Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2011, v.

81, 708–729
Research Article
DOI: 10.2110/jsr.2011.59

QUATERNARY ‘‘COMPOUND’’ INCISED VALLEY IN A MICROTIDAL ENVIRONMENT, ROUSSILLON

CONTINENTAL SHELF, WESTERN GULF OF LIONS, FRANCE

MICHEL TESSON,1,2 CAROLINE LABAUNE,1 BERNARD GENSOUS,1,2 JEAN-PIERRE SUC,3 MIHAELA MELINTE-DOBRINESCU,4
OLIVIER PARIZE,5 PATRICE IMBERT,6 AND VINCENT DELHAYE-PRAT7
1
GD ARGO, 14 Rue de Théza, 66100 Perpignan, France
2
BDSI-IMAGES, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 56 Avenue P. Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
3
Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (UMR 7193), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Place Jussieu, case 117, 75252 Paris, Cedex 05, France
4
GEOECOMAR, 23 Strada Dimitrie Onciu, Bucharest, Romania
5
ENSMP, presently AREVA, 33 Rue La Fayette, 75009 Paris, France
6
Total CST, Avenue Larribau 64000 PAU, Pau, France
7
Total TEPNG, East Delta Explo, Office E201, Plot 247, OJORA Close, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigéria

ABSTRACT: A buried system was observed using seismic data along the northern side of the Roussillon coastal plain and inner
shelf (Western Gulf of Lion, Mediterranean Sea) far from the nearest Agly and Têt rivers. It was interpreted as an example of
a ‘‘compound’’ type, which is subject to controversy.
A core 60 meters long was obtained on the sandy beach barrier between sea and lagoon approximately on the axis of the
basal surface of erosion mapped from seismic data and long core logs obtained previously on the coastal plain.
In the lower part of the core (264 m to 226 m b.p.s.l.) the main estuarine muddy-silt facies and thin levels of fluvial gravels
intercalated in the mud suggest that successive cycles of base-level and sea-level falls and rises were recorded. This
interpretation is confirmed by pollen diagrams showing several successive warming periods during climatic changes
(differentiated as ‘‘interglacial’’ phases) recorded by the estuarine muds. Owing to these correlated data we can attest that this
incised-valley system is of a ‘‘compound’’ type.
Every vertical succession of fluvial gravels and estuarine muddy silts represents a fundamental depositional sequence typical
of the ’’simple’’ model of wave-dominated incised-valley filling, truncated at the top by a subsequent base-level fall. Several
depositional sequence remnants are stacked upon each other.
The chronostratigraphic benchmark is based on microforaminiferal biomarkers which indicate that the time period covered
by the successive phases of base-level and sea-level cycles extends from MIS 16 (about 600,000 years B.P.) to MIS1 (present
day). The exact correlation of base level and sea level cycles with identified climate cycles remains partly approximate, but the
cycles which contain well-known plant associations are quite reliable.
The internal geometry of the incised-valley system, based upon high-resolution seismic data, shows that the lateral migration
of the successive phases of incision and filling explains both the preservation of several cycles and the incomplete preservation of
the typical facies due to the reworking of the upper part of all individual depositional sequences.
Eustasy is the dominant controlling factor, and differential subsidence, an important factor on the mid and outer shelf, has a
reduced impact at this location. The preservation of the ‘‘compound’’ system depends upon the variable maximum depth of
erosion reached at each maximum sea-level lowstand. We propose that different interglacial conditions took place in the
drainage basins, rather than differences in the lowstand-sea-level values. The transverse shape of the incisions, with lateral
terraces and deeper channels, combined with a continuous lateral shift of the successive incisions, also contributed to
preservation. The lateral shifting is partly due to a normal fault and substratum tilting, and partly to the oceanic regime.

INTRODUCTION
The chronology of valley incision and filling has been established by
studies carried out on well-developed modern river systems, mostly large
embayments or estuaries where rivers downcut during a base-level fall
and fill the incision during a subsequent rise and highstand. These systems
were considered as ‘‘simple’’ by the classification of Zaitlin et al. (1994). A
wide variety of facies, ranging from fluvial to estuarine, open-marine, and
finally back to fluvial, form a sequence corresponding to lowstand then
transgressive and finally prograding depositional environments (Allen
and Truilhe 1987; Allen 1991; Allen and Posamentier 1991, 1993, 1994;
Dalrymple et al. 1992; Wescott 1993; Wood et al. 1993; Ashley and
Sheridan 1994; Kindinger et al. 1994; Wellner and Bartek 2003;
Nordfjord et al. 2005; Nordfjord et al. 2006; Blum and Aslan 2006;
Osterberg 2006). Valley-fill sedimentation depends upon several control-
ling factors such as ocean dynamics, river regime, and shelf gradient, as
well as the rate of base-level fall and rise. Attention has also been paid to
inherited basement morphology and tectonics, and substratum behavior
under water and sediment loading (Blum 1990).

Copyright E 2011, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) 1527-1404/11/081-708/$03.00

JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY
Incised valleys which have preserved several phases of incision and
infilling are considered as ‘‘compound’’ systems following Zaitlin et al.
(1994). They have not been thoroughly investigated (Thomas and
Anderson 1989, 1994; Foyle and Oertel 1992, 1997; Abdullah et al.
2004; Greene et al. 2007). Following the pioneering work of Allen and
Posamentier (1993, 1994) on the Gironde Estuary, several studies were
carried out along the French Atlantic coast on the late Quaternary
infilling of numerous estuaries (Lericolais et al. 2001; Proust et al. 2001;
Chaumillon et al. 2004; Weber et al. 2004; Menier et al. 2006). These
studies were mostly based on seismic data and refer to the most
common stratigraphic model of tide- and wave-dominated ‘‘simple’’
incised valleys of Dalrymple et al. (1992), Ashley and Sheridan (1994),
and Zaitlin et al. (1994). In some cases, the patchy chaotic seismic facies
which form the base of the infilling have recently been reconsidered as
fluvial deposits that accumulated progressively during several successive
phases of base-level fall and sedimentation (Menier et al. 2006).
Nevertheless, no calibrated model is actually available for the
‘‘compound incised valley.’’
On the French Mediterranean coast, the rivers of the western part of
the Gulf of Lions have no seaward expression in the modern shelf
topography. However, seismic data at the regional scale (Fig. 1)
(Labaune 2005; Tesson et al. 2005) have shown that several of these
rivers have incised the inner shelf during the Quaternary, developing a
particular network of paleovalleys. The basal incision (Fig. 2) extends
seaward to the base of the late Quaternary depositional sequences
previously studied on the shelf (Tesson et al. 1990; Tesson et al. 1993;
Tesson et al. 2000; Posamentier et al. 1992; Tesson 1996; Lobo et al.
2004). The infilling is composed of up to six phases of incision and filling.
Because the basal incision predates the late Quaternary depositional
sequences on the shelf, we thus proposed (Labaune 2005; Tesson et al.
2005) to consider this system as a ‘‘compound’’ type linked to the late
Quaternary climate and base-level cycles. In order to corroborate this
hypothesis, our studies have focused on the southern branch of the
paleovalley system, by carrying out a dense grid of HR seismic lines on
the inner and middle shelf and lagoons, and drilling a long core (SC1)
onland. Seismic results, geometric sketches, and their interpretation have
been presented previously (Labaune et al. 2010; Tesson et al. 2010). The
aim of this paper is to present new data obtained owing to the SC1 drill
hole.
STUDY AREA
Physiography
The Têt and Agly river systems (Fig. 1) present a Mediterranean
regime which is characterized by its great interannual variability. The
Têt drainage basin (1380 km2) extends from the eastern Pyrenees
mountains to the coastal Roussillon plain. The greater part of the Agly
drainage basin (1045 km2) extends over Mesozoic limestones of the
southern Corbières mountains, then flows a few kilometers across the
Roussillon plain. The average discharges of the Têt and Agly rivers are
12.1 m3/s and 6.7 m3/s respectively (Serrat 1999). Catastrophic floods
occur during storms, with debris flows carrying coarse material such as
rocky blocks, trees, cars, or house walls. During these floods, the Têt
and Agly rivers build microdeltas that are quickly destroyed when the
river sediment discharge decreases. The Mediterranean Sea has a
microtidal regime with medium-energy waves. The tidal range is less
than 0.5 m, and marine influence does not penetrate far inland in the
estuaries.
On the shelf, paleorivers are not expressed in the seafloor morphology.
Between the shoreline and the 80 m isobath (20 km offshore), the seafloor
is very smooth with some rocky platforms made up locally of Pleistocene
cemented sands and gravels (Monaco et al. 1972; Augris and Mear 1993).
Seaward of the 80 m isobath, the middle and outer shelf is broad and
709
subhorizontal, bounded by a step 15 m high at about 50 km offshore. The
topography is irregular, due to the sedimentary features (erosional and/or
depositional) inherited from the landward shoreline migration during the
last sea-level rise (Tesson et al. 1998; Thereau 2000).
Geological Setting
Structure.—After the Eocene Pyrenean orogenic phase, the Roussillon
plain was a part of the Pyrenean basement (axial zone). An Oligo-
Miocene rifting phase (opening of the Liguria–Provence Basin) initiated
southwest to northeast-trending horsts and grabens delineated by normal
and shear faults (Lefebvre 1980; Guennoc et al. 2000). The Roussillon
area was structured as a graben bounded by two main faults that subsided
by approximately 2000 m (Clauzon et al. 1987; Clauzon 1990). The
northern fault or ‘‘Agly fault,’’ oriented southwest to northeast, can be
assumed to extend under the inner shelf. These structures have controlled
the architecture of the sedimentary prism which accumulated later and
constitutes the continental margin (Clauzon 1990; Lofi 2002).
The Continental Margin Sedimentary Prism.—Following the rifting
phase, sediments accumulated and built up the Gulf of Lion margin,
which is characterized by a succession of events:
1. The Messinian Salinity Crisis, which interrupted the constructional
process, was marked by a sea-level drop of about 1600 m and a deep
margin incision (Fig. 3) known as the Messinian Erosional Surface or
MES (Clauzon 1973; Hsü et al. 1973; Cita and Ryan 1978; Clauzon
1982; Clauzon 1990; Lofi 2002);
2. The reflooding of the Mediterranean basin, fossilizing the MES
during the earliest Pliocene;
3. The accumulation of a sedimentary prism during the Plio-Quaternary.
At the beginning of the Pliocene, the sea surface was ca. 90 m above psl
(present sea level) and the incised valleys were infilled by prograding
Gilbert-type fan deltas (Clauzon 1990; Clauzon et al. 1990; Duvail et al.
2005). The Pliocene sediments on the Roussillon plain are capped by a
subsurface which is overlain by thin Quaternary deposits forming some
rare low-relief terraces uplifted by Pyrenean tectonics.
The thickness of the Quaternary deposits at the shoreline remains of
the order of a few meters, except within incised valleys (Tesson et al. 2005;
Labaune et al. 2010). Thickness increases offshore (Duvail et al. 2002;
Duvail et al. 2005; Lofi et al. 2003) and reaches between 300 and 400 m at
the shelf break (Cravatte et al. 1974). Quaternary deposits are organized
into several stacked progradational units (Alla et al. 1969; Leenhardt et
al. 1969; Chassefière et al. 1970; Monaco 1971; Aloı̈si 1986). The
interpretation in terms of sequence stratigraphy is based on a regional
high-resolution seismic data set (Tesson et al. 1990; Tesson et al. 1993;
Posamentier et al. 1992; Tesson et al. 1995; Tesson 1996; Tesson et al.
1998; Tesson et al. 2000). The detailed chronostratigraphy and
correlations of the depositional sequences with the late Quaternary
climate and sea-level changes (fourth and fifth order cycles) remain
hypothetical because long cores are lacking (Tesson 1996; Rabineau et al.
1998; Lobo 2000; Rabineau 2001; Lobo et al. 2004). Nevertheless this
approach has been improved recently by stratigraphic modeling and/or a
long core drilled on the outer shelf (Bassetti et al. 2006; Rabineau et al.
2006; Jouet 2007; Jouet et al. 2008) and the fourth order cycles are cited as
the main controlling factor.
Late Quaternary Glacio-Eustasy.—Glacio-eustatic changes during the
late Quaternary (from present to about 600 ka. B.P) are characterized
(Labeyrie et al. 1987; Shackleton et al. 1987; Bard et al. 1996; Chappell et
al. 1996; Waelbroeck et al. 2002) by fourth- and fifth-order cycles (about
100 ky and 20 ky long respectively). The sea level during highstand
710 M. TESSON ET AL.
(interglacial) was approximately equivalent to present and dropped to
about 100 to 120 meters below psl during the maximum lowstand
(glacial). There are in fact strong differences between the available
published curves. They are summarized (Rabineau and al. 2006).
Moreover it underlines the singularities of the cycles older than MIS
11: maximum glacial lowstands and maximum interglacial highstands are
far less deep and shallow, respectively, than for the earlier cycles. The
MIS3 highstand shoreline identified (Rodriguez et al. 2000) at –15 m on
the Texas inner shelf is ‘‘about 70 m shallower than what is predicted by
the SPECMAP curve but only 25 to 35 m shallower than the ODP 769
oxygen curve of Linsley (1996).’’ This discrepancy suggests that the
various sea-level curves should be used carefully.
Uplift and Subsidence during the Quaternary.—Onland, continental
uplift is one of the main controls on the development and preservation of
river terraces during the Quaternary (Duvail et al. 2001; Duvail et al.
2002).
Offshore, stacking of late Quaternary depositional sequences is
attributed (Tesson et al. 1990; Tesson and Allen 1995) to a combination
of differential subsidence and sea-level changes. Burrus and Audebert
(1990) proposed a mean rate of 20 m/Myr for the Plio-Quaternary. Using
stratigraphic modeling, Rabineau et al. (2006) evaluated the subsidence to
JSR
FIG. 1.—Simplified geologic map showing the
location of seismic lines and the SC1 drill core
used in this study. The regional data are used to
develop the digital elevation model of the basal
surface of incision of the paleovalleys and
interfluves (Fig. 2). Data in the highlighted box
are used for the detailed study presented in
this paper.
have been 255 m/Myr at the shelf edge for the late Quaternary. Jouet et al.
(2008) have estimated that total subsidence comprises thermal cooling
(60–65%) and sediment loading (35–40%). A subsidence value of 15 m is
proposed for the last glacio-eustatic sea-level cycle and 5 m for the last
deglaciation.
The transition between continental uplifting and offshore differential
subsidence (hinge line) is placed some kilometers seaward of the coastline,
depending on the studied shelf area. The landward-converging uncon-
formities and depositional sequences of the shelf suggest a hinge line
located more than 10 km seaward off the coastline. Subsidence is
considered (Labaune 2005; Tesson et al. 2005; Labaune et al. 2010) as a
key factor explaining the preservation of the successive phases of erosion
and infilling of incised valleys preserved under the lagoons, sandy
beaches, and inner shelf of Roussillon. However, uplift and/or subsidence
rates are unknown and remain a major question for the inner shelf and
coastal-plain area (Labaune 2005; Duvail 2008; Labaune et al. 2010).
DATA AND METHODOLOGY
Seismic Data
A regional seismic data grid was acquired (Fig. 1) using a high-
resolution single-channel minisparker (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY
1998, 2004, 2005, and 2006) and a very high-resolution boomer (2001–
2007). The detailed grid used for the study of the incised-valley area
consists of 80 seismic lines (850 km total), with a line spacing of 500 m.
Data are geo-referenced, digitally recorded in Segy format, and processed
by filtering and attenuation correction. Offset geometrical corrections are
applied. Technical operations have been previously described (Labaune et
al. 2010). The main discontinuities and boundaries of seismic units are
manually picked and correlated following the basic concepts of the
seismic-reflector terminations as indicated in Mitchum et al. (1977). The
original digital seismic data are then fed into industrial software with
continuous control of the seismic lines that were previously manually
picked and interpreted. Files of x, y, and z parameter values for each key
reflector are used for mapping after offset correction.
Drill-Core Data
In February 2006, a drill core (Leucate SC-1 borehole) was obtained
from the Salses–Leucate lagoon beach barrier (Fig. 1), at a location
assumed to be above the incised-valley axis suggested by the DEM, 200 m
away from the seismic lines shot in the lagoon and tidal channel (Tesson
et al. 2010). Several problems were encountered due to the presence of
unconsolidated pure sands and gravels in the uppermost 30 m and water-
saturated muds in the lower part: three no-recovery levels in upper sands
and three levels of plastic line partly collapsed. Nevertheless, we obtained
a nearly continuous sampling to a depth of 59 m below the present sea
level (psl). Simplified drill logs (gamma ray and U/Th) were recorded by
711
FIG. 2.—Digital elevation model of the basal
incision (S100–S200) of the Languedoc–Rous-
sillon incised-valley–estuary systems. The Orb
and Aude rivers coalesce and flow toward the
south, forming the northern branch. The Agly
and Têt rivers coalesce under the coastal plain
and the Salses–Leucate lagoon, where they flow
toward the north and suddenly turn eastward,
