FACIES ARCHITECTURE AND SEQUENTIAL EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY ESTUARINE FILL:
THE CUJUPE FORMATION (UPPER CRETACEOUS TO ?LOWER TERTIARY), SÃO LUÍS BASIN,
NORTHERN BRAZIL
DILCE DE FÁTIMA ROSSETTI
Departamento de Ecologia, Museu Paraense Emı́lio Goeldi, Av. Magalhães Barata, 376 CP 399, Belém, Pará CEP 66040-170, Brazil
ABSTRACT: The Cujupe Formation (Upper Cretaceous–?Lower Ter-
tiary) represents the uppermost part of the Itapecuru Group in the
eastern margin of the São Luı́s Basin (northern Brazil). This unit con-
sists of deposits formed mainly by tidal processes, and is attributed to
tidal channel, subtidal bay fill, tidal shoal/sand flat, and tidal delta
depositional settings. Five stratigraphic intervals (US1–US5), defined
by discontinuity surfaces (L1–L5) capped by lags, were recognized
within this unit.
The Cujupe Formation represents the estuarine fill of an incised
paleovalley. The estuarine nature of these deposits is suggested by sev-
eral indirect lines of evidence, including: (1) tidally influenced facies
associations that change rapidly over short distances; (2) dominance
of tidal-channel deposits; and (3) an ichnological assemblage suggestive
of highly stressed, brackish-water conditions. The five units and the
bounding surfaces of the Cujupe Formation indicate a complex estu-
arine setting. Analysis of facies architecture within the stratigraphic
intervals points to deposition in an estuary that changed dramatically
from a wave-dominated (US1/US2) to a tide-dominated one (US3).
Such a change in style records amplification of the tidal prism, which
caused flooding of the estuary as the paleocoast dynamics shifted from
wave-dominated to tide-dominated conditions. The flooding process is
interpreted to reflect rise in relative sea level during the transgression
of the paleovalley. The subsequent units (US4 and US5) formed in a
tide-dominated estuarine setting, but with increased fluvial influence.
Their origin is attributed to high-frequency episodes of progradation
that took place during the turnaround from the transgressive to the
highstand stage of the estuary evolution.
INTRODUCTION
There has been recent increased documentation on the sedimentological
and sequence-stratigraphic development of modern incised-valley estuarine
fills (Van Wagoner et al. 1990; Zaitlin et al. 1994). As a result of these
studies, models have been proposed to synthesize the conceptual basis and
stratigraphic implications of wave- and tide-dominated estuarine end mem-
bers (Dalrymple et al. 1992), and case studies have been presented to il-
lustrate them (Zaitlin and Shultz 1990; Dalrymple and Zaitlin 1994). How-
ever, recognition of ancient estuarine deposits is still difficult, because of
the highly variable sedimentary record. This results from a combination of
factors, including: (1) relative balance between fluvial and marine influxes;
(2) fluctuations in relative sea level; (3) rate of sediment supply; and (4)
coastal morphology. In addition to these complexities, studies of outcrops
emphasizing primary sedimentological data in combination with sequence
stratigraphy are still insufficient to provide complete understanding of the
origin and organization of ancient analogues.
This paper aims to present the sedimentological features and the se-
quence stratigraphic significance of an estuarine fill on the basis of the
combination of outcrop and subsurface data. The case study is the Cujupe
Formation of the Itapecuru Group, exposed in the eastern margin of the
São Luı́s Basin, northern Brazil (Fig. 1). These deposits have not previously
been described in detail, and the existing reports have attributed them to a
continental origin (Cunha and Del’Arco 1988; Colares and Cavalcanti
1990). An exception is the work of Rodrigues et al. (1990), who suggested
a general shallow marine setting. The present work shows the dominance
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH, VOL. 68, NO. 2, MARCH, 1998, P. 299–310
Copyright q 1998, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) 1073-130X/98/068-299/$03.00
of tidal processes in the study area, and that the facies associations are
consistent with their formation within an incised-valley estuarine setting.
The estuarine deposits discussed herein provide an opportunity to compare
the facies patterns preserved at the mouth of both a wave-dominated and
a tide-dominated estuary. In most of the ancient analogues documented in
the literature, these deposits have been totally removed by wave or tidal
ravinement during ensuing transgression (Cheel and Leckie 1990; Willis
and Moslow 1994). Emphasis will be placed on both facies variations and
physical surfaces within the estuarine deposits in order to understand their
sequential evolution through time within the context of relative sea-level
changes.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND STRATIGRAPHY
The São Luı́s Basin is an elongated, northwest/southeast-trending struc-
ture formed in the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, as a result of northeast/
southwest regional extension related to the origin of the South Atlantic
Ocean (Azevedo 1991). The tectonic evolution of the São Luı́s Graben is
summarized into three main stages (Fig. 2). The pre-rift stage, in the Ap-
tian, resulted in a broad, slowly subsiding depression (Aranha et al. 1990).
The rift stage occurred in the Albian, when the basin underwent a pull-
apart phase (Aranha et al. 1990; Azevedo 1991). The drift stage started in
the late Albian to Cenomanian with fast Atlantic sea-floor spreading, and
resulted in northward tilting of the basin. From this time on, several east/
west- and northeast/southwest-oriented normal faults attributed to a region-
al dextral strike-slip system were reactivated in the São Luı́s Basin (Aranha
et al. 1990; Azevedo 1991).
Deposits in the Aptian basin consist of fluvial and lacustrine sandstones
(Grajaú Formation), black shales, limestones, and anhydrite (Codó For-
mation). Between these deposits and the Oligo-Miocene Pirabas Formation
or mid-Miocene Barreiras Formation there is a thick (1000–3000 m) sil-
iciclastic unit (Carvalho 1987; Aranha et al. 1990) termed the Itapecuru
Group (Rossetti and Truckenbrodt in press). The lower part of this group,
informally called the Undifferentiated Unit, accumulated in the Albian pull-
apart stage. It consists of coarse-grained sandstones attributed to fluvial and
deltaic depositional settings (e.g., Carvalho 1987; Aranha et al. 1990). The
Undifferentiated Unit is overlain by the Alcântara and Cujupe formations
(Fig. 3A–C; Rossetti and Truckenbrodt in press), which record the north-
ward basin tilting during the late Albian to early (?) Tertiary. The Alcântara
Formation is an interval up to 35 m thick deposited during the early Cen-
omanian (Pedrão et al. 1993; Rossetti 1997). The Cujupe Formation is up
to 25 m thick, and has an uncertain age because no biostratigraphically
constrained data have been recovered. A maximum Cenomanian age and
minimum Paleogene age is indicated from its stratigraphic position above
the lower Cenomanian Alcântara Formation and below the Oligo-Miocene
Pirabas Formation (Rossetti and Truckenbrodt in press). Previous workers
(Cunha and Del’Arco 1988; Colares and Cavalcanti 1990) have interpreted
these units as representing alluvial-fan, braided-fluvial, eolian, lacustrine,
and deltaic depositional settings.
DESCRIPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF FACIES ASSOCIATIONS
Six facies have been recognized in the study area. Each facies was coded
with a capital letter to represent lithology and a small letter to represent
structure. Genetically related facies defined four recurring facies associa-
300 D.F. ROSSETTI
tions (assigned 1 to 4) attributed to tidal channel, subtidal bay fill, tidal
delta, and tidal shoal/sand flat depositional settings (Fig. 3A, C). The key
points of description and interpretation detailed in this section are sum-
marized in Table 1.
Facies Association 1: Tidal-Channel Deposits
Facies Association 1 (Fig. 4–5) consists of deposits with either scoop-
shaped or undulating basal bounding surfaces marked by lags of quartz
pebbles and/or mudstone intraclasts. The deposits are several to many
hundreds of meters wide and up to 8 m thick, though deposits as thin
as 0.5 m are more common. Thinning- and fining-upward successions
FIG. 1.—Location map of the study area with
the outcrops of the Itapecuru Group in the
eastern margin of the São Luı́s Basin (northern
Brazil), and the wells used in this study. The
main structural lineaments of the basin are also
shown in the insert map.
are common. The trace fossils Ophiomorpha, Skolithos, and Arenicol-
ites are locally present. Four facies are recognized in this association:
1. Sigmoidal Cross-stratified Sandstone (Ssg).—Facies Ssg is a
special type of small- to medium-scale, oppositely dipping, cross-bed-
ded sandstone having sets with sigmoidal geometry (Fig. 4A). Individ-
ual sets are 0.05–0.55 m thick (averaging 0.30 m) and extend 0.60–3
m oblique to paleoflow. The boundaries of sigmoidal sets are marked
by millimeters- to centimeters-thick mudstone layers, which were lo-
cally eroded to produce mudstone clasts. The foresets have sigmoidal,
concave, or planar shapes. They are oriented in either a dominant north-
east or a subordinate southwest direction.
2. Planar Cross-stratified Sandstone (Spc).—Facies Spc comprises
FIG. 2.—General stratigraphy of the São Luı́s
Basin.
 FACIES AND EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY FILL, NORTHERN BRAZIL 301

