Alluvial fan and lacustrine sediments from the Stephanian A and B (La Magdalena, Ciñera—Matallana and Sabero) coalfields, northern Spain

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Abstract
Vertical sequence analysis within 1500‐2500 m thick coarse‐grained coalfield successions allows six sedimentary associations to be distinguished. These are interpreted in terms of depositional environments on, or related to alluvial fans which fringed a fault bounded source region. (i) Topographic valley and fanhead canyon fills: occurring at the bases of the coalfield successions and comprising sporadically reddened, scree, conglomeratic thinning and fining upward sequences, and fine‐grained coal‐bearing sediments. (ii) Alluvial fan channels: conglomerate and sandstone filled. (iii) Mid‐fan conglomeratic and sandstone lobes: laterally extensive, thickly bedded (1‐25 m) and varying from structureless coarse conglomerates and pebbly sandstones, to stratified fine conglomerates and cross‐bedded sandstones. (iv) Interlobe and interchannel: siltstones, fine‐grained sheet sandstones, abundant floras, thin coals and upright trees. (v) Distal fan: 10 cm‐1.5 m thick sheet sandstones which preserve numerous upright trees, separated by silt‐stones and mudstones with abundant floras, and coal seams. The sheet sandstones and normally arranged in sequences of beds which become thicker and coarser or thinner and finer upwards. These trends also occur in combination. (vi) Lacustrine: coals, limestones, and fine‐grained, low‐energy, regressive, coarsening upward sequences.Proximal fan sediments are only preserved in certain basal deposits of these coalfields. The majority of the successions comprise mid and distal alluvial fan and lacustrine sediments. Mid‐fan depositional processes consisted of debris flows and turbulent streamflows, whilst sheetfloods dominated active distal areas. A tropical and seasonal climate allowed vegetation to colonize abandoned fan surfaces and perhaps resulted in localized diagenetic reddening. Worked coals, from 10s cm‐20 m thick, occur in the distal fan and lacustrine environments.These alluvial fan deposits infill‘California‐like’basins developed and preserved along major structural zones. In many of their characteristics, in particular the occurrence of thinning and fining, and thickening and coarsening upward sequences and megasequences, these sediments have similarities to documented ancient submarine fan deposits.

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