Orbitolina episodes in carbonate platform evolution: the early Aptian model from SE Spain

Among the Orbitolininae, Palorbitolina lenticularis (Blumenbach) is a common facies marker in Upper Barremian-Lower Aptian shallow water Mesogean deposits and was hitherto ascribed to specific, but contrasting paleoenvironments within the carbonate platform facies suites. The Albacete-Prebetic area (SE Spain) illustrates a model in which the Palorbitolina facies spread over the whole platform system. The development of the Palorbitolina sediments coincided with a transgressive trend at the end of an important terrigenous period. This model could also be applied to similar Middle Crotaceous “Orbitolina” facies.