FIG. 3.—A) Gamma-ray pattern of the Alcântara and Cujupe formations in Well 2-AL-1-MA (see Figure 1 for location). B, C) Representative measured sections from
the Alcântara Formation (A) and Cujupe Formation (B) in the study area.

moderately to well-sorted, fine- to medium-grained sandstone with pla-
nar, commonly tangential, cross-stratification (Fig. 4B). The sets are
either tabular or wedge-shaped, and vary in thickness from medium-
scale (average thickness, 0.40 m) up to 1 m. Minor trough cross-sets
are locally present. Reactivation surfaces and/or multiple mud drapes
separate foreset packages, and locally define thick/thin bundles, as are
present in Facies Slc of Facies Association 1 (Fig. 4B). Groups with
thicker bundles alternate with groups with thinner bundles in a down-
flow direction. Thinner-bundled groups correspond to an elevation of
the set boundary, whereas thicker-bundled ones correspond to a de-
pression of the set boundary (Fig. 4B). Paleocurrent measurements
show a dominant northeast flow direction.
3. Intraformational Conglomerate with Sandstone Lenses
(GS).—Facies GS consists of units up to 6 m thick, with intraforma-
302 D.F. ROSSETTI

TABLE 1.—Main characteristics of the facies associations recognized in the study area

Type Facies Assemblage Description Interpretation

1 Ssg, Spc, GS, Sandstone and mudstone with erosionally, basal bounding surface, which are commonly concave-up in shape and have intraformational Tidal channel
and H lags. The fill is represented by sigmoidal and planar cross-stratified sandstones, intraformational conglomerate with sandstone lenses, and
heterolithic bedded deposits. Features suggestive of ebb/flood and neap/spring tidal cycles are present. Ophiomorpha, Skolithos and
Arenicolites are dispersed in this facies association.
2 H Heterolithic (flaser, wavy, lenticular and pinstripe) bedded-deposits that surround tidal channel deposits. Abundant carbonaceous debris, Subtidal bay fill
and synaeresis cracks. Thickening upward successions. The trace fossils identified in this facies association are Thalassinoides, Arenicol- (tidal bar)
ites, Diplocraterion, Planolites and (?) Muensteria.
3 Sm/d, Ssg Deposits with lobate geometry formed by a sandy nucleus with massive/deformed bedding and minor tidal-generated sigmoidal bedding, Tidal delta
which pinch out laterally, ending into low energy bay mudstone. The sandy nucleus presents low ichnological diversity, being mostly
represented by Ophiomorpha. Diversity increases toward the delta margin, which includes burrows such as Planolites, Thalassinoides,
Diplocraterion, and (?) Muensteria.
4 Sh and H Deposits internally characterized by microsequence formed of alternations of parallel lamination with micro-cross lamination, flaser, and/or Tidal shoal/sand flat
wavy/lenticular bedding. Skolithos, Diplocraterion and (?) Palaeophycus are common trace fossils in this facies association.

tional mudstone intraclasts interbedded with lenses of massive/de-
formed sandstone up to 1 m thick and 60 m long. The mudstone intra-
clasts are subrounded to rounded and poorly sorted. The conglomerates
are clast-supported and have a moderately to well-sorted, fine-grained
sandy matrix.
4. Heterolithic-Bedded Facies (H).—Facies H consists of sandstone
and mudstone interbedded in variable proportions, which form pin-
stripe, lenticular, wavy, and flaser bedding. The sandstone layers are
massive (structureless), cross-laminated, or parallel laminated. Unidi-
rectional, generally northeast-oriented paleocurrents dominate, though
oppositely dipping laminae are also present. Two orders of cycles are
locally recognized (Fig. 5A–B). A first-order cycle consists of alter-
nating thicker/thinner sandstone layers several centimeters thick and
displays reversing paleocurrents. A second-order cycle consists of sand-
ier packages 20–25 m thick with thicker/thinner bundles, which alter-
nate with muddier packages 10–15 m thick.
Interpretation.—Facies Association 1 is attributed to channel de-
posits on the basis of the following features: (1) erosional lower bound-
ing surfaces with lags; (2) common channel geometry; and (3) internal
organization into thinning- and fining-upward successions. Ophiomor-
pha, Skolithos, and Arenicolites are typical of sandy, high-energy set-
tings. The sedimentary structures suggest tidal influence. The sigmoidal
bedding (Facies Ssg) is similar to features recorded in tide-influenced
settings (Mutti et al. 1985; Kreisa and Moiola 1986; Nio and Yang
1991). The oppositely dipping cross-sets are consistent with a tidal in-
terpretation and probably record ebb–flood tidal cycles. The thick/thin
bundle sequences of Facies Spc suggest ebb–flood tidal cycles (Yang
and Nio 1985; Leckie and Singh 1991; Shanley et al. 1992). The lateral
alternation between groups with thicker bundles and thinner bundles
and the lateral change in the lower set boundaries are attributed to
spring/neap tidal cycles (Boersma and Terwindt 1981; Mowbray and
Visser 1984). The thicker-bundled groups with depressed set boundaries
probably formed during more energetic, and consequently more erosive,
spring tides. The thinner-bundled groups with elevated set boundaries

