  in  monocrystalline  and  poly-
crystalline quartz grains (Table 1), the first ones representative
of  coarse-grained  plutonic  and/or  high  rank  metamorphic
rocks,  whereas  the  second  ones  are  supposed  to  be  derived
mainly from fine-grained epimetamorphites.

High contents of feldspars are present only in the late-oro-

genic Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites of the Calabria-
Peloritani Arc. In fact, all the sandstones of equivalent
successions of the Betic-Rifian Chain are almost completely
devoid of feldspars (Figs. 5 and 6) or, if present, they never
exceed 4.0—4.5 %. In particular, feldspars are practically ab-
sent in the sandstones of the Internal and External “Dorsale
Calcaire”.

Scarcity or lack of feldspars is balanced by a relative abun-

dance of lithic fragments, mainly represented by (a) an al-

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PROVENANCE OF OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE SANDSTONE (GIBRALTAR AND CALABRIA-PELORITANI ARCS)

Fig. 5. Detrital frameworks of Oligocene-Miocene arenites from Internal and External “Dorsale Calcaire” (a and b, respectively) and from
sandstone suites unconformably overlying the Ghomaride Units (c and d: Sidi Abdesslam Formation, Rif) and the Malaguide Units (e and
f: El Ni±o Formation, Betic Chain). Feldspars are nearly always absent and polycrystalline quartz grains (c, d and e), carbonate rock frag-
ments and fossils (mainly macroforaminiferal remnants, a and e) are the most common components of the lithic fraction.

seems to be linked to a deeper erosion level which more
strongly affected the Paleozoic basement, as the result of un-
roofing processes and higher erosion rates (Zaghloul et al.
2005).

This type of provenance has already been suggested for

the Ametrasse Unit by Wildi (1983), which also found at the
top of the succession rare pebbles of Paleozoic schists and
gneiss, and by Maate et al. (1993) in the Saaden Unit. Puglisi
et al. (2001) and Gigliuto et al. (2003) recognized this simi-

lar provenance in both these units and interpreted the in-
crease of the crystalline clast content as a consequence of up-
lift and/or overthrust tectonic deformations in the source
areas.

Finally, the sandstones belonging to the Ciudad Granada-

Fnideq Formation Cycle (Q

36.6

4.4

59.0

and Q

57.1

2.3

40.6

, Rif

and Betics, respectively) and to the Vi±uela-Sidi Abdesslam
Formation Cycle (Q

51.6

5.0

43.4

and Q

48.6

4.3

47.1

, Rif and Bet-

ics, respectively; Table 1, Fig. 6 and references therein) show a

530

PUGLISI

composition  considerably  more  siliciclastic,  with  mi-
nor  amounts  of  carbonate  rock  fragments.  Anyway,
this type of detrital framework, characterized by abun-
dant  metasedimentary  and  epimetamorphic  rock  frag-
ments,  also  seems  to  confirm  the  same  provenance  of
the External “Dorsale Calcaire” sandstones and to ex-
clude  a  contribution  from  plutonic  and/or  high  grade
metamorphic sources (Zaghloul et al. 2003).

In contrast, the late-orogenic Oligocene-Miocene

sandstone suites of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc show an
arkosic  composition  well  marked  by  relatively  high
contents of feldspars, both K-feldspars and plagioclas-
es  (Carmisciano  &  Puglisi  1978a,b;  1982).  This  com-
position  has  been  related  to  granitic  and/or  gneissic
sources, tentatively identified with the rocks of the As-
promonte  Unit  (Puglisi  1991,  1992,  1994),  the  upper-
most structural unit of the tectonic edifice forming the
Calabria-Peloritani Arc.

In this paper the comparison has also been extended

to the Lower Oligocene syn-orogenic successions of
the Calabria-Peloritani Arc (i.e. Frazzan

Flysch and

Piedimonte Formation) with the aim of verifying the
occurrence of compositional changes over time.

On the whole, this type of provenance seems to char-

acterize all these turbidite successions of the Calabria-
Peloritani  Arc  with  small  differences  linked  to  the
tectonic  evolution  and  to  the  differential  uplift  of  the
internal  sectors  of  this  paleodomain  (Puglisi  1998).
Thus,  in  any  case  a  provenance  from  granitic  and/or
gneissic sources is also supported by geochemical data
related  to  the  major-oxide  compositions  of  the  sand-
stones and by further petrographic information regard-
ing  the  structural  character  of  the  plagioclase  twins
(Puglisi 1994, 1998).

Fig. 6. Detrital modes of sandstones from Oligocene-Miocene late-orogenic successions of the Internal Domains of the Betic (El Ni±o, Rio
Pliego Fms), Rifian (Sidi Abdesslam and Fnideq Formations, Internal and External “Dorsale Calcaire”) and Sicilian Maghrebian Chains
(Stilo-Capo d’Orlando Formation); these last also include modal data regarding syn-orogenic successions (i.e. Piedimonte Formation and
Frazzan

Flysch). Two distinct areas characterize the compositional fields of the sandstone suites: left and right side of the diagram for the

Sicilian Maghrebian and Betic-Rifian Chains (dashed line and grey area, respectively).

