Carbonate Environments and Sequences of Caicos Platform – Caicos, British West Indies to Miami, Florida, July 20 – 26, 1989, Volume T374

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Field Trip Guidebooks Series, Volume 374.

The goal of this field excursion is to contrast the depositional environments and sedimentary facies of two carbonate platform settings: the south Florida carbonate peninsula and Caicos Platform. In doing this, we will not only contrast how physiographic setting and climate strongly influence shallow-marine carbonate sedimentation but, at the same time, present new alternative models of Bahamian sedimentation with direct application to the interpretation and prediction of comparable ancient carbonate facies and sequences.

In addition to containing a typical suite of Holocene sedimentary facies, Caicos Platform also exhibits superb outcropping Pleistocene marine and non-marine sequences, providing a rare opportunity to see how modern facies are preserved in three dimensions.

To allow comparison of major controls on shallow-marine carbonate sedimentation, this field excursion will begin by briefly examining Holocene sedimentary environments and facies forming in south Florida under the influence of a non-oceanic, low-relief, shelf setting and a rainy climate.