forming the southern branch. The two branches
probably coalesced into a large bay opening
seaward. The present study focuses on the
southern branch.
the Montpellier University team. Cores were opened, visually inspected
and described, scanned in 3-D, and photographed at the Total CST
Laboratory in Pau. One hundred and seventy-five samples were taken for
grain-size analysis.
Five Radiocarbon dates (18.1 m, 21.63 m, 26.3 m, 28.5 m, and 35.4 m
bsl) were obtained from benthic foraminifera (Miliolidae and Elphidiidae)
(Labaune et al. 2010) at the Radiocarbon Laboratory of Adam
Mickiewicz University (Poznan, Poland). The age scale used here is
based on the cal. BP conversion with respect to the marine curve of the
Calibl 4C 5.02 program (Stuiver et al. 2006). At core depths beyond the
limit of the 14C dating method, biostratigraphic information was obtained
by studying calcareous coccoliths from 21 samples distributed between
28.8 m and 58.4 m.
Ninety-six samples were collected for pollen analysis within intervals
assumed to contain pollen (mainly muddy levels) and showing minor
disturbance. The pollen record obtained from this study is based on 39 of
these samples. Samples (20 g of dry sediment) were processed using a
standard method (Cour 1974): acid digestion, concentration using ZnCl2
(at density 2.0), and sieving at 10 mm. A 50 ml volume of residue was
mounted in glycerin between the coverslip and microscope slide.
Counting and identification of pollen grains was performed using a light
microscope (150 pollen grains, except for Pinus, were identified and
counted per sample). The grain counts were used to draw up a synthetic
pollen diagram, without Pinus, in which the plant taxa are grouped
according to their ecological significance.
712 M. TESSON ET AL.
SEISMIC RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
The detailed analysis and interpretation of seismic data of the incised-
valley system and inner shelf were published recently (Labaune et al.
2008; Labaune et al. 2010; Tesson et al. 2010). These results were
integrated in a regional framework including the analysis and interpre-
tation of mid- and outer-shelf areas (Posamentier et al. 1992; Tesson et al.
2000). Results from a long core recently drilled on the outer shelf have
confirmed these interpretations (Jouet 2007; Bassetti et al. 2006).
Seismic stratigraphy is presented in a composite dip seismic section
(Fig. 4) located in front of the Roussillon plain, which approximately
follows the system axis. Three domains are distinguished (i) the Roussillon
coastal plain and inner shelf with a thin Quaternary cover and buried
incised valleys, (ii) a transitional area, where the incised-valley systems are
connected with offshore depositional sequences, and (iii) the middle to
outer shelf, characterized by seaward-thickening depositional sequences
and forced regressive deposits. A (strike) transverse section (Fig. 5) shows
the relationships between the different phases of incision and infilling.
Coastal Plain and Inner Shelf
The uppermost deposits reveal numerous regional and local seismic
discontinuities and are organized from the base to the top in three main
units.
Pliocene Deposits.—These have been identified under the coastal plain
and beach barrier (Duvail et al. 2002; Duvail et al. 2005; Duvail 2008)
over numerous long drills logs (several hundred) stored by the Bureau de
JSR
FIG. 3.—Paleotopographic map of the Messi-
nian Erosional Surface (MES), which developed
during the Mediterranean salinity crisis. The
Roussillon area was deeply incised, and the main
thalweg (black line and arrow) was located
southward of the Quaternary paleovalley thal-
wegs of the Agly and Têt rivers of Figure 2.
Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) and correlated with seismic
profiles obtained in the Leucate lagoon and the tidal channel (Labaune
2005; Tesson et al. 2005; Labaune et al. 2009; Tesson et al. 2010). Seismic
facies present (Fig. 4) low frequencies, high amplitude, and seaward-
dipping parallel reflectors.
The Pliocene upper boundary, P, is a regional unconformity (Fig. 2)
represented by a strong, continuous, high-amplitude and low-frequency
reflector which progressively deepens seaward (Fig. 4).
Beneath the Leucate lagoon, the discontinuity P is incised by a paleo-
channel system of the Agly and Têt coalescent rivers reaching (Tesson et
al. 2005) about 60 m below sea level (bsl). This main valley incision
enlarges and deepens seaward. It is about 10 km wide and 90 m deep at
10 km seaward of the modern shoreline. Based on the seismic profiles
obtained in the lagoon and previous drill logs, the DEM shows that the
main valley incision turns to the south onland, and extends towards the
present-day position of the river. No equivalent incisions have been
observed to the south in front of the other modern rivers (Têt, Bourdigou,
and Tech).
Pleistocene Deposits.—These overlie the main valley incision (Fig. 4).
They comprise several aggradational and onlapping units separated by
five strong channel-like or fluvial erosional surfaces (Fig. 5, S200–S600)
passing laterally into previously mapped conformable surfaces (Labaune
2007; Labaune et al. 2010). Surfaces S100 and S200 are amalgamated with
P (Fig. 4). The upper boundary (S650) of the Pleistocene infilling is a
ravinement surface (mixed wave and microtidal) developed during the
late deglacial migration of the shoreline. On a transverse section (Fig. 5),
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY
each fluvial erosional surface (FES) exhibits preserved lateral terraces
several meters above the channel bottom (IVF 4). Above the FES,
infillings present chaotic facies at the base of the channels and high-
frequency, low-energy, subhorizontal parallel reflectors above and over
the channel flanks. The IVF4 upper part shows a preserved chaotic facies,
overlying an irregular surface. These facies are interpreted as coarse
fluvial material (with a thickness mainly under seismic resolution) and
fine muddy deposits covered by sands, respectively. We propose that
erosion took place during base-level fall and river entrenchment
associated with late Quaternary cooling periods and related sea-level
falls. The FES are sequence boundaries (SB). The coarse fluvial material
corresponds to lowstand fluvial deposits (LST 5 lowstand systems tract)
and the overlying fine material corresponds to transgressive mud
(TST 5 transgressive systems tract). At the top, sands represent marine
sands of the retreating estuary mouth (TST). In this case, the whole
incised-valley system preserved into the main valley incision comprises
several imbricated depositional sequence remnants. The earlier interpre-
tation (Labaune 2005; Tesson et al. 2005) of this buried system as an
example of a ‘‘compound incised valley-system’’ is confirmed. The
position of successive incisions (Fig. 4) moved continuously to the north,
but the last incision (IVF 5) abruptly shifted towards the south (Labaune
2010). The overall location of the main valley incision and the
preservation of several remnants of Pleistocene depositional sequences
in the infilling have been tentatively attributed to a pre-existing deep
Miocene incision and subsidence (Labaune et al. 2010).
Deglacial.—The last complex sigmoidal unit observed above S650
comprises late transgressive and overlying highstand deposits which have
been studied, age dated, and mapped all around the Gulf of Lion inner
shelf (Gensous and Tesson 2003; Labaune 2005; Labaune et al. 2008).
Transitional Area
Pliocene.—The Pliocene upper boundary P deepens abruptly and
identification becomes more difficult (Fig. 4).
Pleistocene.—Several internal sequence boundaries of the incised-valley
system merge. Stacked planar or lenticular sedimentary bodies, previously
considered as proximal prograding units or pIUs (Tesson et al. 2000), are
found. They are characterized by oblique clinoforms deepening both
seaward and landward (Tesson 1996; Lobo et al. 2004). They contain
erosional surfaces at their tops (black lines) which are the seaward
extension of the erosional surfaces (SBs) depicted landward in the valley
fill. These bodies were interpreted first (Tesson et al. 2000) as remnants of
late TST, and more recently (Labaune 2007) as estuary-mouth shoals
deposited during the transgressive phases and reworked later during
subsequent base-level falls (upstream fluvial entrenchment).
Mid Shelf
In this section, the seismic data interpretation in terms of depositional
environments has been greatly improved by the sedimentary samples of
the outcroping units, collected by gravity corers and box corers (Gensous
et al. 1993; Gensous and Tesson 2003).
Pliocene.—The upper boundary P deepens so much that it becomes
indiscernible (Fig. 4).
Pleistocene.—The deposits constitute a seaward-thickening wedge
composed of stacked seismic (sedimentary) units (genetic units or systems
tracts). Two categories of seismic units (RPUs and pIUs) have been
identified (Tesson et al. 1989; Tesson et al. 1990; Posamentier et al. 1992;
713
Tesson et al. 1993; Tesson et al. 1995; Tesson 1996; Tesson et al. 2000;
Lobo et al. 2004).
The RPUs (regional prograding units) extend regionally over the whole
shelf. Every individual RPU is bounded at the top by an erosional surface
(Fig. 4) indicated by toplap terminations (black line) and bounded at the
base by a downlap surface (dotted black line). The RPUs are wedge-
shaped, characterized by low-angle oblique-tangential seaward-dipping
and continuous reflectors. They contain (Posamentier et al. 1992) several
internal downward-shift surfaces (not represented on Fig. 4). The wedges
pinch out at about 90 m b.s.l. and 10 km seaward of the modern
shoreline.
The pIUs (proximal intercalated units) rest above the erosional upper
boundary of RPUs. They are observed on the mid and inner shelf. They
are commonly patchy, planar, or lenticular. The more landward extend
under the ‘‘transitional area’’ described previously, where they occur
between the updip extremities of the RPUs.
Each RPU/pIU couplet constitutes a depositional sequence, and
several depositional sequences are stacked (five to six are regionally
correlated). Every individual RPU with internal downward-shift surfaces
is interpreted as a forced regressive sedimentary unit (Posamentier et al.
1992) deposited during a relative sea-level fall associated with climate
change from a warm to a cool period. The RPUs are principally offshore
silts and muds which are the remnants of a prograding shoreline and
deltaic deposits. The shoreface sands at the top are absent, due to later
erosional processes. The pIUs are interpreted as transgressive deposits
overlying a ravinement surface separating these deposits from underlying
regressive RPU deposits.
DRILL-CORE RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
Overall Trend and Correlation between Lithology and
Seismic Unconformities
The sedimentological trend (from base to top) of the drill core SC1
correlates with the seismic line located 200 m farther east in the tidal
channel between the Salses–Leucate lagoon and the sea (Fig. 6). The
basal seismic unconformity at 63 m bsl represents the contact between
the uncored Pliocene and an overlying level of coarse sand and pebbles,
the upper boundary of which lies at 58.5 m b.s.l. The interval between
58.5 m and about 28 m comprises muddy silts with some coarse-
grained decimeter-thick interbeds. In the muddy silts, the occurrence of
dinoflagellate cysts and chitinous test linings of microforaminifera
indicates a persistent marine influence during sedimentation. This
interval can be correlated with a continuous semitransparent facies,
with low-energy seismic reflectors that are irregular and subparallel. It
represents the ‘‘unit 2’’ of Labaune et al. (2010). From 28 m core depth
to the surface, stacks of massive sandy beds intercalated with pebble
levels correlate with a set of strong and continuous high-amplitude
reflectors. They are overlain in turn by semitransparent reflections
passing up into high-amplitude, seaward-dipping, and semi continuous
reflectors.
Mean Grain Diameter and Gamma-Ray Profiles
In the SC1 core, the mean grain diameter and gamma-ray profiles
(Fig. 7B, C) exhibit a similar overall trend. From the bottom to 35 m core
depth, the gamma-ray log yields high values related to a high abundance
of muddy silts. Above 35 m core depth, low values correlate with a high
sand and pebble content.
Locally, mean grain diameter and gamma-ray profiles show some
discrepancies: (1) when the sediment is composed of a mixture of very
coarse and very fine material, the central grain-size parameters (median
and/or mean diameter) are inappropriate; (2) since core sampling aimed
at using a particle-sizer analyzer, the coarse fraction (pebbles and cobbles)
714 M. TESSON ET AL. JSR
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY 715

