Reply to comments on “Upper Cretaceous Abiod and El Haria Formations in Jebel Rhorfa (Grombalia area, northeastern Tunisia): lithology and biostratigraphy revised” by Zaghbib-Turki et al

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences Vol. 14; no. 13
• Main Authors: Amri, Ahlem, Fadhel, Moez Ben, Chermiti, Asma, Youssef, Mohamed Ben
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biostratigraphy; Comment; Cretaceous; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Foraminifera; Lithology; Naval engineering; Sea level; Sea level changes; Tectonics; Grombalia area; Autocyclic control on sedimentation; Cretaceous–Paleocene transition; Planktic foraminifera reworking
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-021-07617-y

We disagree with the comments postulated by Zaghbib-Turki et al. (
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
13(13): 1–9, 2020) because they are based on selective bibliography and outdated data not complying with common standards and include quite unconvincing interpretations. There is no matching of microfacies and scanning electronic microscope plates provided by Zaghbib-Turki et al. (
2020
) to the illustrated Rhorfa section. These authors have made diagnostic confusions and failed to identify morphological features of planktic foraminifera in thin sections. They consider that formation has the same age through space, neglecting the tectonic control on paleotopography. Consequently, the thickness could vary laterally over the basin and formations would be diachronous. These authors have illustrated planktic foraminifera distribution and biological event charts established through capitalization of their results by depositionally continuous section. They underestimate the autocyclic controls, including the sea-level fluctuations and horst-like architecture which leads to marine condensed sedimentation. In this case, it’s not easy to identify index taxa according to the reference zonal scheme; indeed, it is expected to find amalgamated zones of taxa.