C and O isotope stratigraphy in shallow-marine carbonate: a tool for sequence stratigraphy (example from the Lodève region, peritethian domain)

Carbon and Oxygen isotope profiles from a well-dated carbonate section spanning the Sinemurian time on the Caussenard High (southeast France) are compared to sedimentological data and the results from sequence stratigraphy analysis, in order to discuss the origin of isotopic variations in a shallow-marine carbonate succession. The sedimentological study has enabled the identification of four types of depositional environments (peritidal, lagoonal, sand shoal, outer-shelf) that formed meter-scale cycles. The latter are arranged in two third-order cycles whose boundaries correspond to distinct δ13C and δ18O negative peaks (at the end of the Hettangian time and during Middle Sinemurian). The origin of the isotopic signals is discussed and several hypothesis are envisaged: sea water ageing, early meteoric diagenesis. Isotopic curves observed here seems to be related to early meteoric diagenesis linked to variations of third-order sea-level cycles rather than environmental factors (temperature, salinity).