Controls of Facies Architecture and Dolomitization on the Stratigraphic Correlation of Miocene Carbonate Build-Ups in Southern Central Luconia

Miocene carbonate build-ups in southern Central Luconia exhibit strong lateral variability in geometry, internal facies organisation, and diagenetic overprint, despite forming within a broadly similar climatic and tectonic setting. Establishing reliable stratigraphic correlations among neighbouring build-ups therefore requires approaches that integrate internal facies successions with regional-scale stratigraphic markers, rather than relying solely on external morphology.

This contribution examines the correlation of Miocene carbonate build-ups across the southern Central Luconia province by integrating core-based facies analysis with seismic stratigraphy and geomorphology. Emphasis is placed on the identification and lateral tracing of flooding surfaces and sequence boundaries associated with Miocene depositional cycles, and on evaluating how diagenetic modification influences stratigraphic expression. Cycles II to V are shown to provide regionally consistent stratigraphic frameworks that can be recognised across multiple build-ups, despite differences in platform thickness and margin geometry.

Results indicate that flooding-related tight carbonate intervals form laterally persistent markers that enable correlation between build-ups developed on different structural highs. Facies stacking patterns reveal systematic transitions from aggradational platform growth to backstepping and pinnacle development during relative sea-level rise. Superimposed on these depositional trends, dolomitization has a significant control on facies preservation and log response, locally enhancing or masking original depositional textures. Dolomitized intervals commonly coincide with exposure-related surfaces and restricted lagoonal facies, suggesting a strong link between relative sea-level change, fluid circulation, and diagenetic alteration during the Miocene.

The integration of stratigraphic architecture and diagenetic patterns provides a more robust basis for correlating Miocene carbonate build-ups in southern Central Luconia.