Seep-carbonates as indicators of global cooling events (Miocene, northern Apennines

Recent studies in dating seep-carbonates suggest that their occurrence is controlled by climatic changes (TEICHERT et alii 2003). KIEL (2009) suggests that this correlation exists from the late Jurassic to Recent, and shows a statistically relevant correlations between the frequency of seep-carbonates in the past 150 Ma and low deep-water temperature and low sea- levels. In the Miocene of the northern Apennines, the abundance and the extent of the seep-carbonates from different tectonic-sedimentary settings, foredeep to satellite basins, provide a rare opportunity to study the tectonic and/or climatic controls on seepage (CONTI & FONTANA, 1999 A detailed stratigraphic and biostratigraphic study of carbonates and enclosing marls indicates that the stratigraphic horizon bearing seep-carbonates lies between the T. cf. T. quinqueloba AE (13.75 Ma) and the P. siakensis A1B (13.32 Ma) encompassing a time interval of about 400.000 years. Since the AE of T. cf. T. quinqueloba approximates the mid- Miocene global cooling event, we infer that the beginning of the seep-carbonate precipitation in the Vicchio Marls seems to be related to this climatic event (Fig. 2). We assume that the ascent and emission of methane-rich fluids may have been triggered by the pressure drop due to the eustatic fall associated with the Mi3b event, estimated in about 60 m (HILGEN et alii, 2009). A drop of the hydraulic pressure on the plumbing