Geological Assessment of Turonian - Coniacian terrestrial sedimentation records during climatic recovery, Moreno Hill Formation, Zuni Basin

Understanding of Upper Cretaceous terrestrial sediments within the Western Interior Basin is advancing; however, the Turonian–Coniacian transition remains enigmatic. Recent chronometry of the Moreno Hill Formation indicates that sediment deposition took place during this interval of geodynamic upheaval and climatic recovery immediately following the peak of the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum (CTM). To decipher these effects, the sedimentary record of the Moreno Hill Formation was reassessed near the type section, and near Quemado, New Mexico (USA) using facies analysis and architectural reconstruction. Seven facies types (thirteen lithofacies codes), eleven architectural elements, and three facies associations were identified. Sedimentation within the floodplain of the lower Moreno Hill Formation was affected by the east-migrating forebulge of the Western Interior Basin. Furthermore, increasingly bedload-rich multi-story channel complexes and a transition from near-coastal to alluvial coals reflect gradual climatic cooling and overall regression of the Western Interior Seaway (with interruption by a regional [T2–R2] transgressive-regressive sequence). This is consistent with more subaerial conditions indicative of continued regression reflected within the floodplain sediments of the upper Moreno Hill Formation. Whilst diversion of westerly fluvial feeder systems by ongoing forebulge migration also affected sediment transport and deposition, a return to more suspended-load-rich single-story channels and thin coals are tied to an intervening (T3) transgression. Repetitive paleosol sequences throughout the Moreno Hill Formation indicate groundwater fluctuation in response to these base level changes. Together with detrital zircon-based geochronology, these slight sedimentary differences support a revised subdivision from three into two members: lower and upper. Beyond feeding the seaward Gallup Delta, the newly defined lower member correlates to the Toreva, Straight Cliffs (Smoky Hollow member), Ferron Sandstone, Funk Valley and Frontier formations (Dry Hollow Member) and the upper member to the Wepo and Straight Cliffs (John Henry Member) formations within the Kaiparowits, Notom, Last Chance and Vernal fluvio-deltaic systems. Landward sediments of the Cardium Formation (Canada) correlate with the lower and upper members of the Moreno Hill Formation.