FIG. 4.—A) Line drawing of sigmoidal cross-

stratified sandstone (Facies Ssg), with set
boundaries marked by thin mudstones (dense
tone) that are either continuous or interrupted,
forming mud clasts. Note the internal cross-
strata, which dip in different directions. B)
Details of tidal-channel deposits showing cross-
stratified sandstone with neap/spring tidal cycles
(see text for explanations). The blowup shows
one neap/spring cycle, with the foresets arranged
into packages separated by reactivation surfaces
and/or mud drapes (arrows). In the left side of
the blowup, note thick and thin bundles defined
by mud couplets, which are attributed to ebb/
flood tidal fluctuation.
 FACIES AND EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY FILL, NORTHERN BRAZIL
FIG. 5.—A) Schematic representation of the two orders of cycles observed in the heterolithic bedding (Facies H) described in the text. B) Photograph of a second-order
(neap and spring) cycle. Note the alternation of oppositely dipping cross-sets in the interval attributed to spring tide, which are interpreted as the record of ebb and flood
tides. (e 5 ebb tide; f 5 flood tide; S 5 spring tide; N 5 neap tide).
would have formed during less energetic, and consequently less erosive,
neap tides. The dominance of unidirectional cross-stratification resulted
from highly asymmetrical tidal currents. The first-order cycles of Facies
H are attributed to flood/ebb tidal fluctuations. Reversing paleocurrent
directions within the sandstone couplets reinforce this interpretation and
indicate that the subordinate current was locally strong enough to trans-
port sand and form small ripples. The second-order cycles, represented
by the vertical alternation of sandier and muddier packages internally
containing flood/ebb bundles, probably record spring/neap cycles.
Sandier packages probably formed during peak energy associated with
spring tides. Conversely, muddier packages formed toward the neap
tides, as the current became progressively weaker, which caused di-
minished sand transport and favored mud accumulation.
Facies Association 2: Subtidal Bay Fill Deposits
Facies Association 2 is characterized by thick intervals (up to 8 m)
consisting entirely of heterolithic beds that surround tidal-channel de-
posits. These deposits are similar to Facies H of Facies Association 1,
being represented by sandstone and mudstone interbedded in variable
proportions. Sandstone layers are structureless or cross-laminated. Op-
positely dipping cross-laminae, reactivation surfaces, and mud drapes
are common within the sandstone beds, as are symmetrical ripple marks
at their tops. The heterolithic-bedded unit locally forms coarsening/
thickening-upward successions. The two orders of cycles attributed to
ebb/flood and spring/neap tides that are present in Facies H of Facies
Association 1 are also common in Facies Association 2. Thalassinoides,
Arenicolites, Diplocraterion, Planolites, and (?)Muensteria are locally
abundant (Fig. 6A–B), as are carbonaceous debris, ferruginous concre-
tions 2–3 cm in diameter, and synaeresis cracks (Fig. 6C).
Interpretation.—Facies Association 2 is attributed to subtidal bay-
fill deposits, on the basis of several sedimentary features. The abun-
dance of carbonaceous debris and ferruginous concretions suggests de-
position under reducing conditions, as occurs in bay settings. The pres-
ence of two orders of cycles attributed to ebb/flood and neap/spring
tides is consistent with deposition in the subtidal zone. The dominance
303
of deposits formed below mean tide, laterally and vertically adjacent to
tidal channels, is a relationship that is in agreement with a bay-fill
setting. The synaeresis cracks and the low ichnological diversity sug-
gest stressed conditions, caused probably by changes in water salinity,
a situation favored in embayments (Kidder 1990). The coarsening/thick-
ening upward successions probably record the progradation of subtidal
sand bars into the low-energy bay settings (Allen 1991).
Facies Association 3: Tidal-Delta Deposits
Facies Association 3 (Fig. 7A–C) comprises sigmoidal cross-bedded
and massive/deformed sandstones. The grains are in general well-sort-
ed, moderately to well-rounded, and fine-grained. The sigmoidal cross-
stratified sandstones are similar to Facies Ssg of Facies Association 1.
The massive/deformed sandstone (Facies Sm/d; Fig. 7C) displays a va-
riety of soft-sediment deformation structures, including: (1) massive
bedding; (2) convolute bedding; (3) widely spaced, isolated pillars less
than 2 cm high (Fig. 7B); (4) small-scale flame structures and load
casts; and (5) small-scale slumps. The sandstones are arranged into
lenses up to 1 m thick and 200 m wide, following the depositional strike
direction (Fig. 7A). The lenses form sandy nuclei that are 3–7 m thick,
and they laterally interfinger with subtidal-bay mudstones of Facies As-
sociation 2. Burrows, such as Ophiomorpha, are rare in the central sand-
