The Influence of Variable (Monsoon) Rainfall on Sedimentation in the Roaches Grit and Other Upper Carboniferous Delta Sequences in the UK Pennine Basin
The Roaches Grit in the UK Pennine Basin was a complex deep water deltaic sequence deposited during the Late Carboniferous glacial period. The channels of the upper part of the Roaches Grit, deposited towards the end of the cyclothem after the eustatic minimum, contain evidence for very high seasonal discharges related to strong monsoon rainfall in the catchment areas. In some channels, intense turbulence near the delta front, led to knick point recession and deep incision. These channels were filled with sediments during reduced discharge, including very large sets of cross-bedding up to 16 m thick. Channels were short-lived with frequent avulsions. Over time slightly lower discharges formed laterally migrating channels dominated by bar forms. Different discharge-controlled processes operated on the reactivated delta slope. Incised channels generated turbidity currents during floods which transported sediments directly into the basin far from the delta. Migrating channels built mouth bars; resedimentation during floods formed density currents which then deposited sediment on the lower parts of the slope.
References
[1]
Jones, C.M. (1980) Deltaic Sedimentation in the Roaches Grit and Associated Sediments (Namurian R2b) in the South-West Pennines. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 43, 39-67. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.43.1.39
[2]
Jones, C.M. (2022) Climatic Influences on Upper Carboniferous (Serpukhovian to Mid-Bashkirian) Sedimentary Sequences in the UK Pennine and Other European Basins. International Journal of Geosciences, 13, 715-778. https://doi.org/10.4236/ijg.2022.138038
[3]
Jones, C.M. (2014) Controls on Deltaic Sedimentation in Glacio-Eustatic Cycles of Late Marsdenian (Namurian R 2b 4 to R 2c 1, Pennsylvanian) Age in the UK Central Pennine Basin. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 60, 63-84. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs2014-343
[4]
Jones, C.M. (1977) The Sedimentology of Carboniferous Fluvial and Deltaic Se-quences; The Roaches Grit Group in the South West Pennines and Pennant Sand-stone of the Rhondda Valleys. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Keele.
[5]
Jones, C.M. (1979) Tabular Cross-Bedding in Upper Carboniferous Fluvial Channel Sediments in the Southern Pennines, England. Sedimentary Geology, 24, 85-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/0037-0738(79)90030-7
[6]
Jones, C.M. and Chisholm, J.I. (1997) The Roaches and Ashover Grits: Sequence Stratigraphic Interpretation of a ‘Turbidite-Fronted Delta’ System. Geological Journal, 32, 45-68. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1099-1034(199703)32:1<45::aid-gj720>3.0.co;2-c
[7]
Jones, C.M. and Mccabe, P.J. (1980) Erosion Surfaces within Giant Fluvial Cross-Beds of the Carboniferous in Northern England. SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research, 50, 613-620. https://doi.org/10.1306/212f7a63-2b24-11d7-8648000102c1865d
[8]
Maynard, J.R. (1992) Sequence Stratigraphy of the Upper Yeadonian of Northern England. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 9, 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-8172(92)90091-r
[9]
Martinsen, O.J. (1993) Namurian (Late Carboniferous) Depositional Systems of the Craven-Askrigg Area, Northern England; Implications for Sequence-Stratigraphic Models. In: Posamentier, H.W., Summerhayes, C.P., Haq, B.U. and Allen, G.P. Eds., Sequence Stratigraphy and Facies Associations, Wiley, 247-281. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444304015.ch14
[10]
Church, K.D. and Gawthorpe, R.L. (1994) High Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy of the Late Namurian in the Widmerpool Gulf (East Midlands, UK). Marine and Petroleum Geology, 11, 528-544. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-8172(94)90066-3
[11]
Wignall, P.B. and Maynard, J.R. (1996) High-Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy in the Early Marsdenian (Namurian, Carboniferous) of the Central Pennines and Adjacent Areas. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 51, 127-140. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.51.2.127
[12]
Hampson, G.J. (1997) A Sequence Stratigraphic Model for Deposition of the Lower Kinderscout Delta, an Upper Carboniferous Turbidite-Fronted Delta. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 51, 273-296. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.51.4.273
[13]
Kutzbach, J.E. and Gallimore, R.G. (1989) Pangaean Climates: Megamonsoons of the Megacontinent. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 94, 3341-3357. https://doi.org/10.1029/jd094id03p03341
[14]
Fielding, C.R., Frank, T.D., Birgenheier, L.P., Rygel, M.C., Jones, A.T. and Roberts, J. (2008) Stratigraphic Record and Facies Associations of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age in Eastern Australia (new South Wales and Queensland). In: Fielding, C.R., Frank, T. D. and Isbell, J.L. Eds., SpecialPaper441:ResolvingtheLatePaleozoicIceAgeinTimeandSpace, Geological Society of America, 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1130/2008.2441(03)
[15]
Fielding, C.R., Frank, T.D., Birgenheier, L.P., Rygel, M.C., Jones, A.T. and Roberts, J. (2008) Stratigraphic Imprint of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age in Eastern Australia: A Record of Alternating Glacial and Nonglacial Climate Regime. Journal of the Geological Society, 165, 129-140. https://doi.org/10.1144/0016-76492007-036
[16]
Roscher, M. and Schneider, J.W. (2006) Permo-Carboniferous Climate: Early Pennsylvanian to Late Permian Climate Development of Central Europe in a Regional and Global Context. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 265, 95-136. https://doi.org/10.1144/gsl.sp.2006.265.01.05
[17]
Aitkenhead, N., Chisholm, J.I. and Stephenson, I.P. (1985) Geology of the Country around Buxton, Leek and Bakewell. British Geological Survey.