FIG. 5.—Seismic section transverse to the main incised-valley system, illustrating the following points: the lateral shifting of the successive phases of incision; the
variable transverse shape of the incised valleys, with terrace remnants and final deep channel; the progressive extension of the width of the basal surface of the valley
system, progressively cut into the Pliocene. Note also that maximum depths of the erosional surfaces are different from one incision to another and no general trend is
observed. At the top of IVF-5, a chaotic facies overlying an erosional surface (?) is observed and interpreted as estuary or bay-mouth sands. Fluvial gravels (facies 1 of
Fig. 6) at the base of the incision infillings should be the low-frequencies reflectors. Fluvial incision surfaces are labeled Sxxx according to Labaune et al. (2010). Some
surfaces may merge on the section and associated IVF disappear locally.

was removed; (3) in silty-mud core sections, micaceous levels with high
values of U and Th generate a gamma-ray log that suggests coarsening-up
or fining-up successions. The best approach is a detailed visual descriptive
log, calibrated by the use of modern laboratory techniques (grain-size
analysis, detailed gamma-ray profile).
The general trend of the mean-diameter and gamma-ray profiles
suggests that the core represents the typical infilling of a submerged bay
by prograding delta. In this sense, the cored section should be an
analogue of the Pliocene Gilbert-type fan delta described in the landward
part of the Roussillon plain (Clauzon 1990). This would be the expected
conclusion of an exploratory borehole based on the usual logging data
where a detailed lithological description is not available. As pointed out
below, the real situation is not so simple when all the data are considered
together.

r
FIG. 4.—Shore-transverse seismic section showing the late Quaternary main discontinuities and seismic units that characterize the three domains of the inner shelf, the
transitional area, and the mid shelf described in this paper and the papers cited in the references. The main discontinuities under the inner shelf represent successive phases
of river downcutting or sequence boundaries (SB). The main discontinuities on the mid shelf are the forced regressive wedge or RPU (regional prograding
unit 5 FSST—falling stage systems tracts or early lowstand) upper boundaries (polygenic unconformities), and the pIU (proximal intercalated unit 5 TST—
transgressive systems tract) upper boundaries (or mfs—maximum flooding surfaces). The association of a forced regressive wedge (RPU) and a transgressive unit (pIU)
constitutes a depositional sequence. The TSTs are converging landward and correlate with the incised-valley infillings under the inner shelf. Note that the mid-shelf
stacked depositional sequence boundaries converge upward and landward. The insert in the upper right corner of the picture shows the northward progressive migration
of the successive incised valleys (from S200 to S500). Finally the movement reversed (S500–S600).
 716
M. TESSON ET AL.

FIG. 6.—High-resolution seismic section and lithological log at the SC1 core location. Seven main sedimentary facies are identified. The seismic section is part of a line obtained in the tidal channel between the sea
JSR

and the Salses–Leucate lagoon. The SC1 borehole was drilled on the sandy barrier, 100 m from the side of the channel and approximately above the buried incised-valley system.
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY 717

FIG. 7.—SC1 core data comprising visual description lithology and sedimentary facies, mean grain diameter, gamma-ray log, pollen record, and dating from
biomarkers and radiometric ages. Plants evidenced in the pollen record are distributed into ecological groups: a, Mesophilous elements (Quercus, Carpinus, Corylus, Tilia,
Acer, Zelkova, Liquidambar, Pterocarya, Carya, Parrotia persica, etc.); b, Riparian forest trees (Alnus, Salix, Populus, Ulmus, and Fraxinus); c, Mid-altitude trees (Fagus
and Betula); d, High-altitude trees (Abies and Picea); e, Cupressaceae (in various environments); f, Elements without significance (Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae); g,
Mediterranean xerophytes (Olea, Phillyrea, Pistacia, Quercus ilex type, Cistus, etc.); h, Aquatic plants (Potamogeton, Typha, etc.); Halophytes (Amaranthaceae,
Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Tamarix, Armeria); j, Herbs (Poaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, Geraniaceae, Plantago, Rumex, Cyperaceae, etc.); k,
Steppe elements (Artemisia, Ephedr, and Hippophae rhamnoides).

Sedimentary Facies
Seven facies (Fig. 6) numbered from 1 to 7 are defined based upon their
characteristic lithology and faunal and/or pollen content (Fig. 7):
Facies 1: Pebble Beds.—This facies consists of centimeter to meter
beds of nonfossiliferous mixed sand and pebbles. They are interpreted
as representing the coarse lag of streams (either meandering or
braided). In the upper and coarse-grained part of the drill core above
28 m, this facies is interbedded with continental facies 6 and 7. In the
lower part of the drill core, this facies is intercalated with thick
fossiliferous estuarine muddy silts of facies 3. This implies either a base-
level fall or an increase in the drainage basin outflow. We consider that
these intervals probably represent the remnants of fluvial lag deposits
caused by climate cooling (glacial period) and relative sea-level fall.
This facies occurs at several levels: 24, 32, 40, 42–43, 44–44.5, 54.0, and
58.5–63 m.
Facies 2: Colored Silty Muds (Yellow to Green or Pink).—Colored silty-
mud levels are thin (a few decimeters) and show centimeter-scale
laminations with yellow, brown, and reddish coloration. These colors
are attributed to redox processes in a subaerial, probably continental,
environment. This facies overlies facies 1 with an erosional contact at core
depths of 24, 25.6, 31.8–32, 42–43, 44–44.5, 53.9, and 58.2–58.4 m.
Facies 3: Muddy Silts with Brackish to Marine Fauna.—Muddy silt
with marine macrofauna, microfauna, and microflora is the most
widespread facies in the lower part of the drill core and constitutes
more than 60% of the sedimentary column from the base (58.5 m) to
about 28 m. Above, only few centimeter-scale levels are observed
around 14 m b.s.l. The grain-size distribution is mainly unimodal, with
less than 15% fine sand and a median diameter of less than 20 mm.
Shells are either broken debris or well preserved bivalves, most
commonly dispersed in the muddy silt. Dinoflagellate cysts, calcareous
718 M. TESSON ET AL. JSR

TABLE 1.— 14C calendar ages. Depths are given with respect to the top of the core. Results obtained from fresh benthic foraminifera collected in muddy silt
levels. Calibration marine curve of the Calibl 4C 5.02 program (Stuiver et al. 2006).

Sample Name Depth (m) Lab. nu Code Age 14C (ka cal BP)
LEUCATE SC1 18.05 18.10 Poz-207117 S1 9.750 +/2 0.50
LEUCATE SC1 21.63 21.63 Poz-207118 S2 11.320 +/2 0.50
LEUCATE SC1 26.30 26.30 Poz-207119 S3 39.600 +/2 0.700
LEUCATE SC1 28.50 28.50 Poz-207120 S4 41.800 +/2 1.600
LEUCATE SC1 35.40 35.40 Poz-207121 S5 . 50.000

