Synchroneity of major late Neogene sea level fluctuations and paleoceanographically controlled changes as recorded by two carbonate platforms

Shallow-water carbonate systems are reliable recorders of sea level fluctua tions and changes in ambient seawater conditions. Drilling results from Oce an Drilling Program (ODP) Legs 133 and 166 indicate that the timing of late Neogene sedimentary breaks triggered by sea level lowerings is synchronous in the sedimentary successions of the Queensland Plateau and the Great Bah ama Bank. This synchrony indicates that these sea level changes were eustat ic in origin. The carbonate platforms were also affected by contemporary, p aleoceanographically controlled fluctuations in carbonate production. Paleo ceanographic changes are recorded at 10.7, 3.6, and 1.7 - 2.0 Ma. at the Qu eensland Plateau, sea surface temperature shifts are documented by shifts f rom tropical to temperate carbonates (10.7 Ma) and vice versa (3.6 Ma); the modern tropical platform was established at 2.0-1.8 Ma. At Great Bahama Ba nk, changes were registered in compositional variations of platform-derived sediment, such as major occurrence of peloids (3.6 Ma) and higher rates of neritic carbonate input (1.7 Ma). The synchroneity of these changes attest s to the far-field effects of modifications in the oceanographic circulatio n on shallow-water, low-latitude carbonate production.