[18]
Evans, W.B., Wilson, A.A., Taylor, B.J. and Price, D. (1968) Geology of the Country around Macclesfield, Congleton, Crewe and Middlewich. University of Michigan Library.
[19]
Stephenson, I.P. and Gaunt, G.D. (1971) Geology of the Country around Chapel en le Frith (Memoir of the Geological Survey of Great Britain). Hmso.
Collinson, J.D. (1968) Deltaic Sedimentation Units in the Upper Carboniferous of Northern England. Sedimentology, 10, 233-254. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1968.tb00833.x
[22]
Collinson, J.D. (1969) The Sedimentology of the Grindslow Shales and the Kinderscout Grit: A Deltaic Complex in the Namurian of Northern England. SEPMJournalofSedimentaryResearch, 39, 194-221. https://doi.org/10.1306/74d71c17-2b21-11d7-8648000102c1865d
[23]
Baines, J.G. (1977) The Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of the Skipton Moor Grits (Namurian E1c) and Their Lateral Equivalents. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Keele.
[24]
Sims, A.P. (1988) The Evolution of A Sand-Rich Basin-Fill Sequence in the Pendleian (Namurian E1c) of North-West England. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.
[25]
Bijkerk, J.F. (2014) External Controls on Sedimentary Sequences: A Field and Analogue Modeling-Based Study. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.
[26]
Collinson, J.D. (1988) Controls on Namurian sedimentation in the Central Province BASINS of northern England. In: Besly, B.M. and Kelling, G. Eds., Sedimentationina Synorogenic Basin Complex: The UpperCarboniferousofNorthwestEurope, Blackie, 85-101.
[27]
McCabe, P.J. (1977) Deep Distributary Channels and Giant Bedforms in the Upper Carboniferous of the Central Pennines, Northern England. Sedimentology, 24, 271-290. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1977.tb00257.x
[28]
Collinson, J.D. (1966) Antidune Bedding in the Namurian of Derbyshire England. GeologieenMijnbouw, W, 45, 262-264.
[29]
Plink-Björklund, P. (2015) Morphodynamics of Rivers Strongly Affected by Monsoon Precipitation: Review of Depositional Style and Forcing Factors. SedimentaryGeology, 323, 110-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2015.04.004
[30]
Wang, R., Colombera, L. and Mountney, N.P. (2020) Palaeohydrological Characteristics and Palaeogeographic Reconstructions of Incised-Valley-Fill Systems: Insights from the Namurian Successions of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Sedimentology, 67, 3844-3873. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12773
[31]
Collinson, J.D. (1970) Deep Channels, Massive Beds and Turbidity Current Genesis in the Central Pennine Basin. ProceedingsoftheYorkshireGeologicalSociety, 37, 495-519. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.37.4.495
Best, J.L., Ashworth, P.J., Mosselman, E., Sarker, M.H. and Roden, J.E. (2020) The Jamuna-Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh, In: Gupta, A. Ed., LargeRivers: Geomor-phologyandManagement, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 1-67.
[34]
Pareta, K. (2021) River Morphological Modeling of Brahmaputra River, Assam. In-ternationalJournalofHydropowerandCivilEngineering, 2, 8-17.