coccoliths, and benthic foraminifera indicate a marine influence. Pollen
grains are often abundant. The depositional environment was probably
either a landward-elongated bay connected with a river or the central
basin of an estuary.
Facies 4: Shelly Beds.—These comprise decimeter or thinner beds of
marine to brackish shell debris, essentially mussels, in a sparse muddy
matrix. The shells accumulated at the bases of channels in an estuary or
bay environment. Medium to high energy was required to transport the
shells downslope to the channel, where they are imbricated and oriented
parallel to the dominant bedload flow direction. The energy was probably
derived from local wind and waves or from open marine wave
propagation within an estuary mouth.
Facies 5: Unfossiliferous Mud-Supported Pebble, or ‘‘Floating Peb-
bles’’.—These levels are decimeter thick units containing subangular to
rounded pebbles. The coarse clastic material exhibits poor sorting and
no vertical grading. Floating pebbles in a muddy-silt matrix without
faunal assemblages are encountered only rarely. The ‘‘floating’’ aspect
has commonly been attributed to postdepositional processes during
which the overlying coarse material settled downward due to gravity and
density differences. Alternatively, the underlying mud could have moved
upward. However, floating pebbles have so far not been described in the
lower reaches of rivers. In our case, because the studied rivers are very
close to areas of high mountainous relief, we interpret this facies as a
fluvial debris flow linked to melting of ice in the mountains during
climate warming (end of glacial phase). They are probably the distal
extremities of such flows whose strength decreased strongly in the upper
estuary. These debris flows in rivers are common around the
Mediterranean sea, but are generally attributed to excessive rainfall
events (Llasat et al. 2010).
Facies 6: Pebble Beds, Interbedded with Medium to Fine Sands, without
Identified Shells, but with Trace Fossils such as Roots and Burrows.—This
facies occurs mainly in the upper half of the core between 26 m and the
top. It constitutes more than 70% of the sedimentary column. Sand
represents about 60% of the total material. This facies is interpreted as
continental (backshore subaerial deposits). These beds are observed at
levels 21.5 and 16.5–17 m.
Facies 7: Shelly Pebble Beds.—This facies is not common and occurs
mostly in the upper half of the core between 30 m and the top. Beds are
several decimeters to one meter thick. The occurrence of shells in pebbles
is often considered indicative of the nature of the depositional
environment, such as a high-energy swash area, an estuary, or a bay-
head delta (Wilson et al. 2007). In borehole SC1, the presence of rounded
gravel and the brackish to marine fauna leads us to assume that the shelly
pebble beds accumulated in a shoreline, estuarine, or bay-mouth
environment. Moreover, in a microtidal environment these interpreta-
tions imply that deposition occurred at a sea level close to the core depth
of the considered levels (at 5.5–6, 15.8, 21.7, 22.5–54 m).
Trace Fossils
Two categories of trace fossils are recognized: bioturbation and
burrows, which may represent an infralittoral–lower-foreshore zone,
and roots which are subaerial indicators. All of these features are
encountered in the upper part of the drill core above 18 m, which is
characterized mainly by facies 6 (pebble levels interbedded with medium
to fine sands).
Bioturbation occurs between 18 and 16.5 m above a thin level of shells,
which is itself underlain by an interval of fine sand with roots. This
association is considered to represent a nearshore environment subjected
to short-scale phases of coastal retreat and advance.
Marine Microfauna and Microflora
Foraminifera and other microfaunal components were hand-picked for
radiocarbon age dating but were not studied thoroughly. Dinoflagellate
cysts are common to abundant in all the analyzed samples, together with
chitinous test linings of microforaminifera.
In facies 3 (muddy silts with shells), benthic foraminifera and
dinoflagellate cysts are numerous. Inasmuch as this facies is the most
representative in the lower and mud-dominated infill sediment from 56.2
to 27 m, the marine influence appears to be constant, except for some thin
intercalated beds (facies 1, unfossiliferous pebbles; facies 2, colored silty-
muds; facies 5, mud-supported pebbles; facies 6, pebbles with roots).
Dinoflagellate cysts are very abundant and diversified in several layers,
indicating a more pronounced marine influence and possibly the
occurrence of high sea-level phases: 29.6, 34.2, 34.8, 36.4, 43.2, 43.6,
44.02, 45.6, and 46.8 m.
Age Control
The upper part of the infill is dated by 14C (Table 1), which provides
ages ranging from more than 50 ky cal. BP at 35.4 m (sample S5) to
9.75 ky cal. BP at 18.1 m (sample S1). The S5 age is probably beyond the
limit of the dating method, but ages become younger upwards (41.8 ky at
28.5 m; 39.6 ky at 26.3 m; 11.32 ky at 21.63 m; 9.75 ky at 18.1 m). These
data clearly show (Fig. 8A, B) that the coarse upper part of the infill,
above 28 m, is related to the last climatic and sea-level cycle. At the base
of this interval, deposits are related to cooling and sea-level fall during
MIS 3 and MIS 2, whereas at the top they are associated with the end of
MIS 2 and MIS 1 during warming and sea-level rise which resulted in the
present-day situation.
In the lower part of the drill core, calcareous coccoliths are used as
biostratigraphic markers (Fig. 7A, F). From the base of the core to
45.2 m, Pseudoemiliania lacunosa (recorded in 19 silty mud layers)
indicates deposition prior to 440 ky BP (Raffi et al. 2006). Emiliania
huxleyi, which appears at 37 m, indicates that the overlying infill is
younger than 290 ky BP (Raffi et al. 2006).
This chronological calibration establishes that this incised paleo-valley
or estuary system developed during a period characterized by several
combined and complex fourth and fifth order climate and sea-level cycles
(Fig. 8) which corresponds clearly to a ‘‘compound’’ type.
 JSR
ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY

FIG. 8.—Cyclostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy inferred from the SC1 core data presented in Figure 7. The compound nature of the incised-system infilling is revealed by facies succession analysis and the
‘‘Mesophilous trees vs. Steppe elements’’ pollen curve. Base-level cyclic changes and pollen content variations are tentatively correlated with global sea-level and oxygen isotope curves respectively.
719
720 M. TESSON ET AL.
Pollen Record
Even if there is a short time lag between changes in climate, sea level,
and vegetation cover, pollen grains are very good terrestrial indicators of
climate-driven sea-level changes. The pollen signatures of glacial and
interglacial stages, from the onset of climatic cycles in the Northern
Hemisphere 2.6 My ago (Suc and Zagwijn 1983), are well known all
around the Mediterranean Basin (Suc and Popescu 2005; Popescu et al.
2010).
As a result, we can identify two main assemblages of pollen groups
having opposite paleoenvironmental significance. One group is composed
mainly of mesophilous trees (Quercus, Carpinus, Corylus, etc.), which
develop during warm and relatively humid phases, and the other group is
composed of grasses and shrubs (including steppe elements such as
Artemisia), which prevail during cold and dry phases (Suc 1984;
Combourieu-Nebout and Vergnaud-Grazzini 1991; Beaudouin et al.
2005; Suc and Popescu 2005).
In the lowermost 11 m of the core, halophyte pollen grains are
abundant, indicating the enlargement of the coastal plain during a low-
sea-level interval, as also observed between 42.5 and 40 m depth, while
river influence increases (higher flow?, closer mouth?) as indicated by the
larger representation of pollen of riparian woodland, still abundant in the
river input in which it is directly incorporated. This increased riverine
influence continues between 37 and 34 m core depth. The pollen flora in
the uppermost part of the core (at 1.52 m depth) corresponds to the
present vegetation, with a widespread development of halophytes on the
coastal plain.
The synthetic pollen diagram shows that the infilling is characterized by
two contrasting kinds of sedimentary record. Below 46 m in the core, the
preserved clayey sediments were deposited exclusively during cold
periods, while, above 46 m on the contrary, they were deposited
predominantly during warm periods. Several cycles can be recognized
representing several successive maxima in the spread of mesophilous trees
indicative of interglacials at: 45.6–46.8, 42–43.6, 34–35, 31.4, 28–29, and
14 m. This competition between forest and open vegetation phases, i.e.,
between interglacials and glacials, is also well illustrated by the
‘‘Mesophilous trees/Steppe elements’’ ratio (Fig. 8E), whose curve is
often successfully compared with oxygen isotope curves (Joannin et al.
2008; Suc et al. 2010; Popescu et al. 2010).
These data suggest that the infilling provides a discontinuous record of
several changes in late Quaternary paleoclimate and probably sea level as
well. Nevertheless, the successive cycles are made up of preserved
sediments that vary in character from base to top in the core with
deposition during glacials at the base and interglacials at the top. These
results are key points and need to be discussed further.
DISCUSSION
Cyclothemic Nature of the Infilling Inferred from Facies and Climate
Indicators of the SC1 Drill Core
Facies Succession and Cyclostratigraphy.—The upper part of the SC1
core (224 meters b.p.s.l) is massive and coarse grained. In the lower part
of the SC1 core, sediments are mainly fine grained and organized into
several stacked depositional units. Each unit comprises two main facies
(facies 1 at the base and facies 3 at the top) and a minor intercalated facies
2. In Figure 9A, the unit lower boundaries are labeled from 1 to 7 from
base to top, and our interpretation is based on the relevant facies 1 and 3.
An example of a depositional unit (Fig. 7A) is the facies succession
observed between 240 m and 232 m. Facies 1 is made of fluvial coarse
sands and pebbles which are typical of a high-energy continental
environment. Base level was below the present-day position, and the
river mouth was located seaward on the continental shelf. The overlying
facies 3 (estuarine muddy silts with shells), conversely, indicates a marine
JSR
influence and a decrease in flow shear stress. These changes imply either a
base-level rise and a landward migration of the river mouth (dashed
arrows, Fig. 8A), or a strong shoreline erosion and landward retreat
followed by a regional flooding. Moreover, the changes in pollen
associations observed from the base to the top of facies 2 (Fig. 8B) show
a progressive and continuous evolution from glacial (steppe elements) to
interglacial (mesophilous trees) environmental conditions. During the late
Quaternary these events were directly related to the glacio-eustatic cycles
(Fig. 8C, D). The succession of facies 1 to facies 3 that comprises the
basic depositional unit is clearly indicative of a half cycle of base-level fall
and rise.
From a stratigraphic point of view (Fig. 7), the facies 1 to facies 3
succession represents a part of the general model of ‘‘simple’’ incised-
valley fill proposed for estuaries (Allen 1991; Allen and Posamentier 1993,
1994; Dalrymple et al. 1994) and is a depositional sequence. The base of
facies 1 is a surface due to sea-level and base-level fall, and constitutes a
sequence boundary (SB). The fluvial sand and pebble of facies 1 are
lowstand deposits (lowstand systems tract, LST). The overlying muddy
silts with shells of facies 3 were deposited during a sea-level and base-level
rise (transgressive system tract, TST), and they are bounded at the base by
a transgressive surface (TS). In some cases (Fig. 8A, B) between 240 m
and 232 m for example, pollen assemblages show a progressive evolution
from glacial to interglacial, allowing us to place a hypothetical maximum
flooding surface (MFS).
Along the SC1 core, the repetitive sequence shows some variations
(Fig. 7D). The pollen content of the sequence between 232 m and 224 m
does not indicate a progressive evolution but conditions related to a
maximum cooling and a minor decrease, suggesting that highstand
deposits (highstand systems tract, HST) are preserved. Moreover, the two
possible depositional sequences between 245 m and 240 m (Fig. 8A) are
not indicated by the pollen diagram, and only one continuous cycle is
suggested. Because there is no pollen in pebble beds, and because these
intervals are very thin, facies 1 may represent a misinterpretation (a
technical coring problem) or that there is a small hiatus in the pollen
curve. The singular variation observed below 247 m where facies 3,
typically marine influenced, is mainly associated with glacial vegetation is
discussed in following paragraphs.
The upper part of the core above the base-level fall 7 (Fig. 8A) shows
great variation. It starts at the base (224 m) with facies 1 overlain by 10 m
of coarse sand and pebbles with shelly beds. It is followed by 0.8 m of
facies 3 (214 m) including pollen indicative of cool conditions, and ends
with 12 m of continental sand and gravel. The uppermost layers are
shelly. This succession shows the same evolution from lowstand to
highstand conditions but not the flooding of a large river evolving to
become an estuary. The more relevant explanation would be a strong shift
of the Têt and Agly river paths toward the south, as indicated by their
actual position and the paleochannel position in Figure 2.
Compared with the classic model of a ‘‘simple’’ incised-valley fill, the
repetitive depositional sequence identified in this core differs in several
ways: retreating bay-head-delta deposits are lacking over the fluvial facies
1, wave ravinement (WR) and/or tidal ravinement (TR) surfaces are not
observed inside the estuarine muddy silts of facies 3, transgressive
estuarine muds and overlying prograding highstand equivalents cannot be
differentiated from the bounding MFS, and highstand fluvial prograding
deposits are lacking at the top (except above the facies 3 occurrence at
level 213 m, see description above). Bartek et al. (2004) have already
pointed out the difficulty of identifying several of these key surfaces. In
our incised-valley system, more than one core would be necessary to
characterize the longitudinal stacking pattern of an incised-valley fill.
Climate-Driven Sea-Level and Base-Level Cycles and Chronostratigra-
phy.—The alternating warming and cooling phases suggested by the
pollen content (Fig. 7E) indicate that several climatic cycles are recorded
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY 721

