The Main Late Cretaceous Tectonic Episodes Controlling the Deposition of Rudist-Rich Platform Carbonates in Central Tunisia

In the Sidi Bouzid area (Central Tunisia), the Late Cretaceous sedimentation was controlled by tectonic movements that occur during two main episodes. A first active episode occurs during the Cenomanian-Early to Middle Turonian interval, the second tectonic instabilities start at the Campanian. Between these two active periods, a quieter episode marks the Late Turonian-Early Campanian interval. During the latter, a relatively homogeneous sedimentation mainly represented by marlstones and argillaceous limestones tend to seal the irregular paleotopography inherited since the previous period of extensional tectonic movements. This relatively quiet period appears marked, in contrast, by a sea level rise mainly related to a generalized transition. Similar events were also described abroad in other localities of the Tethyan margin (Philip in Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 196:19–37, 2003 [8]).