[35]
Jones, C.M. (1977) Effects of Varying Discharge Regimes on Bed-Form Sedimentary Structures in Modern Rivers. Geology, 5, 567-570. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1977)5<567:eovdro>2.0.co;2
[36]
Fielding, C.R., Alexander, J. and Allen, J.P. (2018) The Role of Discharge Variability in the Formation and Preservation of Alluvial Sediment Bodies. SedimentaryGeology, 365, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2017.12.022
[37]
Soltan, R. and Mountney, N.P. (2015) Interpreting Complex Fluvial Channel and Barform Architecture: Carboniferous Central Pennine Province, Northern England. Sedimentology, 63, 207-252. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12224
[38]
Cliff, R.A., Drewery, S.E. and Leeder, M.R. (1991) Sourcelands for the Carboniferous Pennine River System: Constraints from Sedimentary Evidence and U-Pb Geochronology Using Zircon and Monazite. GeologicalSociety, London, SpecialPublications, 57, 137-159. https://doi.org/10.1144/gsl.sp.1991.057.01.12
[39]
Hallsworth, C.R. and Chisholm, J.I. (2000) Stratigraphic Evolution of Provenance Characteristics in Westphalian Sandstones of the Yorkshire Coalfield. ProceedingsoftheYorkshireGeologicalSociety, 53, 43-72. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.53.1.43
[40]
Hallsworth, C.R., Morton, A.C., Claoué-Long, J. and Fanning, C.M. (2000) Carboniferous Sand Provenance in the Pennine Basin, UK: Constraints from Heavy Mineral and Detrital Zircon Age Data. SedimentaryGeology, 137, 147-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0037-0738(00)00153-6
[41]
Evans, J.A., Chisholm, J.I. and Leng, M.J. (2001) How U-Pb Detrital Monazite Ages Contribute to the Interpretation of the Pennine Basin Infill. JournaloftheGeologicalSociety, 158, 741-744. https://doi.org/10.1144/0016-764901-038
[42]
Morton, A.C., Claoué-Long, J.C. and Hallsworth, C.R. (2001) Zircon Age and Heavy Mineral Constraints on Provenance of North Sea Carboniferous Sandstones. MarineandPetroleumGeology, 18, 319-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0264-8172(00)00065-9
[43]
Morton, A.C. and Whitham, A.G. (2002) The Millstone Grit of Northern England: A Response to Tectonic Evolution of a Northern Sourceland. ProceedingsoftheYorkshireGeologicalSociety, 54, 47-56. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.54.1.47
[44]
Hallsworth, C.R. and Chisholm, J.I. (2008) Provenance of Late Carboniferous Sandstones in the Pennine Basin (UK) from Combined Heavy Mineral, Garnet Geochemistry and Palaeocurrent Studies. SedimentaryGeology, 203, 196-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2007.11.002
[45]
Tyrrell, S., Haughton, P.D.W., Daly, J.S., Kokfelt, T.F. and Gagnevin, D. (2006) The Use of the Common Pb Isotope Composition of Detrital K-Feldspar Grains as a Provenance Tool and Its Application to Upper Carboniferous Paleodrainage, Northern England. JournalofSedimentaryResearch, 76, 324-345. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2006.023
[46]
Sorby, H.C. (1849) The Structure and Origin of the Millstone-Grit of South Yorkshire. ProceedingsoftheYorkshireGeologicalSociety, 3, 669-675. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.3.669
[47]
Gilligan, A. (1919) The Petrography of the Millstone Grit of Yorkshire. QuarterlyJournaloftheGeologicalSocietyofLondon, 75, 251-294. https://doi.org/10.1144/gsl.jgs.1919.075.01-04.23
[48]
Lancaster, P.J., Daly, J.S., Storey, C.D. and Morton, A.C. (2016) Interrogating the Provenance of Large River Systems: Multi-Proxy inSitu Analyses in the Millstone Grit, Yorkshire. JournaloftheGeologicalSociety, 174, 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-069
[49]
Scotese, C.R. (2014) Atlas of Permo-Carboniferous Paleogeographic Maps (Moll-weide Projection), Maps 53-64, Vol. 4, the late Paleozoic, PALEOMAP Atlas for ArcGIS, PALEOMAP Project, Evanston, IL.