FIG. 9.—3D schematic description of the successive stages of development of an incised valley and filling during a late Quaternary climate and sea-level cycle. A) From
interglacial to glacial, base level falls, the river mouth migrates towards the outer shelf, and the river is incised. The river course evolves from meandering to straight in the
inner-shelf area, and some remnants of the previous infilling may be preserved on the flanks. B, C) Early interglacial phase, base level rises and the river mouth migrates
landward. D) Maximum interglacial and sea-level highstand. The landward-migrating sandy estuary shoals merge with the seaward-migrating bay-head delta deposits.
The estuary is mature. E) A new cycle begins.

in the SC1 core. Pollen grains, microfauna, and microflora (dinoflagellate
cysts and nannoplankton) collected in the well-preserved muddy-silt
intervals reveal a marine influence associated with interglacial episodes.
The pebble beds are indicators of cold periods.
During the late Quaternary, cycles of about 120 kyr and 20 kyr
duration are well-known (Fig. 8C, D) and associated with climate and
with sea-level changes (Labeyrie et al. 1987; Shackleton 1987; Chappell et
al. 1996). The occurrence of the calcareous coccolith Emiliania huxleyi
above 37 m in the SC1 core (Figs. 7F, 8A) marks the MIS 8 (290 ka)
boundary (Fig. 7F). Just above this level (from 35–34 m), the pollen
record indicates a change from glacial to interglacial conditions, which
implies a sea-level rise. The sedimentary facies at 32 m core depth points
out a base-level fall, and the pollen record expresses an interglacial
context at 31.4 m. Therefore we suggest that two climatic and sea-level
cycles are recorded between 35 and 31 m. On the reference oxygen isotope
curve (Fig. 8C; Lisiecki and Raymo 2005), these cycles probably
correspond to the MIS 7 and MIS 5 respectively. The 27.6–28.4 m
interval is problematic since the 14C age at 28.5 m (Table 1) places this
interval within MIS 3. This appears inconsistent with the pollen flora,
which is significantly different from that of the MIS 3 found in the Gulf of
Lion (Beaudouin et al. 2005), but that clearly indicates interglacial
conditions. This discrepancy can be solved in two ways: (1) either we
reject the 14C age and attribute this interval as well as the underlying one
(29.40–29.60 m core depth) to interglacial conditions, i.e., to MIS 5; or (2)
we consider that the 14C age is valid and suggest the presence of
important mesophilous forest refuges in the Roussillon plain during MIS
722 M. TESSON ET AL.
3, which would be very surprising on the northern edge of the Pyrenees.
The second hypothesis could be supported by the presence of intervening
sands (29.20–29.35 m) separated from the underlying silts by a weak
erosional surface.
The presence of the calcareous coccolith Pseudoemiliania lacunosa from
44.5 m to the base provides a second biochronostratigraphic marker. The
disappearance of this species is dated at 440 ka and corresponds to MIS
12 (Raffi et al. 2006), a glacial episode that fits well with the pollen data.
Above this, up to the previously identified MIS 8 at 36 m, we observe one
warm peak that we attribute to MIS 11, but no sediment was analyzed
between 37 and 39.75 m, an interval which should include MIS 9. From
the SC1 core-log description, technical problems caused 2.7 m of
disturbed sediment. The cuttings indicate mainly muddy silts with a bed
of pebbles (Fig. 8A, level 4). If we assume that pebble beds 4 and 5 were
affected by these technical problems, and consequently not correctly
attributed to their initial core depths, MIS 9 is thus likely there. In the
SC1 core, the synthetic pollen diagram exhibits two major peaks of steppe
development, i.e., two glacial stages that are attributed to MIS 14 and
MIS 16 respectively.
The sedimentary succession and the pollen record display some
uncertainties because the upper part of the associated deposits was only
partly preserved, due to the technical problems encountered during the
drilling operation. Nevertheless, the accumulation and preservation of
this sedimentary archive extends from more than 440 ka to the present.
During this period of the late Quaternary, several climate and sea-level
cycles of 100 kyr and 20 kyr duration are recorded. It is reasonable to
propose that the sedimentary cyclicity is linked to these climate and sea-
level cycles.
Sedimentary Model
Drill core SC1 comprises several stacked depositional sequences
characterized by a vertical succession of facies 1 and 3, and correlated
with glacio-eustatic cycles covering the past 600,000 yr BP. The
fundamental sequence is similar to the classic ‘‘simple’’ incised-valley-
fill model, but the SC1 core offers a top truncated model. Moreover, some
of the key surfaces and facies of the classic model are not observed.
We propose, in the following paragraphs, to detail: the environmental
changes that explain the stratigraphic pattern of the fundamental
depositional sequence and its upper truncation, the variations observed
in some sequences preserved at the base and the top of the SC1 core, and
the factors which contributed to the more or less complete preservation of
several stacked sequences, hence representing an example of a ‘‘com-
pound’’ incised-valley fill.
The Fundamental Depositional Sedimentary Unit of the SC1 Drill Core
(‘‘Simple’’ Incised-Valley-Fill Sequence).—Figure 9 shows a 3D diagram
illustrating what could happen during a base-level fall and rise cycle and
what might have been preserved at the SC1 core location at the end of
such a cycle (Fig. 10).
First stage (Fig. 9A): During base-level fall linked to climate cooling
and sea-level fall, the river mouth migrates seaward and the slope
steepens. The river entrenches and vertical and lateral erosion of previous
deposits modify the valley shape. A restricted channel supplies the coarse
bedload material (facies 1).
Second stage: After the maximum lowstand, during the onset of sea-
level rise due to climate warming and ice melting, the river mouth
migrates upwards and landwards. At the beginning of the sea-level rise,
the river profile and the hydraulic slope remain unchanged at the SC1
borehole location because the shoreline is far seaward, and there was not
enough time to adjust the profile. The river would continue to cut down
and/or deposit pebbles (facies 1) owing to the increased runoff and
sediment load.
JSR
Third stage (Fig. 9B): The hydraulic gradient decreases because the
river mouth is close and the river shear stress decreases as the base level
continues to rise. As a result, the coarse material settles out in the
thalweg, while the suspended material becomes finer and aggrades on the
river banks and flood plain. The coarse material deposited during stages 1
to 2 is overlain by silty muds affected by subaerial oxidation (Facies 2). At
more distal locations, estuarine muddy silts and coarse material of the bay
mouth show a retrograding trend, which is not observed in the SC1 core.
As base level continues to rise, and the river mouth is situated near the
borehole location, the river becomes an estuary, and seawater penetrates
a few kilometers up the valley. Coarse material is transported and
deposited in the fluvial bay-head segment, while fines (facies 3) are
trapped in the central estuarine segment and aggrade. Brackish
macrofauna, benthic foraminifera, calcareous coccoliths, and dinoflagel-
late cysts are incorporated into the sediment, but burrows are not
observed. During floods or catastrophic events favored by the melting of
the ice cap in the nearby mountains, high-density fresh water mixed with
mud carries sand and pebbles downstream as far as the head of the central
estuarine segment. Fossiliferous estuarine muddy silts aggrade and
retrograde as the base level continues to rise, occupying the entire main
valley. Because there is no vertical trend in sedimentation, we assume that
retrogradation was of small magnitude. Coarse material derived from the
transgression-related wave reworking and laterally dispersed by littoral
drift (the effectiveness of the tidal currents is uncertain) is progressively
introduced upstream into the valley (Fig. 9C). This material is
represented by hypothetical coastal spits or bay-mouth shoals formed
on the both sides of the estuary, which are not well identified at the SC1
core location (they can be observed on the inner shelf seismic lines;
Labaune et al. 2010, Fig. 3B).
Fourth stage (Fig. 9D): Base-level rise is progressively replaced by a
period of base-level stability (highstand), and the river discharge is
drastically reduced (just as in the present-day regime). There is a possible
but reduced seaward migration of the bayhead delta and fluvial segment.
During this period, the littoral drift at the shoreline continues to supply
sediment to the estuary mouth and marine coarse material continues to be
introduced in by waves and weak tidal currents. Coarse deposits of the
bay-head delta and estuary mouth may intermingle and form a thin sheet.
These deposits are not observed in the core.
Final stage (Fig. 9E): Sea level starts to fall again. The river entrenches
and shifts laterally, removing the upper part of the former and Pliocene
deposits, extending the valley. The estuary mouth migrates downward
and seaward. This stage is also the first stage of a new cycle and sequence
building.
Figure 10 represents the longitudinal stratigraphic section of a
complete and hypothetical ‘‘simple’’ incised valley filled during one cycle
of base-level and sea-level fall and rise, and shows the lower and upper
sequence boundaries. The lower boundary of the incised-valley fill is a
sequence boundary, SB1, located at the base of the observed fluvial
coarse lag, attributed to the initial base-level fall. The erosional surface
generated by the next sea-level fall and river entrenchment is a sequence
boundary, SB2. Depending upon various factors discussed later, more or
less of the upper part of the incise-valley infill is removed. Thus, only the
lowermost deposits of each sequence are preserved. Nevertheless, because
the maximum base-level lowstand was far below the core depth, we must
consider that the estuary mud infilling represents late transgressive and/or
highstand deposits, emplaced just before or during the maximum warm
period when the preserved estuary deposits are commonly characterized
by interglacial biological markers. The remnants of each depositional
sequence are stacked on top of each other and grossly constitute the full
core content of the SC1 drill (Fig. 11).
Variations in the Stacking Pattern of the Depositional Sequences at the
Base and the Top of the SC1 Core.—At the base of the SC1 core, the
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY 723

