Paleoenvironment reconstructions and climate simulations of the Early Triassic: Impact of the water and sediment supply on the preservation of fluvial systems

• Published in: Geodinamica acta Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 431 - 446
• Main Authors: Péron, Samuel, Bourquin, Sylvie, Fluteau, Frédéric, Guillocheau, François
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cachan Taylor & Francis Group 2005; Lavoisier; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Bgi / Prodig; Climate simulations; Climatology; Early Triassic; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fluvial sedimentation; Palaeogeography; Paleogeographic maps; Physical geography; Sciences of the Universe; Stratigraphy; West-Tethys domain; North Africa; Western Europe; Northern Africa; Europe; Africa; Mesozoic; Triassic; fluvial sedimentation; Lower Triassic; Europe; simulation; Africa; paleogeography; Phanerozoic; paleoclimate; Precipitation; Simulation; Palaeoclimate; Palaeo-environment; Stratigraphy; Sedimentation; Fluvial processes; climate simulation; West-Tethys domain; early triassic; paleogeographic maps
• ISSN: 0985-3111; 1778-3593
• DOI: 10.3166/ga.18.431-446

Paleoenvironmental reconstructions and climatic modelling allow us to investigate the influence of water and sediment supply on the preservation of fluvial systems within a given geodynamic context. To simulate climate, we need global-scale paleoenvironmental and paleotopographic reconstructions. However, the present study only covers the West-Tethys domain, where sedimentological and stratigraphic data allow us to check climate simulation results against geological data. We focus our modelling on the Olenekian, with the aim of characterizing the impact of climate on fluvial sedimentation in the West-Tethys domain. The climatic simulations show that paleoclimates differ between Western Europe and North Africa. A more humid climate is simulated over North Africa, whereas a rather arid climate prevails over Western Europe. In Western Europe, the sediments are preserved for the most part in endoreic basins and the presence of rivers in an arid environment suggests that these rivers are mainly fed by precipitation falling on the North Africa Variscan Mountains. In North Africa, sedimentation is exclusively preserved in exoreic basins (coastal plain sediments). Consequently, the lack of preserved fluvial systems in endoreic basins in North Africa either could be due to a shortage of accommodation space in this area, or is linked to the climatic conditions that controlled the water and sediment supply.