[50]
Herrmann, S.M. and Mohr, K.I. (2011) A Continental-Scale Classification of Rainfall Seasonality Regimes in Africa Based on Gridded Precipitation and Land Surface Temperature Products. JournalofAppliedMeteorologyandClimatology, 50, 2504-2513. https://doi.org/10.1175/jamc-d-11-024.1
[51]
Nguetsop, V.F., Bentaleb, I., Favier, C., Martin, C., Bietrix, S., Giresse, P., etal. (2011) Past Environmental and Climatic Changes during the Last 7200 Cal Yr BP in Adamawa Plateau (Northern-Cameroun) Based on Fossil Diatoms and Sedimentary Carbon Isotopic Records from Lake Mbalang. ClimateofthePast, 7, 1371-1393. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-7-1371-2011
[52]
Neves, R. (1958) Upper Carboniferous Plant Spore Assemblages from the Gastriocerassubcrenatum Horizon, North Staffordshire. GeologicalMagazine, 95, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0016756800062488
[53]
Scott, A.C., Galtier, J., Mapes, R.H. and Mapes, G. (1997) Palaeoecological and Evolutionary Significance of Anatomically Preserved Terrestrial Plants in Upper Carboniferous Marine Goniatite Bullions. JournaloftheGeologicalSociety, 154, 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1144/gsjgs.154.1.0061
[54]
Falcon-Lang, H.J. and Scott, A.C. (2000) Upland Ecology of Some Late Carboniferous Cordaitalean Trees from Nova Scotia and England. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 156, 225-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-0182(99)00142-x
[55]
Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2003) Anatomically-Preserved Cordaitalean Trees from Lower Pennsylvanian (Langsettian) Dryland Alluvial-Plain Deposits at Joggins, Nova Scotia. AtlanticGeology, 39, 255-261. https://doi.org/10.4138/1185
[56]
Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2007) A Cordaixylon Axis from Well-Drained Alluvial Plain Facies in the Lower Pennsylvanian Joggins Formation of Nova Scotia. AtlanticGeology, 43, 87-90. https://doi.org/10.4138/4262
[57]
DiMichele, W.A. (2014) Wetland-dryland Vegetational Dynamics in the Pennsylvanian Ice Age Tropics. InternationalJournalofPlantSciences, 175, 123-164. https://doi.org/10.1086/675235
[58]
Davies, S.H. and McLean, D. (1996) Spectral γ Ray and Palynological Characterisa-tion of Marine Bands in the Kinderscoutian (Namurian, Late Carboniferous) of the Pennine Basin. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 51, 103-114. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.51.2.103
[59]
Phillips, T.L. and Peppers, R.A. (1984) Changing Patterns of Pennsylvanian Coal-Swamp Vegetation and Implications of Climatic Control on Coal Occurrence. InternationalJournalofCoalGeology, 3, 205-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-5162(84)90019-3
[60]
Mapes, G., Rothwell, G.W. and Haworth, M.T. (1989) Evolution of Seed Dormancy. Nature, 337, 645-646. https://doi.org/10.1038/337645a0
[61]
Trewin, N.H. and Holdsworth, B.K. (1973) Sedimentation in the Lower Namurian Rocks of the North Staffordshire Basin. ProceedingsoftheYorkshireGeologicalSociety, 39, 371-408. https://doi.org/10.1144/pygs.39.3.371
[62]
Beerling, D.J., Woodward, F.I., Lomas, M.R., Wills, M.A., Quick, W.P. and Valdes, P.J. (1998) The Influence of Carboniferous Palaeoatmospheres on Plant Function: An Experimental and Modelling Assessment. PhilosophicalTransactionsoftheRoyalSocietyofLondon. SeriesB: BiologicalSciences, 353, 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1998.0196
[63]
Jian, J., Webster, P.J. and Hoyos, C.D. (2009) Large-Scale Controls on Ganges and Brahmaputra River Discharge on Intraseasonal and Seasonal Time-Scales. QuarterlyJournaloftheRoyalMeteorologicalSociety, 135, 353-370. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.384
[64]
Rao, M.P., Cook, E.R., Cook, B.I., D’Arrigo, R.D., Palmer, J.G., Lall, U., etal. (2020) Seven Centuries of Reconstructed Brahmaputra River Discharge Demonstrate Underestimated High Discharge and Flood Hazard Frequency. NatureCommunications, 11, Article No. 6017. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19795-6
[65]
Hardy, P.G. (1970) Aspects of Palaeoecology in Arenaceous Sediments of Upper Carboniferous Age in the Area around Manchester. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Manchester.