Fig. 7. Maturity and Differentiation Indexes of the late-orogenic Oligocene-
Miocene sandstone suites of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc (references in Ta-
ble 1), compared with terrigenous and magmatic rocks of the literature (data
from Garrels & Mackenzie 1971) and with plutonic and high rank metamor-
phic rocks of the Calabria-Peloritani Arc (data from Atzori et al. 1976, 1985,
1988, 1989; Atzori & Lo Giudice 1982a,b; D’Amico et al. 1982).

531

PROVENANCE OF OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE SANDSTONE (GIBRALTAR AND CALABRIA-PELORITANI ARCS)

In fact, by using traditional parameters such as the Maturi-

ty [log (SiO

/Al

)] and Differentiation Indexes [log

(CaO + Na

O)/K

O)] and according to Garrels & Macken-

zie’s  (1971)  diagram  (Fig. 7),  a  perfect  correspondence  be-
tween  the  Stilo-Capo  d’Orlando  sandstones  and  the  syn-  to
late-Hercynian  plutonites  of  the  Aspromonte  Unit  has  been
verified (Puglisi 1998).

Further information about the clastic provenance of these

turbidite successions have also been obtained by Puglisi
(1998) by analysing the different populations of the plagio-
clase twins, according to the Gorai’s (1951) suggestions,
successively re-worked by Tobi (1962), Pittman (1970) and
Helmold (1985).

The ternary diagram of Fig. 8 (after Puglisi 1998) shows

the relative frequencies between untwinned and twinned pla-
gioclases, these last subdivided into A-twins (albite and peri-
cline laws) and C-twins (all the other laws; Gorai 1951), for
various plutonic, volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The pla-
gioclase twins of the late-orogenic Oligocene-Miocene sand-
stone  suites  of  the  Calabria-Peloritani  Arc  (Stilo-Capo
d’Orlando Formation) show strong affinity with the granitic-
granodioritic  field,  thus  suggesting  a  provenance  mainly
linked  to  plutonic  sources,  already  hypothesized  by  the
geochemical character of the sandstones.

The Quartz-Feldspars-Lithic Fragments ternary plot of

Fig. 6  shows  the  above  mentioned  differences  of  composi-
tion  between  the  coeval  and  equivalent  sandstone  suites  of
the  internal  sectors  of  the  Gibraltar  and  Calabria-Peloritani
Arcs. Very distinct quartzose-lithic and quartzose-feldspath-
ic compositions (right and left side of the diagram), in fact,

Fig. 8. Diagram showing the frequencies of untwinned and twinned
plagioclases (these last subdivided in C- and A-twins, see text) rec-
ognized within the Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites of the Cala-
bria-Peloritani Arc (from Puglisi 1998) and compared with various
plutonic and metamorphic rocks (from Gorai 1951).

characterize the Oligocene-Miocene arenaceous products of
the internal sectors of the Betic-Rifian Chain and of the Cal-
abria-Peloritani Arc, respectively. In particular, the wide area
comprising the compositions of the Internal “Dorsale Cal-
caire” sandstones is due to the dispersal of the carbonate rock
contents which is not constant in all the analysed sections.

Paleogeographic and paleotectonic setting of the

western Mediterranean

The provenance of the Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites

cropping  out  in  the  internal  sectors  of  the  Betic-Maghrebian
Chains  is  commonly  connected  to  the  dismantling  of  the  so-
called  AlKaPeCa  Block  (Al  =  Alboran,  southern  Spain  and
northern Morocco, Ka = Kabylian, Algeria, PeCa = Calabria-
Peloritani Arc, sensu Bouillin et al. 1986).

The original location of this source area is still strongly de-

bated. Many authors, in fact, consider this area as belonging
to the southern paleomargin of the Iberian Plate (Biju-Duval
et al. 1977; Bouillin et al. 1986, 2007; Stampfli et al. 1998;
Sanz de Galdeano et al. 1993, 2001; Rosenbaum et al. 2002;
Mauffret et al. 2004; Schettino & Turco 2006), whereas oth-
er  authors  hypothesize  the  existence  of  an  independent  mi-
croplate  located  between  the  European  and  African  Plates
according  to  Andrieux  et  al.  (1971),  Andrieux  &  Mattauer
(1973) and Guerrera et al. (1993).

The first paleogeographic hypothesis, accepted here,

seems to reach the higest consensus because it is strongly
supported by much data.

Thus, on the base of the above-mentioned data, it is pos-

sible  to  emphasize  a  strong  difference  of  composition  be-
tween  the  Oligocene-Miocene  sandstone  suites  of  the
internal  domains  of  the  Gibraltar  and  Calabria-Peloritani
Arcs.  Consequently,  these  different  detrital  modes  charac-
terize  sedimentary  provenances  which  cannot  be  linked  to
the same paleogeographic scenario.