stones but become abundant and more diversified marginward (Diplo-
craterion, Thalassinoides, Skolithos, and (?)Muensteria). Paleocurrent
data derived from the cross-stratified sandstones indicate dominant
northeast flows with a subordinate, reverse-oriented mode.
Interpretation.—Facies Association 3 is interpreted as tidal-delta
deposits on the basis of the tidal nature of Facies Ssg (see previous
discussion), the architecture of the sandstone bodies, and the abundance
of massive/deformed sandstone. The geometry, represented by a sandy
nucleus that laterally interfingers with bay-fill deposits, is interpreted
to reflect the cross-sectional view of deltaic lobes (Imperato et al. 1988;
Sha 1990). The sandy nuclei probably record rapid seaward sediment
accumulation around active channel troughs, an interpretation consis-
tent with the abundance of massive/deformed sandstones. Sedimenta-
304 D.F. ROSSETTI
tion rates were probably high because the confined flow lost its com-
petence when it entered a standing body of water. These massive/de-
formed beddings, which are typical of delta settings, record water es-
cape from rapidly accumulated, unconsolidated to semiconsolidated
deposits (Lowe 1975; Van Loon and Brodzikowski 1987). The scarce
burrowing in the sandy nucleus and intense burrowing marginward re-
flects a lateral decrease in flow energy, typical of delta lobes. The delta
margin provided better habitats for fauna, probably because of lower
sedimentation rates. The good textural maturity of the sand grains is
further consistent with deposition in a delta setting. Sediments depos-
ited in deltaic areas have commonly undergone reworking by waves
and longshore currents, resulting in deposits with well-sorted and well-
rounded sand grains (Imperato et al. 1988).
The main northeast dip of the cross-beds suggests that the delta lobes
formed largely under dominant ebb tidal currents, assuming that the
land area was to the southwest (see paleocurrent interpretation). The
cross-stratified sandstones with subordinate, reverse-oriented paleocur-
rent data record zones with flood-current influence, which might reflect
a flood tidal delta and/or marginal flood-oriented tidal channels.
Facies Association 4: Tidal-Shoal and Sand-Flat Deposits
Facies Association 4 consists of horizontally laminated sandstone
(Facies Sh), and minor heterolithic-bedded deposits (Facies H). Facies
Sh is represented by fine- to medium-grained sandstones with horizon-
tal, planar lamination. Facies H includes thick-bedded, flaser-bedded,
and minor wavy-bedded components. This association is up to 6 m thick
and interfingers with bay-fill deposits that typically surround the tidal-
channel association. Facies Association 4 can be subdivided into mi-
FIG. 6.—Sedimentary features from tidal-
channel and subtidal bay-fill deposits (Facies
Association 2), illustrating: A) Thalassinoides
(the arrows indicate bifurcation points where
branches are enlarged, a typical feature in this
type of burrow); B) Diplocraterion; and C)
synaeresis cracks (plan view).
crosequences that average 10–20 cm in thickness and are separated by
sharp, commonly erosional contacts (Fig. 8). Individual microsequences
consist of horizontal, parallel-laminated sandstones (Facies Sh) overlain
by one of the following: (1) small-scale cross-laminated sandstone; (2)
flaser-bedded sandstone and mudstone; or (3) wavy-bedded sandstone
and mudstone. In addition, parallel-laminated units are locally separated
by mudstone layers. Burrowing is rare in this association, except for
areas characterized by high-density but low-diversity suites of trace
fossils, such as Skolithos, Diplocraterion, and ?Palaeophycus.
Interpretation.—Facies Association 4 is interpreted as tidal-shoal
and sand-flat deposits on the basis of the spatial relationship with other
tidal deposits and internal microsequences. The increased sand depo-
sition relative to the bay-fill deposits and the distribution around tidal-
channel deposits are characteristics that support a tidal-shoal and sand-
flat depositional setting for this facies association. The microsequences
record deposition in laterally adjacent high-energy (parallel lamination)
and low-energy (e.g., flaser and wavy bedding) areas, which are typical
of tidal-shoal and sand-flat settings. Similar ancient microsequences
have been attributed to tidal-shoal settings (Nio et al. 1980; Richards
1994). Finally, the ichnological assemblage indicates an energetic, shal-
low marine setting, which is consistent with this interpretation, since
flow energy increases over shallow shoal areas (Johnson and Levell
1995).
FACIES ARCHITECTURE
Despite its apparent lithological uniformity, the Cujupe Formation
has prominent discontinuity surfaces with associated lags. These sur-
faces are laterally extensive for several thousands of meters and cut
 FACIES AND EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY FILL, NORTHERN BRAZIL 305