[66]
Martinsen, O.J. (1990) Fluvial, Inertia-Dominated Deltaic Deposition in the Namurian (Carboniferous) of Northern England. Sedimentology, 37, 1099-1113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1990.tb01848.x
[67]
Shukla, R.P., Rai, S. and Pandey, A.C. (2013) Southern and Tropical Indian Ocean SST: A Possible Predictor of Winter Monsoon Rainfall over South India. AtmosphericandClimateSciences, 3, 440-449. https://doi.org/10.4236/acs.2013.34045
[68]
Kumar, A., Pai, D.S., Singh, J.V., Singh, R. and Sikka, D.R. (2012) Statistical Models for Long-Range Forecasting of Southwest Monsoon Rainfall over India Using Step Wise Regression and Neural Network. AtmosphericandClimateSciences, 2, 322-336. https://doi.org/10.4236/acs.2012.23029
Byrne, M.P. and Schneider, T. (2016) Energetic Constraints on the Width of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. JournalofClimate, 29, 4709-4721. https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-15-0767.1
[71]
Nicholson, S.E. (2018) The ITCZ and the Seasonal Cycle over Equatorial Africa. BulletinoftheAmericanMeteorologicalSociety, 99, 337-348. https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-16-0287.1
[72]
Stemmerik, L. (2008) Influence of Late Paleozoic Gondwana Glaciations on the Depositional Evolution of the Northern Pangean Shelf, North Greenland, Svalbard, and the Barents Sea. In: Fielding, C.R., Frank, T. D. and Isbell, J.L. Eds., SpecialPaper 441: ResolvingtheLatePaleozoicIceAgeinTimeandSpace, Geological Society of America, 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1130/2008.2441(14)
[73]
Süss, M.P., Drozdzewski, G. and Schaefer, A. (2000) Sequenzstratigraphie des kohlefuehrenden Oberkarbons im Ruhr-Becken. Geologisches Jahrbuch A, 156, 45-106.
[74]
Süss, M.P., Drozdzewski, G. and Schaefer, A. (2002) The Ruhr and Aachen Basins; Sedimentary Environments, Sequence Stratigraphic Model, and Synsedimentary tec-Tonics of Variscan Foreland Basins (Namurian B/C to Westphalian C, W. Germany). In: Hills, L.V., Henderson, C.M. and Bamber, E.W. Eds., CarboniferousandPermianoftheWorld, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, 208-227.
[75]
Fiebig, H.E.R. (1971) Gesamtschichtenschnitt (Overall-Section) des Niederrheinisch-Westfaelischen Steinkohlengebietes (Stand 1970). In: Hedemann, H., Fabian, H.J., Fiebig, H. and Rabitz, A. Eds., Das Karbon in marin-paralischer Entwicklung. 7. International Congress, Stratigraphy, Geology, Carboniferous, Krefeld, C.R. Vol. 1, 29-47.
[76]
Hedemann, H.A. and Teichmüller, R. (1971) The Paleogeographical Development of the Upper Carboniferous. FortschritteinderGeologievonRheinlandUndWestfa-len, 6, 132-145.
[77]
Kullmann, J. (2005) Ammonoideen des deutschen Oberkarbons. CourierForschungsinstitutSenckenberg, 254, 25-30.
[78]
Ruddiman, W.F. (2003) Orbital Insolation, Ice Volume, and Greenhouse Gases. QuaternaryScienceReviews, 22, 1597-1629. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-3791(03)00087-8
[79]
Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Sinha, A., Spötl, C., Yi, L., Chen, S., etal. (2016) The Asian Monsoon over the Past 640,000 Years and Ice Age Terminations. Nature, 534, 640-646. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature18591
[80]
Berger, A. and Loutre, M.F. (1991) Insolation Values for the Climate of the Last 10 Million Years. QuaternaryScienceReviews, 10, 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-3791(91)90033-q
[81]
Imbrie, J., Berger, A., Boyle, E.A., Clemens, S.C., Duffy, A., Howard, W.R., etal. (1993) On the Structure and Origin of Major Glaciation Cycles 2. the 100, 000‐year Cycle. Paleoceanography, 8, 699-735. https://doi.org/10.1029/93pa02751
[82]
Shanahan, T.M., McKay, N.P., Hughen, K.A., Overpeck, J.T., Otto-Bliesner, B., Heil, C.W., etal. (2015) The Time-Transgressive Termination of the African Humid Period. NatureGeoscience, 8, 140-144. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2329
[83]
Skonieczny, C., Paillou, P., Bory, A., Bayon, G., Biscara, L., Crosta, X., etal. (2015) African Humid Periods Triggered the Reactivation of a Large River System in Western Sahara. NatureCommunications, 6, Article No. 8751. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9751