Topic VIII - Type of lake: synthesis and advances > VIII-5-Deep-time carbonate-rich lacustrine systems

Conveners

1. Cecilia Andrea Benavente (Instituto Argentino de Nivología Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Geology Department – Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Mendoza, Argentina)
2.  Concepción Arenas-Abad (Stratigraphy, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Spain)
3. Sila Pla-Pueyo (Department of Didactics of Experimental Sciences – Universidad de Granada Granada, Spain) 

With recent significant progress taking place in the study of ancient continental carbonates and the understanding that they are represented by diverse and complex facies associations, we have thought about bringing the continental carbonate working community together. Lacustrine carbonates record the interplay of several biological, physical, and chemical factors acting at different time scales, embracing very different aspects, from the microbiota crucial role in autochthonous precipitation up to sediment delivery load to the paleolake. Such interactions make them a robust tool of reconstruction of ancient lake basins, particularly from deep-time geologic records. Recent advances include refining the understanding of the role of groundwater in carbonate-rich paleolakes precipitation and the standardization of carbonate-rich palustrine facies associated with lacustrine systems; also, the modelling of paleoclimate trends from geochemistry proxies from continental carbonates. Detailed characterization of some climate milestones is also possible through multiproxy approaches. Because we acknowledge the complexity of these systems we would like to invite colleagues to share contributions about any aspects of ancient carbonate-rich lake basins such as sedimentology, mineralogy, geochemistry, paleontology, and their geodynamic context. Both single- and multiproxy studies, spanning different scales, are welcome. The session is conceived to encompass studies on fluvio-deltaic-lacustrine, palustrine and wetland subenvironments as well; and a variety of facies associations, including those formed in saline conditions. We encourage contributions focused in the obstacles encountered too, to bring interesting discussions on how to move forward in the discipline. Recent carbonate lacustrine system contributions will be accepted if they pinpoint keys to improve ancient lake basin understanding, such as modern analogues for particular processes or subenvironments.