FIG. 7.—A) Schematic representation of tidal-delta deposits, showing the geometry represented by a sandy nucleus that grades laterally into mudstone. Bioturbation (;)
is sparse to absent in the center of the delta lobe but increases dramatically marginward (the enclosed box locates part B). B) Field photograph of the tidal-delta deposits,
illustrating part of the sandy nucleus, overlain by tidal-channel deposits (see encircled people for scale). C) A detail of part B (see enclosed box for location), showing
poorly structured to massive bedding with large-scale pillars (arrows).

into a variety of depositional environments, subdividing the deposits
into five units defined as US1 to US5 (Fig. 9). The lags contain quartz,
granite, mudstone, wood fragments, and ferruginous nodules, are only
one pebble layer thick (3–5 cm), and are commonly iron oxide ce-
mented. US1 and US2 are each up to 8 m thick, and consist of tidal-
channel (Facies Association 1), tidal-delta (Facies Association 3), and
minor bay-fill deposits (Facies Association 2). US3 to US5 each range
from 1 to 10 m thick and consist of tidal-channel, bay-fill (tidal-bar),
and tidal-shoal and sand-flat deposits (Facies Association 4). The
bounding surface and pebble lag at the top of US5 is also marked by a
lateritic paleosol horizon. Major differences in the sedimentology of
the five units warrant discussion. (1) The change from US2 to the upper
units is accompanied by a significant modification in the paleocurrent
data. A northeast paleocurrent mode dominates in the US2 unit, but the
degree of dispersion increases and southwest-directed cross-bedding be-
comes more abundant upward. (2) Units US4 and US5 show a decrease
in both burrowing and features diagnostic of tidal processes (i.e., tidal
bundles). (3) There is a substantial increase in grain size and in the

