Upper Carboniferous cyclic shelf deposits, Kapp Kare Formation, Bjornoya, Svalbard: response to high frequency, high amplitude sea level fluctuationsand local tectonism

The upper Bashkirian-Moscovian Kapp Kare Formation is well-exposed in coast al cliff sections along the west coast of Bjornoya, Svalbard, It is compose d of stacked cycles of mixed siliciclastics and carbonates in the lower Bog evika Member and of cyclic shelf carbonates in the overlying Efuglvika Memb er. The uppermost Kobbebukta Member consists of shelf carbonates and syntec tonic conglomerates and sandy turbidites. The shift in cycle types reflects an overall transgression of the region during the Moscovian combined with renewed tectonic activity and uplift of eastern Bjornoya during the late Mo scovian, Twelve carbonate facies and 6 siliciclastic facies are distinguish ed. The carbonate facies range from intertidal dolomitic mudstones with pse udomorphs after gypsum to subwavebase, intensely bioturbated wackestones. M ost carbonates an deeper subtidal facies and shallow marine carbonate facie s are only common in the transgressive part of mixed siliciclastic-carbonat e cycles of the Bogevika Member. Incorporating the effects of high amplitud e, high frequency glacioeustacy and active extensional tectonism, a dynamic model is developed to explain the spatial variability of facies observed w ithin the Kapp Kare Formation. Observations from Bjornoya are placed within the context of the regional structural and stratigraphic framework so that significance of the study to ongoing exploration efforts in the Barents Se a can be evaluated. Most important, our observations suggest that dolomitiz ed, porous carbonate buildups are most likely to be found in the upper Mosc ovian succession in areas where accommodation space increased temporarily d ue to local tectonism.