Biofacies analysis and depositional environments of Mid-Eocene Larger Benthic Foraminifera-rich deposits in Northern Tunisia

Biofacies analysis and depositional environments of Mid-Eocene Larger Benthic Foraminifera-rich deposits in Northern Tunisia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Biofacies analysis and depositional environments of Mid-Eocene Larger Benthic Foraminifera-rich deposits in Northern Tunisia Sirine Chouat, Mohamed Slim El Ayachi, Kamel Boukhalfa, Rabeh Alouani, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2698146/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Aug, 2023 Read the published version in Carbonates and Evaporites → Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In NW Tunisia, the lateral equivalents of the Mid-Eocene “Reineche Limestone” member of the Souar Formation (Bartonian) are still poorly known. Sedimentological investigations in the “Reineche Limestone” type locality in NE Tunisia; and three correlatives, first described here from NW Tunisia, allow the reconstruction of their depositional settings and to propose a regional geodynamic context. Fossil assemblages, rock texture and fabrics plead in favor of eight micro-biofacies (Mf1 to Mf8) indicating “shoal” inner ramp to outer ramp depositional settings. The Bartonian carbonates of NE Tunisia bear LBF-dominating assemblages and subsidiary planktic and small benthic foraminifera, gastropods, algae and echinids indicating a progressive marine ramp context under oligotrophic conditions. However, correlative successions from NW Tunisia are represented by relatively thinner carbonate intervals including two main facies: 1) bioclastic limestone facies and 2) phosphorite-rich carbonates. The first is dominated by LBF assemblages suggesting the same depositional conditions as the “Reineche limestone”. However, phosphorite-rich carbonate facies is mainly characterized by peloids, bone fragments and lithoclast components with subsidiary nummulitids, planktic and small benthic foraminifers, echinids, oyster shells, brachiopod fragments and fine siliciclastic components, all suggesting oxic-suboxic to anoxic conditions for phosphorite genesis. This would have implied microbial decomposition of organic compounds and/or bacterial reduction of sulfate in shallow marine environment. These phosphorite-rich carbonate of northwestern Tunisia may serve as an example of phosphatic sediment production and accumulation during the latest episode of the Paleogene phosphatogenesis first described here from the south-Tethyan margin of Tunisia. Mid-Eocene Northern Tunisia “Reineche Limestone” carbonate ramp Larger Benthic Foraminifera Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Aug, 2023 Read the published version in Carbonates and Evaporites → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revision 01 Apr, 2023 Reviews received at journal 29 Mar, 2023 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Mar, 2023 Reviewers invited by journal 19 Mar, 2023 Editor assigned by journal 19 Mar, 2023 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Mar, 2023 First submitted to journal 15 Mar, 2023 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-2698146","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":184118491,"identity":"bcbd87cb-5281-4b53-94d2-61e4990b6ad3","order_by":0,"name":"Sirine Chouat","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Carthage","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sirine","middleName":"","lastName":"Chouat","suffix":""},{"id":184118494,"identity":"f3ee83e8-8729-4848-ae6a-45658c40ee2f","order_by":1,"name":"Mohamed Slim El Ayachi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Carthage","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohamed","middleName":"Slim El","lastName":"Ayachi","suffix":""},{"id":184118497,"identity":"9c9b9fe9-94e7-4e2b-92ff-82e636b01d34","order_by":2,"name":"Kamel Boukhalfa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Carthage","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kamel","middleName":"","lastName":"Boukhalfa","suffix":""},{"id":184118500,"identity":"7fcb4aca-1369-4e5e-b4cd-047dcd6c40f7","order_by":3,"name":"Rabeh Alouani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Carthage","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rabeh","middleName":"","lastName":"Alouani","suffix":""},{"id":184118501,"identity":"16a3c42a-f959-4d02-bdba-c10a4ad2e479","order_by":4,"name":"Mabrouk Boughdiri","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHgZmEGXAkNjAkFABYgBBBfFazkC1nCFOSwIDA2MbEVp0288eYC6oOGy3nT257cPDeYflzdmbDzAc3INbi9mZvATmGWcOJ+/sedg8I3HbYcOdPccSGA48w6PlQI4BM2/b4WSDG4nNDEAtjBtuAEU+HMCj5fwbZC1zDtuDtDAcwKflBsQWO4iWhsOJRGh5B/JLeoLBmYfNDAnH0pM3nDmWcACvlvO5oBCztjc4nv6Y8UeNte2G480HH+DTAgTsP4AEMB7BoBlM4tcABfZQuo4YxaNgFIyCUTDCAAB3I2GSrZfwAgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Carthage","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mabrouk","middleName":"","lastName":"Boughdiri","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-15 22:44:21","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2698146/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2698146/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-023-00888-4","type":"published","date":"2023-08-17T22:00:23+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":44735601,"identity":"09608e9f-9041-4bbd-b967-4444447d8eb0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-16 22:26:19","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":934959,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ARTICLEChouatSirineetal.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2698146/v1_covered_11377558-ca69-4d35-8e48-14a8ba3b76c5.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Biofacies analysis and depositional environments of Mid-Eocene Larger Benthic Foraminifera-rich deposits in Northern Tunisia","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"carbonates-and-evaporites","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"caev","sideBox":"Learn more about [Carbonates and Evaporites](http://link.springer.com/journal/13146)","snPcode":"13146","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/13146/3","title":"Carbonates and Evaporites","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Mid-Eocene, Northern Tunisia, “Reineche Limestone”, carbonate ramp, Larger Benthic Foraminifera","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2698146/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2698146/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn NW Tunisia, the lateral equivalents of the Mid-Eocene \u0026ldquo;Reineche Limestone\u0026rdquo; 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Sedimentological investigations in the \u0026ldquo;Reineche Limestone\u0026rdquo; type locality in NE Tunisia; and three correlatives, first described here from NW Tunisia, allow the reconstruction of their depositional settings and to propose a regional geodynamic context. Fossil assemblages, rock texture and fabrics plead in favor of eight micro-biofacies (Mf1 to Mf8) indicating \u0026ldquo;shoal\u0026rdquo; inner ramp to outer ramp depositional settings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Bartonian carbonates of NE Tunisia bear LBF-dominating assemblages and subsidiary planktic and small benthic foraminifera, gastropods, algae and echinids indicating a progressive marine ramp context under oligotrophic conditions. However, correlative successions from NW Tunisia are represented by relatively thinner carbonate intervals including two main facies: 1) bioclastic limestone facies and 2) phosphorite-rich carbonates. 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