FIG. 8.—Microsequences from tidal-shoal and

sand-flat deposits.
306 D.F. ROSSETTI

FIG. 9.—Measured section of the Cujupe Formation, showing the spatial distribution of facies associations and their subdivision into five units (US1–US5), bounded by
erosional surfaces with lags (L1–L5).

content of feldspar grains in the sandstones of the upper two units rel-
ative to the lower three units.
DISCUSSION OF THE DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEM
Several indirect lines of evidence suggest that the Cujupe Formation
formed within an estuarine setting. (1) Sedimentary features character-
istic of a variety of tide-generated depositional settings are abundant.
(2) Tidal-channel deposits are abundant. From a stratigraphic view-
point, an estuary consists of strata formed in the intertidal and shallow
subtidal zone, and are mainly represented by channel-form deposits
(Frey and Howard 1986). The crosscutting channel deposits of this in-
stance show complex deposition within the confines of larger channel
systems. Scour-based successions containing numerous tidal-channel
deposits linked to a variety of laterally adjacent, tide-dominated envi-
ronments are common in many modern and ancient estuarine succes-
sions (Allen 1991; Leckie and Singh 1991; Richards 1994; Ainsworth
1994). (3) The abundant, but low-diversity, trace fossil assemblage is
suggestive of highly stressed, brackish biotopes, which is consistent
with estuarine settings, where shifting substrates and fluctuations in
turbidity, salinity, and temperature are common (Frey and Howard
1986; Allen 1993).
The dominant northeast and subordinate southwest orientation of
tide-generated cross-bedding within the Cujupe Formation suggests a
northwest/southeast paleocoast orientation with land areas to the south/
southwest. Dominant ebb tides are preferentially preserved in estuarine
settings such as this, because ebb flows are typically enhanced by fresh-
water runoff (Johnson and Levell 1995).
The architectural organization of the facies associations in the Cujupe
Formation, and the five stratigraphic units (US1–US5), suggest depo-
sition along a coast with changing dynamics through time. A wave-
dominated estuary is suggested for units US1 and US2, on the basis of
the dominance of tidal-delta deposits that interfinger with tidal-channel
sandstones and minor, lower-energy, bay mudstones. Tidal-delta de-
posits in wave-dominated estuaries develop either in association with
barriers and tidal inlets in the outermost zone or with inner bayhead
delta areas (Clark and Reinson 1990; Dalrymple et al. 1992). The dom-
inance of well-sorted, well-rounded, quartz-arenite lithologies in these

