Chemical composition of late Eocene–early Oligocene corals in reef buildups from the Thrace basin, Bulgaria–Greece: Paleoenvironmental implications

Coral whole-rock geochemistry and in situ LA-ICP-MS analyses of coral skeletons were performed on late Eocene–early Oligocene coral reef buildups from the Eastern Rhodope–Thrace region of Bulgaria and Greece. Coral reefs are locally associated with voluminous Oligocene volcanism in the region. The reefs are subdivided into (i) eruption-associated reefs (Krumovgrad); (ii) pre-eruption reefs (Ivaylovgrad); and (iii) Metaxades-Didymotycho reefs from field relations, trace element and rare-earth element (REE) abundances. Coral assemblages are dominated by Cladocora sp., which is accompanied by Porites sp., Colpophyllia sp., Favites sp. and Leptoseris sp. Eruption-associated reefs are characterized by their higher REE content than the lower in all REE contents of pre-eruption reefs showing negative Ce anomaly, and Metaxades-Didymotycho reefs that have lower middle-heavy REE contents compared to previous groups. Trace element and REE geochemistry of the coral skeletons indicates volcanic contribution to seawater, mostly evident in the eruption associated reefs, and contribution from terrestrial input in the site of coral buildup deposition. Contribution from a different source of prior diagenetic nature, along with subsequent diagenetic modification, is inferred. The increase in REE+Y (ΣREY) from pre-eruption to eruption-associated reefs is well correlated with elevated amounts of terrigenous elements like Al and Fe.