CLIMATE-EUSTASY-TECTONICS INTERACTIONS - A LESSON FROM UPPER CRETACEOUS DATA

A recent detailed analysis of southeastern France upper Cretaceous ser ies has evidenced that Cenomanian-Turonian and Turonian-Coniacian boun daries are marked by quick and large amplitude relative sea lever chan ges. Comparisons with other sections in different worldwide basins are coincident with the observations pointed out in southeast France. We establish: (1) high-frequency synchronous events in different geodynam ic settings, (2) the superposition of various hierarchically eustatic cycles i.e. the superimposition of high-frequency oscillations on a th ird-order trend. Two possible mechanisms responsible of these observat ions are emphasized and discussed: glacio-eustasy versus high-frequenc y tectonics. (C) Elsevier, Paris.