FIG. 10.—Gamma-ray correlation showing the subsurface distribution of the paleovalley represented by the Cujupe Formation, which is incised into another paleovalley
(Alcântara Formation). Note that the base of these deposits is bounded by an erosional surface with pronounced erosional relief, interpreted to represent a sequence boundary
formed during low relative sea level.
 FACIES AND EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY FILL, NORTHERN BRAZIL
FIG. 11.—Stratigraphic evolution of the Cujupe Formation in the study area. A
sequence boundary (SB1) developed at the top of the Alcântara Formation as a result
of sea level drop, subaerial erosion, and associated fluvial incision (A). Slow rise in
sea level during the subsequent late lowstand and/or early transgression led to re-
working of fluvial deposits and development of a new wave-dominated estuary (B).
High-frequency transgressions resulted in translation of the system landward, pro-
ducing transgressive ravinement surfaces with lags (L1 and L2). Rapid transgression
caused destruction of the barrier at the estuary mouth and amplification of the tidal
307
tidal-delta deposits is probably the result of wave reworking, which is
favored at the estuary mouth. Under moderate tidal influence, tidal del-
tas may represent the major component of the outermost estuarine sand
plug (Boyd and Honing 1992). In contrast to US2, a barred coastline
is unlikely for the overlying units because tidal-delta and lagoon de-
posits are absent. Instead, the dominance of tidal-channel deposits and
the widespread bay-fill (tidal-bar) and tidal-shoal and sand-flat deposits
are consistent with a funnel-shaped, tide-dominated estuary (Woodroffe
et al. 1989; Allen 1990; Oertel et al. 1991; Blondel et al. 1993).
GEOMETRY OF THE INCISED PALEOVALLEY
Regional surface mapping reveals that the Cujupe Formation forms
a northeast/southwest-trending, elongated belt at least 150 km long and
20–30 km wide. The unit is part of an interval nearly 30 m thick with
blocky to funnel-shaped gamma ray pattern. This stratigraphic interval
is marked at the base by a subtle increase in gamma-ray signals, indi-
cating a sharp lithological boundary. Correlations of gamma ray profiles
indicate that the surface defined by this contact extends for several
kilometers southwestward of the study area (i.e., following the depo-
sitional dip direction) and has about 40 m of relief (Fig. 10).
The Cujupe Formation is interpreted to represent part of an incised
paleovalley. First, this is suggested because estuarine deposits are the
main components of incised-valley fills (Zaitlin et al. 1994). Second,
deposition within a large depression or valley is consistent with: (1) the
surface distribution as an elongated belt; and (2) the subsurface occur-
rence in a stratigraphic interval bounded by a basal surface with pro-
nounced relief. The upward transition from blocky to funnel-shaped
gamma ray profiles is in agreement with the paleovalley hypothesis,
since many ancient and modern analogues show similar patterns (Zaitlin
and Shultz 1990; Van Wagoner et al. 1990; Jennette et al. 1991). This
paleovalley is incised into the Alcántara Formation (Fig. 10), which is
also attributed to an estuarine incised valley (Rossetti 1996).
SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS
The presence of estuarine deposits in the Cujupe Formation implies rise
in relative sea level exceeding the rate of sediment supply (Nichols et al.
1994), a situation that occurs during deposition of the late lowstand systems
tract (LST), the transgressive systems tract (TST), or the highstand systems
tract (HST) (Dalrymple et al. 1992).
The stratigraphic evolution of the Cujupe Formation was complex (Fig.
11A–E). Comparing the architectural organization of facies associations
from US1 to US5 allows understanding of the genesis of the bounding
surfaces, as well as the stratigraphic implications of the Cujupe Formation
within the context of fluctuations in relative sea level. The passage from
US1/US2 to US3 units shows a dramatic change from a wave-dominated
to a tide-dominated estuarine style (Fig. 11B–C), which could reflect a
paleocoast characterized by either lateral variation in tidal regime (Blondel
et al. 1993) or fluctuating dynamics through time (Siringan and Anderson
1993; Dalrymple and Zaitlin 1994; Oost 1995). Strong along-shore migra-
tion would have been necessary to superpose a tide-dominated system upon
a wave-dominated system. This scenario is unlikely because tide-dominated
coasts typically do not show significant lateral migration. Thus, the passage
from a wave-dominated estuary (US2) to a tide-dominated estuary (US3)
was probably a function of changing paleocoastline dynamics.
←
prism, which resulted in a change into a tide-dominated estuary (C). Following a
maximum transgression (L3), the estuary translated basinward (D). This highstand
progradation ended in a period of relative sea-level fall with subaerial exposure and
development of a widespread lateritic soil horizon, which formed a sequence bound-
ary (SB2). The interpreted systems tracts are indicated in (E).
308 D.F. ROSSETTI
The evolution from US1/US2 to US3 involved baymouth opening, re-
sulting from destruction of the barrier and inlet complex in the distal set-
tings of the estuary. This is shown by the disappearance of the tidal delta
in the US3 unit. Opening of the estuary mouth caused amplification of the
tidal prism. By comparison with modern analogs, this opening is attributed
to rise in relative sea level (Siringan and Anderson 1993; Dalrymple and
Zaitlin 1994; Oost 1995). The estuary flooded and became deeper as trans-
gression took place. The increased dispersion of paleocurrent data and more
abundant southwest-oriented cross-beds in the upper units relative to US2
are attributed to increased strength of the subordinate, flood-oriented tidal
currents. This change in flow pattern is consistent with the increased trans-
gressive nature of the estuary (Leckie and Singh 1991; Dalrymple and
Zaitlin 1994). Considering that rise in relative sea level caused the transi-
tion from US2 to US3, then the lag-covered surface (L2) between these
units constitutes a flooding surface (Fig. 11C). Erosion along the bounding
surface probably is the result of tidal ravinement, which reworked coarse
material from seaward positions and shifted it landward.
In contrast to the change from US1/US2 to US3, the subsequent stages
in the estuary evolution were not marked by major changes in facies as-
sociations. Like US3, the US4 and US5 intervals consist mainly of tidal
channels, tidal shoals, and sand flats, and bay-fill (tidal-bar) deposits, which
are typical of tide-dominated estuaries. Despite the similarities in environ-
mental settings, however, units US4 and US5 are considered to represent
distinct depositional stages in the evolution of the estuarine incised valley,
for two main reasons. First, this interpretation is suggested by the laterally
FIG. 12.—Schematic diagram illustrating the
proposed origin of the stratigraphic units and
bounding surfaces of the Cujupe Formation,
within the context of high-frequency relative sea-
level fluctuations superimposed upon an overall
