Carbonate Platform Slopes — A Record of Changing Conditions

Periplatform slope sediments from the Bahamas serve as an example for a small-scale sedimentologic record of environmental changes. Carbonate platforms react sensitively to sea-level fluctuations. Therefore, sediments deposited on the slope during lowstands differ in composition from highstand deposits. A second focus is the early diagenetic alteration and cementation of these sediments with their high diagenetic potential. This work seeks to contribute to and discuss developments in carbonate sedimentology such as the concepts of highstand shedding and early burial diagenesis, which also have an impact on reservoir studies.