Summary

Quaternary carbonate eolianites from the Bahamian Archipelago form a complex constructional topography in which deposits from different sea-level highstands create a spatially and temporally discontinuous sediment package. Within deposits formed during individual sea-level highstand events, eolianites from transgressive, still-stand, and regressive phases can be differentiated only with exceptional care. The eolianites are often bounded by marine deposits of older, coeval, or younger age that may occur in a variety of relative geometries. Carbonate units deposited during a single sea-level highstand are commonly bounded above and below by erosion surfaces characterized by terra rossa paleosols; however, the patchiness of eolian deposition, the presence of protosols, and the occurrence of soil movement into karst features can confuse actual unit boundaries. Valid interpretation of carbonate eolianite sequences in the ancient rock record requires that the complexities of the Quaternary eolianite record be properly understood. The degree of detailed study required to successfully interpret widely-exposed Quaternary eolianites implies that ancient eolianites, with poorer exposure and significant diagenesis, are unlikely to be resolved to a similar degree.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90928©1999 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas