L’intervalle Aptien-Albien inférieur de la marge sud-téthysienne est mal connu en raison de successions souvent incomplètes et de difficultés à les dater. Le Bassin d’Essaouira-Agadir (BEA), au Maroc, présente de nombreuses coupes, bien exposées et accessibles du Crétacé inférieur. Le but de ce travail est de (1) établir un cadre stratigraphique intégré de la série apto-albienne, basé sur (a) la biostratigraphy haute résolution des ammonites et des nannofossiles calcaires, (b) l’identification des discontinuités sédimentaires et (c) la stratigraphy isotopique du carbone; (2) reconstituer l’évolution paléoenvironnementale pendant cet intervalle, par l’étude des facies sédimentaires et l’analyse qualitative et quantitative des nannofossiles, et (3) proposer un modèle de fonctionnement de la plateforme-rampe mixte, carbonate-clastique, du BEA.Dans le BEA, le Barrémien supérieur est défini par la zone d’ammonites à sarasini et par la zone de nannofossiles NC5. La limite Barrémien-Aptien est définie par les ammonites. L’Aptien inférieur est déterminé par les zones d’ammonites à desahayesi jusqu’à furcata, et est limité par un premier minimum de 13C à la base, et par un premier maximum à la limite Aptien inférieur-moyen. L’Aptien supérieur est défini par quatre zones d’ammonites (martini, melchioris, nolani et jacobi), deux surfaces de discontinuité, quatre maxima et minima de 13C, et comprend la partie supérieure de NC6, NC7 et la base de NC8. La limite Aptien-Albien est placée dans la discontinuité D4 (base de la zone d’ammonites à Leymeriella tardefurcata), en accord avec la première occurrence (FO) des nannofossiles Prediscosphaera columnata et Hayesites albiensis, et par une diminution des valeurs de 13C. L’Albien inférieur est daté par les zones d’ammonites à tardefurcata et mammillatum, par la FO du nannofossile Hayesites albiensis, et par des valeurs minimales de 13C.Les faciès et environnements de dépôt des sédiments aptien à Albien inférieur ont été déterminés par leur lithologie, les figures sédimentaires, leur contenu faunique et les microfaciès. Ils ont permis d’identifier (1) quatre types de surface liées à des érosions subaériennes ou sous-marines, (2) quatre faciès sédimentaires carbonatés dans l’Aptien, correspondant à des environnements de rampe interne à distale, et (3) quatre faciès sédimentaires argilo-gréseux dans l’Albien inférieur, représentant des dépôts de rampe médiane à hémipélagiques. Ces faciès reflètent des milieux adjacents et passant de l’un à l’autre. L’intervalle Aptien-Albien inférieur du BEA a été subdivisé en deux cycles, soulignés par deux surfaces d’érosion majeures. Le cycle Barrémien terminal-Aptien est souligné par une surface karstifiée et erosive et comprend quatre séquences de dépôt de troisème ordre. Le cycle Albien surmonte une surface majeure d’érosion sous-marine, et contient au moins quatre sequences de dépôt. Dasns chaque cycle, l’évolution vertical des faciès indique un approfondissement ds milieux de depot liée à une hausse eustatique.Dans le BEA, production carbonatée est plus élevée à l’Aptien qu’à l’Albien inférieur, en raison d’un climat chaud, une lente montée du niveau de la mer, un milieu de dépôt peu profond et de faibles apports détritiques. L’abondance totale absolue des nannofossiles décroît entre l’Aptien et l’Albien inférieur, en raison d’un taux de sedimentation plus élevé associé à une subsidence plus rapide. L’apport en nutriments, la fertilité et la production primaire sont plus élevés à l’Albien inférieur qu’à l’Aptien, et sont principalement contrôlés par la montée du niceau de la mer et les courants d’upwellings. La transition Aptien terminal-Albien inférieur est marquée par l’abondance de taxons d’eau froide et par la migration de faunes cosmopolitaines du domaine boréal vers le domaine téthysien, qui pourrait traduire un événement climatique froid, voire glaciaire. / The Aptian-Early Albian interval of the southern Tethyan margin is poorly understood since sedimentary successions are frequently incomplete and dating is difficult. The Essaouira-Agadir Basin (EAB), Morocco, presents numerous, very good and accessible outcrops of the Early Cretaceous series. The aim of this work is to (1) establish an integrated stratigraphic framework of the Aptian-Albian series based on (a) high-resolution ammonites and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy, (b) identification of sedimentary discontinuities and (c) carbon isotope stratigraphy; (2) reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution during this interval through both sedimentary facies evolution and qualitative and quantitative nannofossil analyses, and (3) propose a functioning model for the sedimentation on the mixed, carbonate/clastic ramp of the EAB.In the EAB, the Late Barremian is defined by the sarasini ammonite zone and the NC5 nannofossil zone. The Barremian/Aptian boundary is defined by ammonites. The Early Aptian is defined by the deshayesi to furcata ammonite zones, and is bounded by a first minimum 13C value at the base and a first maximum value at the Early/Late Aptian Boundary. The Late Aptian interval, is defined by four ammonite zones (martini, melchioris, nolani and jacobi), two discontinuity surfaces, four maximum and minimum 13C values, and by the upper part of the NC6, the NC7 and the lowermost part of the NC8 nannofossil zones. The Aptian/Albian boundary is placed within the discontinuity D4 (base of the Leymeriella tardefurcata ammonite zone), supported by the First Occurrence (FO) of the Prediscosphaera columnata and Hayesites albiensis nannofossil taxa, and by decreasing 13C values. Early Albian times are represented by the tardefurcata and mammillatum ammonite zones, the FO of Hayesites albiensis, and by minimum 13C values.The facies and depositional environments of the Aptian-Early Albian rocks are identified based on their lithology, sedimentary structures, fossil content and microfacies. These allowed to identify (1) four types of key surfaces related subaerial or submarine erosion, (2) four sedimentary carbonated facies in the Aptian corresponding to outer to inner ramp depositional environments, and (3) four Early Albian sedimentary facies, represented by sandstones and shales, of basin to middle ramp depositional setting. These facies reflect deposition in adjacent and gradational paleoenvironments. The Aptian-Early Albian stratigraphic interval of the EAB, has been subdivided into two major cycles, floored by two major erosional surfaces. The latest Barremian-Aptian cycle is underlined by a major karstified-erosional surface and consists of four third-order depositional sequences. The Early Albian cycle, overlies a major submarine erosional surface, and also contains four depositional sequences. In each cycle, the vertical changes in facies indicates a deepening upward trend related to sea level rise.The carbonate production in the EAB is higher in the Aptian than during the Early Albian, due to warm conditions, slow rise of sea level, shallow depth of the basin, and little detrital influx. The nannofossil total absolute abundance decreases from the Aptian to the Early Albian, due to increasing sedimentation rate, associated with rapid subsidence. The nutrient input, fertility and calcareous nannofossil primary productivity is higher in the Early Albian with respect to the Aptian, and are mainly controlled by rising sea level and upwelling currents. The Latest Aptian-Early Albian period is characterized by a high abundance of cold taxa, and the migration of cosmopolitan biota from Boreal realm into the Tethyan realm, which may reflect the occurrence of a glacial climatic event.

Orientador: Marcello Guimarães Simões / Resumo: Bakevelliidae (Bivalvia, Pterioidea) são bivalves extintos, marinhos, de epifauna a semiinfauna, bissados, suspensívoros, com pelo menos 20 gêneros descritos e inúmeras ocorrências em todo o mundo. Eles prosperaram do Paleozoico tardio ao Eoceno, atingindo máxima diversidade durante o Mesozoico (principalmente no Jurássico Inferior e Médio). Eles também foram abundantes e bem distribuídos em sucessões sedimentares cretáceas, como àquelas das bacias do Araripe e Sergipe-Alagoas, ocorrendo também de forma pontual na bacia de Pernambuco-Paraíba, no nordeste do Brasil. Neste documento, novos Bakevelliidae aptianos (Cretáceo Inferior) são descritos para a Formação Romualdo, Grupo Santana, Bacia do Araripe, nordeste do Brasil. A análise está fundamentada no exame detalhado de 361 espécimes, provenientes do terço superior da Formação Romualdo, principalmente das seções geológicas nas bordas sudoeste e sudeste da bacia, tendo sido, porém, registrados em toda a Bacia do Araripe. Juntamente com outros membros conhecidos da família Bakevelliidae, já registrados na Formação Romualdo (i.e., Aguileria dissita), os novos bivalves (Araripevellia musculosa gen. et sp. nov., Aguileria romualdoensis sp. nov. e Gen et sp. Indet.) indicam que a fauna de Bakevelliidae desta unidade foi mais diversa do que se imaginava anteriormente. Calcários ricos em conchas de Bakevelliidae, alguns com espécimes preservados in situ, estão restritos ao terço superior desta unidade, o mesmo intervalo estratigráfic... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Bakevelliids (Bivalvia, Pterioidea) are extinct, marine, stationary epifaunal to semi-infaunal, suspension feeding bivalves with at least 20 described genera and numerous occurrences worldwide. They thrived from the Late Paleozoic to Eocene, reaching the maximum diversity during the Mesozoic (mainly Early and Middle Jurassic). They were also abundant and widespread in many Cretaceous sedimentary successions, as in the Araripe and Sergipe- Alagoas basins, also occurring occasionally in Pernambuco-Paraíba basin, in NE Brazil. In this document, new Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) bakevelliid bivalves are described for the Romualdo Formation, Santana Group, Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. Analysis is based on the detailed examination of 361 specimens all from the upper third interval of the Romualdo Formation, mainly from geological sections in the southwestern and southeastern borders of the basin, but they were recorded in all four corners of the Araripe Basin. Together with the other known members of the family Bakevelliidae, already record in the unit (i.e., Aguileria dissita), the new bivalves (Araripevellia musculosa gen. et sp. nov., Aguileria romualdoensis sp. nov., and Gen et sp. indet.) indicate that the Romualdo bakevelliid fauna was more diverse than previously realized. Bakevelliid-rich carbonates, some with in situ specimens, are restrict to the upper third of this unit, the same stratigraphic interval yielding echinoderm-, gastropod- and stromatolitebearing limestone... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Lucas Veríssimo Warren / Resumo: A megassequência evaporítica transicional de idade aptiana constitui importante registro da abertura da margem equatorial brasileira, das primeiras conexões entre as águas dos oceanos Atlântico Sul e Central, e de depósitos das bacias interiores do Nordeste do Brasil. Nesse contexto, destaca-se a Formação Crato da Bacia do Araripe, composta por sucessão mista carbonática-siliciclástica com espessuras de até 90 m. A Formação Crato é mundialmente reconhecida pela excepcional preservação de fósseis continentais que conferem a unidade o status de Konservat-Lagerstätte. A unidade faz parte de sequência deposicional constituída pela porção superior da Formação Barbalha (predominantemente fluvial) e pela Formação Ipubi (depositada em condições evaporíticas), e é considerada como depositada em um sistema lacustre, associado à deposição deltaica nas porções proximais e carbonática nas porções bacinais. No entanto, tais interpretações vêm sendo questionadas devido a recentes descobertas de atividade microbiana nos calcários laminados da unidade. Face ao panorama exposto, este trabalho buscou aplicar abordagem calcada na análise multi-indicadores (sedimentologia, tafonomia, icnologia, estratigrafia de sequências, química orgânica, isótopos estáveis de oxigênio e carbono e análises de estrutura de deformação sin-sedimentar) dos depósitos da Formação Crato. A utilização de múltiplas técnicas de investigativas foi necessária afim de amparar a interpretação dos ambientes deposicionais, além... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The Aptian evaporitic transitional megasequence constitutes important register of the equatorial margin rifting, development of the seaway between the South and Central Atlantic oceans, and deposition in the interior basins of the NE Brazil. In this context, highlights the up to 90-m-thick mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession from the Crato Formation, Araripe Basin. This unit is worldwide renowned for the exceptional preservation of terrestrial assemblages in laminated limestones and as one of the most important Cretaceous Konservat- Lagerstätte of the world. The occurrence of such well-preserved fossils boosted paleontological and sedimentological research focused in the origin of the laminated limestones. The Crato Formation is part of a transgressive-regressive depositional sequence of which the Barbalha (fluvial-lacustrine) and Ipubi (playa lake evaporites) formations are part. The unit is considered a lacustrine system with deltaic deposition in the shallow waters and carbonate precipitation in the basinal areas. However, these interpretations have been questioned in the last years, mainly by the discovery of microbial activity in the limestone intervals. Considering this context, the present research used a multi-proxy approach (sedimentology, taphonomy, ichnology, sequence stratigraphy, organic geochemistry, stable istotopes, and analysis of sin-sedimentary deformation structures) for the interpretation of the mixed deposits of the Crato Formation. The application ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-07-15T20:29:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 14c.pdf: 18447268 bytes, checksum: cb27bcfcdf1b467b658d2ece3ae7777b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-15T20:29:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 14c.pdf: 18447268 bytes, checksum: cb27bcfcdf1b467b658d2ece3ae7777b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-12 / Nenhuma / O presente estudo apresenta a taxonomia, bioestratigrafia e paleoecologia dos foraminíferos planctônicos e bentônicos recuperados no intervalo Aptiano superiorAlbiano da sucessão dominantemente carbonática do Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 364, localizado na bacia de Kwanza (costa afora de Angola). Foram identificadas 30 espécies de foraminíferos planctônicos e 42 espécies de foraminíferos bentônicos. Com base nas assembleias de foraminíferos planctônicos, a seção sedimentar estudada foi subdividida em diversas biozonas, abrangendo as idades Aptiano tardio ao Albiano, da Zona Hedbergella trocoidea a Zona Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis. Uma conspícua discordância foi identificada no core 31, compreendendo do topo do Albiano inferior à base do Albiano superior. A composição específica das assembleias de foraminíferos planctônicos as caracteriza como assembleias marinhas de águas rasas e permite a inferência do domínio de condições mesotróficas a eutróficas ao longo do intervalo estudado. As associações aptianas de foraminíferos planctônicos apresentam afinidade paleobiogeográfica tetiana, suportando um influxo de água superficial tetiana no setor restrito (ao norte da Cadeia de Walvis-Elevação do Rio Grande) do Oceano Atlântico Sul setentrional já no Aptiano tardio. Tendências nos valores isotópicos de 13C, que devem ser cuidadosamente interpretadas devido a uma possível alteração diagenética, sugerem uma idade aptiana tardia (Zona Globigerinelloides algerianus) para o intervalo estratigráfico do core 42 ao core 37, no qual fósseis-guia tetianos estão ausentes, além de sugerir que os folhelhos negros da base do testemunho estudado (cores 42-39) podem ser correlatos ao evento anóxico do Aptiano tardio. Entre os foraminíferos planctônicos ocorre uma profunda mudança faunística na passagem Aptiano-Albiano, caracterizada por altas taxas de extinção seguidas por elevadas taxas de surgimento de espécies, além de uma significativa mudança no padrão arquitetural das testas. Foram identificadas três associações de foraminíferos bentônicos, que parecem ser principalmente controladas por variações paleobatimétricas. A fauna de foraminíferos bentônicos pode ser classificada como uma Associação do tipo Marssonella, provavelmente relacionada a paleoprofundidades neríticas a batiais superiores, e também exibindo uma marcada afinidade paleobiogeográfica tetiana. / This work presents a taxonomic, biostratigraphic and paleoecologic study on the planktic and benthic foraminiferal faunas recovered from the late Aptian-late Albian carbonatedominated succession of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 364, located in the Kwanza Basin (offshore Angola). Thirty planktic and 42 benthic foraminiferal species were identified herein. Based on planktic foraminiferal assemblages, the studied section was subdivided in a series of biozones, late Aptian to late Albian in age, from the Hedbergella trocoidea Zone to the Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis Zone. A remarkable unconformity was identified in core 31, spanning the latest early to earliest late Albian. The specific composition of the recovered planktic foraminiferal assemblages characterizes them as open marine epipelagic dwellers, and permits the suggestion of predominant mesotrophic to eutrophic environmental conditions throughout the studied stratigraphic succession. Aptian planktic foraminiferal assemblages present a significant Tethyan paleobiogeographic affinity, supporting a Tethyan surface-water influx into this restricted southeastern sector of the northern South Atlantic Ocean (north to the Walvis Ridge-Rio Grande Rise) back in the late Aptian. 13C trends, which have to be carefully interpreted due to possible diagenetic overprint, suggest a late Aptian age (Globigerinelloides algerianus Zone) for the stratigraphic interval from core 42 to about core 37, where Tethyan age-diagnostic foraminiferal species are missing, as well as that the black shale levels in cores 42-39 could be correlated to the “late Aptian anoxic event”. Among planktic foraminifera, a conspicuous faunal turnover occurs at the Aptian/Albian transition, characterized by high rates of extinctions followed by increasing rates of species originations and changes in tests’ architecture. Three benthic foraminiferal associations were identified, which seem to be mainly controlled by changes in paleobathymetry. Also, the studied benthic foraminiferal fauna could be classified as a Marssonella Association, probably related to neritic and upper bathyal paleodepths, also exhibiting a Tethyan paleobiogeographic affinity.

Les calcaires du Crétacé inférieur de la "Falaise de BLANCHE" affleurent sur une grande partie du territoire libanais. Ils apparaissent dans le paysage sous forme d'escarpements linéaires saillants constituant autant de points d'ancrage remarquables pour tout recalage stratigraphique. Toutefois, jusqu'à très récemment, cette unité était piètrement caractérisée : il lui manquait notamment une définition rigoureuse. Nous introduisons ici l'Étage régional Jezzinien, dont la localité-type est sise à Jezzine. Il s'agit également d'une unité stratigraphique particulière, une « unconformity-bounded unit", une unité qui, par définition, est encadrée par deux discontinuités. Le nouvel étage régional couvre deux séquences. Le canevas lithostratigraphique étant clairement redéfini, nous avons pu étudier les associations micropaléontologiques, constituées essentiellement de foraminifères benthiques et d'algues calcaires, associations dorénavant relativement bien contraintes du point de vue de leur âge. Typiquement sud-téthysiennes, elles facilitent les corrélations holostratigraphiques à haute résolution avec la région du Golfe persique, sur le côté oriental de la Plaque arabique. L'intervalle Jezzinien correspond ainsi à la partie supérieure de l'Étage Régional Kharaïbien (aussi connu comme unité réservoir "Thamama II" dans l'industrie pétrolière). À son tour, le Jezzinien est indirectement corrélé avec les unités stratigraphiques urgoniennes nord-téthysiennes où il correspond à un intervalle relativement court comprenant la limite des étages standards (internationaux) Barrémien et Bédoulien. Les associations macropaléontologiques reconnues dans le Jezzinien (échinides) et au-dessus de cette unité (ammonites) viennent à l'appui de notre datation micropaléontologique ou tout au moins ne la contredisent pas. / The "Falaise de Blanche" is a prominent cliff consisting mostly of Lower Cretaceous limestones that extends as linear outcrops over most of the Lebanese territory and provides geologists a remarkable reference for stratigraphic studies. However, until now, this unit was lacking a clear definition. We introduce herein the Jezzinian Regional Stage, the type-locality of which is at Jezzine. It is an unconformity-bounded unit and, per definition, it is framed by two discontinuities. The new regional stage implicitly spans two sequences. The lithostratigraphic framework having been properly redefined, we were able to investigate time-constrained micropaleontological assemblages consisting mostly of benthic foraminifers and calcareous algae. Typically Southern Tethysian, these assemblages contribute to high-resolution, holostratigraphic correlations with the Persian Gulf area on the eastern part of the Arabian Plate. The Jezzinian interval correlates with the upper part of the Kharaibian Regional Stage (also known as the "Thamama II" reservoir unit in the oil industry). The Jezzinian is also indirectly correlated with the Northern Tethysian Urgonian stratigraphic units where it corresponds to a rather short interval encompassing the standard Barremian - Bedoulian stage boundary.Locally the upper discontinuity is associated with a significant intra-Bedoulian hiatus. The macrofossil assemblages found in the Jezzinian (echinids) and above it (ammonites) support, or at least do not contradict, our micropaleontological dating.

Le Crétacé inférieur est ponctué de perturbations du cycle du carbone associées à des épisodes de préservation de matière organique et à des crises de la production carbonatée néritique et pélagique. Ces évènements coïncident également avec des refroidissements à très court terme (<1Ma) dont l’origine et les conséquences sont encore imprécises en raison de la faible résolution des courbes de températures dans les eaux de surface. Les études récentes réalisées à partir de modèles climatiques couplés à des modèles géochimiques laissent penser qu’une crise de la production carbonatée pourrait engendrer un refroidissement climatique sur une échelle de temps inférieure à 1 Ma (Donnadieu et al., accepté). Basées sur les dépôts d’âge Valanginien des coupes de La Charce–Vergol et d’Ollioules (Sud-est de la France) et sur les sédiments de l’Aptien du sous-Bassin de Galvé (Nord-est de l’Espagne), des études stratigraphiques, paléoécologiques et géochimiques ont été menées pour établir les relations entre la production carbonatée et le climat au cours du Valanginien et de l’Aptien. Pour cela, des courbes de température à haute résolution pour les eaux de surface ont été établies et mises en regard des évolutions des producteurs néritiques et pélagiques de carbonate. Le Valanginien et l’Aptien présentent tous deux des arrêts polyphasés de la production carbonatée néritique. Certains arrêts précèdent des refroidissements à court terme, dont ceux datés du Valanginien supérieur, du début et de la fin de l’Aptien inférieur. Cette succession suggérerait un lien de cause à effet entre les crises de la production et les fluctuations climatiques. Toutefois, les refroidissements du Valanginien supérieur et de la fin de l’Aptien inférieur sont respectivement précédés par un enfouissement de matière organique continentale et océanique, qui est un processus pouvant également générer une diminution de CO2 et un refroidissement. Ce travail a permis de mettre en évidence les répercutions des changements climatiques sur la production carbonatée par l’intermédiaire de changements de producteurs dans les domaines néritiques et pélagiques. Dans un premier temps, la mise en place de conditions froides au Valanginien supérieur et à la fin de l’Aptien inférieur est suivie de remplacements floro-fauniques caractérisés par l’évolution de communautés hétérozoaires à photozoaires. Les bouleversements observés suggèrent un changement drastique des conditions trophiques sous le développement de conditions arides relatives au refroidissement. Dans un second temps, l’évolution des communautés pélagiques au Valanginien répondraient également aux changements climatiques : ces communautés marquées d’un déclin depuis la fin du Valanginien inférieur présentent une courte reprise du début au milieu du Valanginien supérieur. Cette reprise coïncide avec le développement de conditions froides et plus arides occasionnant des conditions trophiques plus faibles / The Early Cretaceous is punctuated by carbon cycle perturbations, associated with organic matter burial episodes and carbonate production crises. These events coincide with short-term cooling (<1Ma), yet the mechanisms are still unclear, because of low resolution in sea surface temperature reconstructions. Recent climatic models suggest that carbonate-platform-collapse events may trigger a short-term ocean cooling episode (Donnadieu et al., accepted). In order to establish relations between climates and carbonate productions, we performed stratigraphic, palaeoecologic and geochemical analyses on Valanginian sediments from the La Charce-Vergol and the Ollioules sections (South-East France) and Aptian sedimentary record of the Galvé subasin (North East Spain). Therefore, high-resolution sea surface temperature curves were reconstructed with regard to the pelagic and neritic carbonate producer evolution. Both Valanginian and Aptian stages are marked by polyphased neritic production drawdown. Moreover, the Late Valanginian, basal and latest Early Aptian carbonate-platform demises predate a short-term cooling occurrence. The chronology of these events may imply that carbonate production decrease may have affected the atmospheric CO2 pool and the climate. Nevertheless, the decreases of water temperature that took place in the Late Valanginian and the latest Early Aptian are also prior to episodes of continental and oceanic organic matter burial, respectively. This process is also known as a CO2 drawdown and cooling generator. The present study allowed establishing climate feedbacks on the pelagic and neritic carbonate producers triggering fluctuations of the carbonate production fluxes. At first, cooler conditions during the Late Valanginien and latest Early Aptian are posterior to floro-faunal changes characterised by heterozoan to photozoan replacements. These suggest a trophic level decrease relative to cool and dryer climatic condition. Subsequently, nannoconid communities seem to record a response to the Late Valanginian climatic change: these producers are characterised by a decline from the latest Early Valanginian onward, interrupted by a recovery from the earliest Late Valanginian up to the mid-Late Valanginian. This recovery coincides with the development of cooling and dryer conditions, triggering low trophic level and thus promoting a subsequent pelagic production recovery.

The biostratigraphy and isotope stratigraphy of the upper Aptian to lower Cenomanian interval including oceanic anoxic events OAE1b, 1c and 1d are investigated in ODP Site 763, drilled on the Exmouth Plateau offshore northwest Australia. Benthic foraminifera suggest that Site 763 was situated in outer neritic to upper bathyal water depths (~150-600 m). OAEs of the Atlantic basin and Tethys are typically associated with organic carbon-rich black shales and δ13C excursions. However, OAEs at this high latitude site correlate with ocean acidification and/or pyrite formation under anoxic conditions rather than black shales. Ocean acidification maybe responsible for sporadic low abundances of planktic foraminifera compared to radiolarians and benthic foraminifera associated with increased volcanogenic CO2 production during the formation of the Southern and Central Kerguelen Plateaus. Sea surface temperature may have cooled to 11°C in the late Aptian but increased gradually during the Albian. The Aptian/Albian boundary is placed at a negative carbon isotope excursion associated with the lowest occurrence of Microhedbergella renilaevis, typically found within the Niveau Kilian black shale of OAE1b. Third-order sea level cycles, particularly in the middle Albian, produced cyclic changes in the abundance of inoceramid prisms that increased during inferred times of falling sea level. The late Albian OAE1c and OAE1d coincide with horizons of intense pyritization and the absence of all biocomponents suggesting the development of euxinia. Warm Tethyan waters reached the Exmouth Plateau during the latest Albian based on the presence of thermocline dwelling keeled planktic foraminifera including Planomalina buxtorfi.