FIG. 10.—Longitudinal section of a complete cycle of incision, infilling, and reincision showing the removed part and preserved part of the incised-valley system at the
SC1 location. The first incision is the Sequence Boundary SB1 and the final incision is the Sequence Boundary SB2. The preserved part is bounded by SB1 and SB2. The
thickness of the preserved lowermost facies (fluvial, bay-head) is controlled by depositional processes. The thickness of the overlying facies (estuary silts, estuary-mouth
sands) depends on erosional processes. Note that the biological environmental markers in the estuarine silts depend on the depth of maximum relative sea-level lowstand.
For high values, the incised-valley filling corresponds to late transgressive and highstand deposits (interglacial) and for low values it corresponds to mid-transgressive
deposits and still glacial conditions.

occurrence of glacial rather than interglacial biological markers in the
estuary deposits (Fig. 8B) can be explained by the low amplitudes of the
associated sea-level cycles (Fig. 8D, MIS 12–MIS15) and a relatively
lower sea level. Consequently, at the SC1 core location and depth (60 m
b.s.l.), only a minimum sea-level rise was needed to generate estuarine
conditions (muddy silts and brackish-water fauna) when climatic
conditions did not change much and were still cold.
At the top of the SC1 core, the coarse and mainly terrestrial deposits set
up during the last glacio-eustatic cycles (Fig. 8A, D, MIS3–MIS1) are
different, probably because the original fluvial system composed of the
coalescent Têt and Agly rivers separated and/or migrated. Presently these
rivers are oriented more to the south, which led us to suggest earlier in
this paper that the described ‘‘compound’’ incised-valley system had
stopped working then, and that the depression was filled by both
continental coarse deposits and highstand littoral drift.
Factors of Preservation of Several Depositional Sequences (‘‘Compound’’
Incised-Valley Fill)
Late Quaternary simple incised-valley fills are commonly described, but
examples of ‘‘compound’’ types are few, around the Mediterranean Sea
especially. They always correspond to delta systems in subsiding settings
(Amorosi et al. 2004; Gamez et al. 2009). Even in the eastern part of the
Gulf of Lion, the Rhône delta deposits exhibit a unique late Quaternary
base-level and sea-level cycle (Boyer et al. 2005). In this context we need
to understand which controlling factors contributed to the preservation of
the small Agly–Têt compound incised-valley system.
Morphostructural Constraints.—The Messinian drying phase led to a
major erosional surface (MES) with a deep entrenchment of rivers far in
the hinterland (Fig. 3). However, the Agly and/or Têt system basal
erosional surface (Fig. 2) was not influenced by the MES (Labaune et al.
2010).
Tectonic Control.—On the Gulf of Lion passive margin, seaward-
increasing subsidence rates generate accommodation (sensu Jervey 1988)
and allow the preservation of Pleistocene deposits on the shelf (Tesson et
al. 1990; Posamentier et al. 1992; Tesson et al. 1993; Rabineau et al. 1998).
Subsidence rates of up to 255 m/Myr have been calculated (Rabineau et al.
2006; Jouet et al. 2008) at the outer shelf. The shelf depositional sequences
pinch out on the inner shelf and the incised-valley system is located just
above the hinge line. In Figure 10, the effect of subsidence between two
successive cycles of fall and rise is shown to have preserved the lower part
of the first incision infilling, which increases with the subsidence rate. At
the same time, the marine deposits are supposed to have accumulated in
the interfluves. This is not the case along the inner shelf of the studied
area, where the subsidence effect has probably been very low.
724 M. TESSON ET AL. JSR

FIG. 11.—Schematic stratigraphic section of a compound incised-valley fill based on the repeated succession of events described in Figure 10. During the timespan
covered by these cycles, local factors modify the environment and ensure good preservation of the sedimentary record. The global trend is a progressive infilling from one
cycle to another, along with seaward migration of the facies. The migration is of limited extent, which explains why most of the lower part of the SC1 core is made up of
estuarine muddy silts. The coarse deposits at the top of the core are spectacular. However, their thickness is not the crucial point. The nature of the facies developed at the
SC1 core location is more important because muddy estuarine silts are lacking. See text for further explanation.

Faults indirectly controlled the fluvial erosional processes during the
base-level falls, making erosion of the broken basement easier so that
rivers entrenched always at the same place. After several cycles of fall and
rise, only thin fluvial deposits are eventually preserved, while the
interfluves remain completely denuded. Such incised valleys are common
around the Brittany coast (Proust et al. 2001; Menier et al. 2006; Menier
et al. 2010). Fault reactivation can induce substratum vertical movements
which favor erosion and preferential courses for rivers. In the studied
area, a southwest to northeast ‘‘Agly’’ fault is known to run under the
Roussillon plain (Guennoc et al. 2000). A block tilting towards the north
may have progressively constrained the migration of the rivers. On
seismic lines there is no evidence of such a fault and block replay in the
late Quaternary deposits of the inner shelf. However, available data are of
poor quality off the Leucate Cap (seismic diffraction), so this remains
possible.
Sedimentary-Processes Control.—On the inner shelf, seismic data
(Fig. 5) show that every incision (erosional surface or sequence boundary)
comprises a large incised U-shaped (or flat bottom) valley with abrupt
flanks, a channel, and lateral terraces. The repetitive incisions do not
occupy the same place (Figs. 4, 9E). The incised valleys, from the oldest
to the earliest, migrate progressively from south to north, and then shift
abruptly to the South (Fig. 4). The maximum depth of incision differs by
only a few meters. In more proximal seismic sections, there is less
difference in the erosion depth.
Consequently, all the incision and filling systems are more or less top
truncated, and an apparent main valley seems to develop, which is not a
previous structure but an inherited final structure. A similar pattern is
described by Suter (1994) and by Foyle and Oertel (1997), but they do not
indicate any controlling factor for the shifting. We suggested previously
(Labaune 2007; Labaune et al. 2010) that the shift was probably due to
the effects of the oceanic regime and littoral drift induced by dominant
waves. At the scale of one simple depositional sequence (highstand
deposits of the last Quaternary sequence), these sedimentary processes
induce lateral migration and affect also the modern tidal inlets of the
Aquitaine Gulf (Bertin et al. 2004; Chaumillon et al. 2008). The question
is whether sequence-to-sequence successions can be driven by such
processes.
Landward, at the SCI borehole location, the lateral switching was less
important because the overall incision narrows (Fig. 2). Every deposi-
tional sequence was either intensively reworked or completely eroded.
The lower part of the SC1 drill recovered the preserved part of several
sequences comprising fluvial pebbles of the first steps of base-level fall,
and the overlying transgressive and/or highstand estuarine silty muds.
The upper part of the SC1 drill, from 26 m to the top, represents a
major change of the depositional environment dominated by terrestrial
material. The direct age dating (14C data) and pollen associations
(Fig. 7E, F) indicate a MIS3 to MIS1 deposition period (Fig. 8C, D).
This implies first that there were no MIS2 to MIS1 transgressive marine-
influenced deposits, and secondly that coarse material was deposited
during highstand periods (MIS3 and MIS1) as well as during lowstand
(MIS2).
We suggest that the river regime was very different, i.e., the flow
strength was less due to an abrupt shift of one or the two rivers towards
the south, which is corroborated by the lack of MIS3 to MIS 1
transgressive estuarine silts. The present-day position of the rivers (to the
south) strengthens this hypothesis, which also fits with previous studies of
coastal-plain cores by BRGM (Duvail et al. 2001) that established that
the Têt river was flowing more to the south during the MIS6 lowstand
and glacial period.
After a continuous period of northward shifting, the valley curved
towards the north, reached the Mesozoic and Cenozoic hard rocks, and
then migration stopped. During the latest MIS6 and MIS2 high-
amplitude base-level and sea-level falls, the rivers tended to follow the
maximum slope angle and directly front their hinterland drainage basins
by moving southward. The excessive length of the curve towards the
north associated with the constraint to follow the shortest path to reach
the sea are the true controlling factors.
Maximum River Downcutting Depths and Late Quaternary Changes in
Climate and Sea Level.—River entrenchment is a function of multiple
factors. There are two ways for changing river regime from deposition to
erosion. The first is to change the hydraulic gradient (commonly uplift
landward and/or sea-level fall seaward). The second, which can be
coupled with it, is to increase the water runoff delivered by the drainage
basin. At the geological timescale, other factors such as drainage-basin
JSR ARCHITECTURE AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY OF A MICROTIDAL AND COMPOUND INCISED VALLEY 725

FIG. 12.—Pattern illustrating in transverse sections the effects of the various factors controlling the stacking pattern observed in the study area: subsidence, lateral
shifting, variable depth of erosion at maximum lowstand. These factors operate differently on the mid and outer shelf and on the inner shelf, and may combine
their effects.

elevation changes (erosion combined with uplift), coastal-plain aggrada-
tion, and regional tectonics have played a role. Changes in vegetation
cover are also responsible for possible water retention. The problem is
complex, and data are needed.
The available data concern essentially the base-level cycles of fall and
rise of sea level that occurred during the late Quaternary fourth-order
climatic cycles. These changes of base level at the mouths of the rivers
reached a magnitude of up to 150 m and induced variations of the
hydraulic slope. They constrained river entrenchment during the low-
stand periods.
The lowstand levels reached during the successive cycles are not clearly
quantified, and the envelope curve (Fig. 8D) shows a large discrepancy
between authors. The difference can be up to 45 m, and it seems
reasonable to presume that the lowstand levels were variable, which may
explain the differences observed in the depth of incision by rivers (Fig. 5).
Although, because this discrepancy is observed in the sea levels reached
at the shelf-break, i.e., more than 50 km away from the studied inner
shelf, we wonder how 45 m of vertical variation distant from 50 km would
induce major changes in the river slope on the inner shelf and could
control the depth of entrenchment. The answer is probably not (Schumm
and Ethridge 1994).
In any case, the variation of sea level reached during lowstand periods
is due to variable quantities of fresh water stored in the hinterland during
the glacial period. During the successive river entrenchment phases, the
environmental conditions in the drainage basins were not similar, and the
river regimes were probably different. This is suggested by the high
variability of riparian trees in the pollen record (Fig. 7E), a signal
depending on the intensity of river input (Beaudouin et al. 2007). We
propose that the variable depth of river entrenchment, from one climatic
cycle to another cycle (Fig. 12D), was due mainly to these differences and
not directly to the maximum lowstand sea-level variations.
Evolution of Space Available for Sedimentation and Accommodation.—
At the SC1 core location, the valley width is reduced compared with the
inner shelf, and there is less space for the river to migrate. Remnants of
the successive phases of incision and infilling only a few meters thick are
preserved, such as thin fluvial pebbles and overlying muddy silts.
However, they are stacked, and the bases of the youngest incisions does
not reach the bases of the previous ones. Progressively, from cycle to
cycle, the space available for sedimentation decreased. These processes
have been observed in New Zealand estuaries (Heap and Nichol 1997).
The landward part of the system, where the initial space available was
reduced (because of the river equilibrium profile), is quickly filled. The
longitudinal succession of a classic incised-valley fill (continental fluvial
and bayhead coarse sediment, central-basin estuarine mud, bay-mouth
marine sand) has insufficient space and migrates seaward. During the
726 M. TESSON ET AL.
earliest cycles, migration was not observable at the SC1 core location,
which was never reached by the continental deposits. Meanwhile, a few
kilometers landward (Duvail 2008) the estuarine deposits have totally
disappeared.
Space available for sedimentation was reduced to a few meters (less
than 26 m) and the base-level changes are recorded only by lowstand
fluvial gravels overlain by transgressive retreating and highstand
prograding bay-head terrestrial sand and pebbles. The transgressive
estuarine muds did not reach the SC1 core location and were probably
deposited seaward on the shelf. At the end, during the present highstand
level, sands with shells, introduced by littoral drift, contributed to the last
meters of sediment.
The progressive decrease of the space available for sedimentation is not
a controlling factor by itself. If all the factors were constant, the last MIS2
sea–level fall should have removed all these coarse deposits and a clear
level of well-preserved estuarine muds would have been preserved
intercalated between coarse terrestrial sand and pebbles. In our case,
we consider that both the reduction of the available space and the
southward shift of one of the rivers (and possibly both) have contributed
to these changes in depositional environment in the uppermost 26 meters
of the SC1 drill core.
CONCLUSIONS
Successive seismic surveys lead to evidence of a late Quaternary buried
system of several incised valleys and fills located under the coastal plain
and inner shelf of the Roussillon plain.
The 60 m long calibration core drilled on the beach barrier, in the
upstream part where geometries are not clear, confirms that in the lower
part of the core (226 to 260 m b.p.s.l.) six depositional sequences related
to glacioeustatic base-level and sea-level falls are preserved, and that the
system belongs to the ‘‘compound’’ type.
The sandy and gravely upper part of the core is correlated with the
recent southward shift of the rivers. We partly attribute the shift to the
high amplitude of the MIS 2 base-level and sea-level fall and the natural
trend for rivers to follow the maximum slope in front of drainage basins.
The core facies succession, grain-size variations, and gamma-ray
profiles, when considered alone, must be examined with caution because
their mud water content is high, and unconsolidated sandy gravels are
difficult to recover. In our case, the core should have been made of 34 m
of estuarine muds accumulated during a simple transgressive period
(Holocene transgressive systems tract).
Facies analysis, combined with pollen diagrams, shows the occurrence
of stacked cycles of facies associations constituting depositional sequences
characterized by fluvial sandy pebbles of centimeter thickness at the base
and overlying estuarine muddy silts reaching up to 1.0 m in thickness. The
estuarine muds were typically deposited during phases of continuous
warming and interglacial environment conditions.
The chronostratigraphic benchmark is calibrated by 14C age dating and
chronostratigraphic biomarkers which indicate that the time period
covered by the successive phase of base-level and sea-level cycles extends
from MIS 16 (about 600 ky B.P.) to MIS1 (present day). The exact
correlation of base-level and sea-level cycles with identified climate cycles
remains approximate, but several cycles have been clearly identified by
their vegetal associations.
The key point of this ‘‘compound’’ incised valley is that it has not been
preserved by the interplay of subsidence and eustasy only, which is the
case for the preservation of depositional sequences in the adjacent shelf.
The controlling factors are: first, the lateral shifting of the successive
incision phases, attributed to the oceanographic regime and perhaps
block tilting; second, the favorable erodibility of the soft Pliocene
substratum (regressive Gilbert-type deltas) and, finally, the difference in
river flow efficiency (erosional strength) during the base-level falls, linked
JSR
to the behavior of the drainage basin under variable glacial-phase
conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This program has been supported by the Institut Nationl des Sciences de
l’Univers national program ACTIONS MARGES (support for access to
research vessel Téthys 2 and research contracts), TOTAL SA (research
contract and postdoctoral grant), and GDARGO (seismic data acquisition).
L’École Nationale des Pétroles et Moteurs (Paris) was responsible for grant
management, and O. Parize contributed to core description. The SC1 drill
logging was carried out by J. Lofi (Montpellier University team) and the
drilling phase co-managed by I. Lortal (Perpignan University). We wish to
thank the captain and crew of Téthys 2, with whom it was always a pleasure
to work. A. Aslan and M. Hijma reviewed the paper, and the final version
was improved by W. Autin and J.B. Southard. M.S.N. Carpenter, B.
Deniaux, and P. McCarthy post-edited the English style.
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Received 23 February 2010; accepted 24 April 2011.