Two different interpretations can be suggested to justify

this evidence. The first one hypothesizes that the Betic-Rifi-
an and Calabria-Peloritani internal sectors might not belong
to the same paleodomain, already identified with the
AlKaPeCa Block; they could have been distinctly separated,
thus forming different source areas supplying different sedi-
mentary basins not necessarily adjacent.

In contrast, if these sectors really belonged to the same

AlKaPeCa Block, the different provenances described above
can  be  justified  by  admitting  that  these  sediment  sources
were already separated at the beginning of the deposition of
the  described  Oligocene-Miocene  sedimentary  successions.
This  hypothesis  is  adopted  here  because  strongly  supported
by recent studies regarding the opening and the geodynamic
evolution of the western Mediterranean basins.

In fact, Rosenbaum et al. (2002) suggest that the extension

in the western Mediterranean started 32—30 Ma and Cavazza
& Wezel (2003) even recognize that the Mediterranean rifting
occurred from the Early Oligocene by inducing the develop-
ment of several grabens in southern France and Sardinia,
both on-land and offshore. Schettino & Turco (2006), in
their recent plate reconstruction, also admit that extensional

532

PUGLISI

activity was already occurring in the late Rupelian and that a
short time span (31.1 to 28.0 Ma) brought completion of the
formation of the Valencia trough, considered to be slightly
younger than the Gulf of Lion and slightly older than the
opening of other oceanic spaces, such as the Provençal Basin
and the west Alboran Sea (Rosenbaum et al. 2002).

These extensional processes, mainly governed by subduc-

tion rollback coupled with a relatively slow convergence be-
tween Africa and Europe, occurred on the overriding plate in
a back-arc position (Rosenbaum et al. 2002). Successively,
extensional tectonics also occurred in the fore-arc region to
form the Corsica, Sardinia and Algeria Basins together with
the above-mentioned west Alboran Basin (Mauffret et al.
2004, 2007).

In conclusion, these extensional processes triggered the

break-up of the AlKaPeCa Block and the drifting of all the
microplates as long as subduction rollback took place
(Rosenbaum et al. 2002) and until they accreted to the adja-
cent continents by largely undergoing tectonic deformations
in the Alpine orogeny (Stampfli et al. 1998).

Concluding remarks

On the basis of the evidence of an incipient fragmentation

of the AlKaPeCa Block it is possible to hypothesize a paleo-
geographic scenario where the different microplates were al-
ready widely separated in the middle Chattian (Fig. 9) in
order to justify different supplies in different sedimentary
basins.

This tectonic control both in the source areas and in the ba-

sins suggests further inquiries on tectonic and stratigraphic

evolution (vertical and lateral) of the petrographic composi-
tion of the sedimentary successions.

Thus, progressive dismantling of these already separated

different crustal sectors, not necessarily formed by the same
type of rocks, fed several sedimentary basins with diversified
detrital products. These sedimentary deposits can correspond
to the Oligocene-Miocene sandstone suites of the internal ar-
eas of the Gibraltar and Calabria-Peloritani Arcs, whose
sandstones show different compositions connected to a dis-
tinct provenance.

Furthermore, it is well known that (a) in the Rifian Chain

the emplacement of the different Ghomarides Units and also
the Ghomarides/Sebtides tectonic contact would be anteced-
ent  to  the  Oligocene/Miocene  boundary  (Feinberg  et  al.
1990; Maate et al. 1995; Serrano et al. 2006, 2007), because
it is sealed by the Ciudad Granada-Fnideq Formation Cycle,
as  well  as  (b)  in  the  Calabria-Peloritani  Arc  the  Alpine
nappes  with  remnants  of  Hercynian  basement  were  already
piled  up  before  the  unconformable  deposition  of  the  Upper
Oligocene—Lower Miocene Stilo-Capo d’Orlando Formation
(Puglisi 1998 and references therein).

Thus, it is possible to emphasize that all the AlKaPeCa-de-

rived microplates were already separated, widely drifted and
partially accreted onto the different African sectors before
the Late Oligocene (age of the base of the analysed succes-
sions) and not during and/or after the Burdigalian (Martin-
Algarra et al. 2000; Bonardi et al. 2003).

Acknowledgments:  Financial  support  was  provided  by  the
Italian  MURST  as  a  Grant  to  D.  Puglisi.  Author  wishes  to
thank  F.  Loiacono  (University  of  Bari,  Italy),  C.  Sanz  de
Galdeano Equiza (University of Granada, Spain) and E. Tur-

Fig. 9. Paleogeographic evolution of the western Mediterranean area during late Cretaceous—late Oligocene times up to the beginning of
break-up of the AlKaPeCa Block, supposed to be originally located in the southern paleomargin of Iberia (modified after Cassola et al.
1990a,b).

533

PROVENANCE OF OLIGOCENE-MIOCENE SANDSTONE (GIBRALTAR AND CALABRIA-PELORITANI ARCS)

co (University of Camerino, Italy), whose useful sugges-
tions strongly improved the manuscript.

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