Les systèmes carbonatés, anciens et actuels, se retrouvent au coeur d’enjeux économiques et sociétaux majeurs, notamment dans le domaine énergétique où ils représentent une part considérable des réserves prouvées de gaz et de pétrole. La présente thèse se focalise sur la plate-forme urgonienne Provençale (Barrémien supérieur–Aptien inférieur), analogue d’affleurement prouvé de réservoirs carbonatés du Moyen-Orient. Près d’une trentaine de coupes stratigraphiques, incluant notamment deux forages réalisés dans le cadre de ce travail, ont été considérées sur l’ensemble du domaine Provençal. La reconnaissance de surfaces d’émersion et d’ennoiement contraintes biostratigraphiquement permet d’appréhender régionalement l’évolution paléogéographique et l’architecture stratigraphique. Plusieurs phases de progradation en direction des bassins adjacents, entrecoupées d’épisodes de perturbation de la production carbonatée, sont identifiées en Provence. Un scénario stratigraphique comparable est proposé pour les plates-formes urgoniennes du Pourtour Vocontien. En Provence, la compartimentation réservoir de la plate-forme urgonienne est principalement contrôlée par le contexte séquentiel des dépôts qui induit une dualité entre des carbonates cimentés précocement et ceux préservant un certain espace poreux. Les règles géologiques définies dans cette étude 1) servent à la réalisation d’un modèle numérique 3-D destiné aux simulations des écoulements à l’échelle de l’aquifère karstique de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, dont le débit à l’exutoire est classé au cinquième rang mondial, et 2) aident à la prédiction des hétérogénéités sédimentaires et pétrophysiques des systèmes carbonatés / The analysis of carbonate systems is at the heart of major economic and societal challenges, especially in the energy field since they represent significant oil and gas reserves. The present thesis focuses on the Urgonian Provence platform (upper Barremian–lower Aptian interval) which is considered as a valid outcrop analogue of middle East carbonate reservoirs. About thirty stratigraphic sections, including newly acquired cores, are considered throughout the Provence domain. The recognition of biostratigraphically constrained exposure and drowning surfaces enables us to restore the regional palaeogeographic evolution along with the stratigraphic architecture. Several phases of platform progradation toward the adjacent basins, interrupted by episodes of changes in carbonate production, are identified in Provence. A comparable stratigraphic scenario is proposed for the peri-Vocontian Urgonian platforms. In Provence, the reservoir compartmentalisation of the Urgonian platform is mainly controlled by the sequence stratigraphic context that induced a distinction between early cemented carbonates and those preserving part of their original porosity. The geological rules provided in this study 1) are implemented into a 3-D numerical model intended for fluid-flow simulations at the scale of the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse karstic aquifer, whose karst spring is the fifth largest in the world, and 2) help in predicting the sedimentary and petrophysical heterogeneities of carbonate systems

The Aptian-Santonian(?) Bisbee Group in the Whetstone Mountains comprises 2375 m of clastic sedimentary rocks and limestones. The basal Glance Conglomerate unconformably overlies the Pennsylvanian-Permian Naco Group. It consists of limestone conglomerates which were deposited in proximal alluvial fan environments. The superadjacent Willow Canyon Formation contains finer grained rocks which were deposited in the distal portions of alluvial fans. The lacustrine limestones in the Apache Canyon Formation interfinger with and overlie these alluvial fan facies. The overlying Shellenberger Canyon Formation is composed mostly of terrigenous rocks derived from westerly terranes. This formation contains thick sequences of fluvio-deltaic facies as well as a thin interval of estuarine deposits which mark a northwestern extension of the marine transgression in the Bisbee -Chihuahua Embayment. The youngest formation (Upper Cretaceous?) in the Bisbee Group, the Turney Ranch Formation, consists of interbedded sandstones and marls which were deposited by fluvial and marine(?) processes.