transgression to early highstand sea-level stage.
extensive bounding surfaces with lags (i.e., L3–L4), which are comparable
to the L2 between US2 and US3. Second, these upper units probably were
deposited under increasing fluvial influence compared to the lower units
(Fig. 11D), as inferred from: (1) the upward increase in both sand grain
size and content of feldspar grains; and (2) the upward decrease in grain
sorting, features diagnostic of tidal processes, and trace fossils.
The proposed increase in fluvial influence in the upper part of the Cujupe
Formation suggests a change from transgression to progradation, a situation
typical of the transition from TST to HST (assuming that all other factors,
such as rate of sediment supply and subsidence, remained constant; Fig.
11E). Therefore, the bounding surface between US3 and US4 is a good
candidate for a maximum flooding surface (Fig. 11D). Units US4 and US5
are attributed to two later, high-frequency episodes of progradation, which
occurred as the rate of relative sea-level rise began to decline during the
early HST. The bounding surface (L4) between these units probably formed
in response to increased sea-level rises, and thus also constitutes a flooding
surface. Rapid fluctuations in relative sea level superimposed upon a lower
sea-level cycle more likely explain this, as well as the other flooding sur-
faces of the Cujupe Formation (Fig. 12). During an overall transgression,
increasing accommodation causes rapid (high-frequency) rises to be ex-
aggerated, whereas falls are minimized (Mitchum and Van Wagoner 1991).
As a result, fluvial incision and subaerial exposure are less extensive during
the TST and HST (Mitchum and Van Wagoner 1991). Rather, exaggerated
rises lead to the formation of prominent flooding surfaces, similar to those
in the Cujupe Formation. If high-frequency cycles superimposed upon an
 FACIES AND EVOLUTION OF AN INCISED-VALLEY FILL, NORTHERN BRAZIL
overall early HST explain the flooding surfaces in this unit, then the strati-
graphic intervals bounded by these surfaces are parasequences (cf. Van
Wagoner et al. 1990) formed during periods of decreased rates of sea-level
rise or stillstands following rapid transgression (Fig. 12).
Progradation in the upper unit culminated in a period of subaerial ex-
posure and development of an extensive lateritic soil horizon (L5; Figs. 9;
11E), attributed to a period of relative sea-level fall. The fall in sea level
was of sufficient magnitude to generate an unconformity (i.e., sequence
boundary) at the top of the Cujupe Formation (US5). During this erosion,
deposits formed in the HST of the incised valley fill were partly removed.
ORIGIN OF THE PALEOVALLEY
A variety of factors promote valley incision (Schumm and Ethridge
1994), but relative sea-level fall, associated with eustasy and/or tectonism,
is believed to be the primary cause of most of the incised valleys docu-
mented in the ancient record (Zaitlin et al. 1994). The preservation of two
superimposed paleovalleys in the study area, represented by the Alcántara
and Cujupe formations, suggests tectonic control during their establish-
ment. This hypothesis is consistent with the structural history of the São
Luı́s Basin. The Aptian structural lineaments of this basin were reactivated
in the Albian through the Tertiary. Reactivation of older tilted blocks is
common during the post-rift phase of divergent-plate-margin basins, and
may reflect periodic increases in the rate of thermal subsidence (Frostick
and Steel 1993). The paleovalley in the study area developed along a re-
sulting graben at low sea level. Increased accommodation rate caused by
the faulting led to subsequent relative sea-level rise and accumulation of
the Cujupe Formation. Other studies have proposed the formation of pa-
leovalleys by structural deformation. The Upper Cretaceous Tocito paleo-
valleys in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, represent linear depressions
formed by reactivation of older normal faults during relative sea-level low-
stand, along which estuarine systems developed during subsequent trans-
gression (Jennette et al. 1991). In addition, many early Cretaceous paleo-
valleys in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana formed along
grabens (Weimer et al. 1982). A structural control on the origin of the
paleovalley in the study area is further supported by its northeast/southwest
orientation, which parallels main strike-slip faults in the São Luı́s Basin
(Fig. 1). Further studies are required, however, in order to investigate this
hypothesis.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The Cujupe Formation (Upper Cretaceous to ?Lower Tertiary), ex-
posed in the eastern margin of the São Luı́s Basin, northern Brazil, records
part of an incised-valley fill, probably deposited along a graben. This unit
consists entirely of tide-generated deposits, attributed to channel, bay-fill,
delta, shoal and sand-flat depositional settings. Facies architecture and ero-
sionally bounded discontinuities within the Cujupe Formation record a
complex estuarine system that evolved from wave-dominated to tide-dom-
inated.
2. The complex estuarine system represented by the Cujupe Formation,
records high-frequency relative sea-level rises and relative stillstands at the
transition from an overall transgression to a highstand phase. Data derived
from the Cujupe Formation reveal that the superimposition of high-fre-
quency rises in relative sea level on an overall transgressive to highstand
stage favored the formation of prominent discontinuity surfaces mantled
by lags. These surfaces are interpreted as marine flooding surfaces, and are
exaggerated with respect to their magnitudes because of the additive rela-
tionship between the high-frequency rise and the overall TST to HST con-
ditions. Thin deposits between flooding surfaces represent sediment accu-
mulation during high stillstand periods.
3. The passage from fast to slow relative sea-level rise (marking the
transition from TST to HST) in an estuarine system causes important
309
changes in tidal conditions, and consequently in the character of the de-
positional facies. This is demonstrated by the deposits of the Cujupe For-
mation, where this transition is accompanied by a dramatic change from a
wave-dominated to a tide-dominated estuary.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writer thanks the Brazilian National Science Council (CNPq), the Goeldi
Museum (MPEG), the Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center (EMARC),
Sigma Xi, the Walker Van-Riper Funds, and the Graduate School of the University
of Colorado for providing financial support during the field work. Dr. Mary Kraus,
Dr. W. Truckenbrodt, A.N. Rodrigues, and J. Anaisse are acknowledged for their
valuable discussions and field assistance. The author is also grateful to Dr. J.A.
MacEachern and Dr. G. Nadon for their valuable suggestions and comments, which
helped improve the manuscript. This paper is a contribution to the IGCP Project
381, South Atlantic Mesozoic Correlations.
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Received 17 December 1996; accepted 9 October 1997.