For comparative studies of Upper Triassic cyclic platform carbonates, the Transdanubian Range (Hungary) and the Pelagonian Zone (Greece) were chosen. Paleogeographically they represent two distant segments of the passive margin of the Neotethys Ocean. During the Late Triassic, on this wide margin a very extensive tropical carbonate platform domain was developed, referred to as the Dachstein-type carbonate platform system. The Transdanubian Range (TR) represents a segment of a continent-encroaching platform system, whereas the Pelagonian-Subpelagonian Zone (PG) may have been a large isolated platform, surrounded by deep-water basins. The discussed Upper Triassic thick platform carbonates (Fődolomit/Hauptdolomit Formation and Dachstein Limestone in the TR, and Pantokrator Formation in the PG) are made up of cyclically arranged facies deposited under similar environmental conditions in the interior zones of carbonate platforms. Three characteristic major facies types can be distinguished: shallow subtidal-lagoonal, intertidal and supratidal-pedogenic, which correspond to the three typical lithofacies (members C, B and A) of Fischer's (1964) Lofer-cycle. The cycles are usually bounded by discontinuity surfaces related to subaerial exposure and pedogenic alteration. The meter-scale (Lofer) cyclicity is predominant throughout the successions. However, various stacking patterns including symmetric complete, truncated, incomplete, and condensed cycles or even alternating peritidal and subtidal facies without any disconformity are recognized in both areas studied. Pervasive or partial early diagenetic dolomitization affected some parts of the cyclic successions in both areas. However, age-dependence of the early dolomitization was clearly demonstrated only in the TR, where the older part of the platform carbonate succession was subject to pervasive dolomitization, whereas the younger part is non-dolomitized and there is a transitional unit between them. This trend is attributed to the climate changing from semiarid to more humid. The Upper Triassic platform carbonates of the TR and PG show strikingly similar features concerning the litho- and biofacies, the stacking pattern and the thickness of the elementary cycles, despite their distant and different paleogeographic setting within the western Neotethys realm. This suggests a eustatic signal, i.e. the cyclic deposition was essentially controlled by orbitally-forced eustatic sea-level changes, although the contribution of autocyclic mechanisms cannot be excluded either. Definite signatures of subaerial exposure (karstic features and vadose meteoric diagenesis) at and below the cycle boundaries also support allocyclic control. In the northeastern part of the TR the carbonate platform was drowned at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, whereas platform conditions persisted until the end of the Hettangian in the southwestern part. However, the Hettangian part of the succession is characterized by non-cyclic subtidal limestone, implying an upward-deepening trend. In contrast, in the PG the platform conditions continued until early to middle Liassic, and the Liassic succession is typified by well-developed pedogenic features, suggesting long-lasting subaerial exposure intervals, i.e. an upward-shallowing trend

Correlation of the Late Triassic carbonate successions, formed at the passive Pelagonian margin (SE of Dhidymi Mt.) with the Early-Middle Liassic successions of the Gavrovo-Tripolitza zone (SE of Leonidion), in eastern and central Peloponnesus respectively, is attempted. Detailed microfacies analysis revealed that the studied carbonate formations were deposited in analogous restricted inner-platform environments (lagoon-peritidal domain) and are composed of meter-scale, shallowing-upward, mostly incomplete peritidal cycles. The top of the supratidal and/ or shallow subtidal deposits are often affected by meteoric diagenesis tracing sea-level lowering and periodic emersions episodes. The well-developed pedogenic features observed in the Early Jurassic platform carbonates indicate long-lasting subaerial exposure intervals and semi-arid to arid climate. Instead, the Late Triassic strata preserve vadose diagenetic indices which point to shorter exposure events, weaker meteoric alteration and slightly wetter climatic conditions. The detected sedimentological features suggest the occurrence of wide lagoonal-peritidal depositional systems during Late Triassic and Early Jurassic, eastern and western of the Pindos basin, respectively. The basic facies pattern and the meter-scale cyclicity show many analogies with the Lofer cycles of the Alpine Triassic, supporting that in the Hellenides the Dachstein-type platform systems evolved till Early-Middle Liassic (Gavrovo-Tripolitza zone).

On the island of Kefallinia, which lies at the external edge of the Hellenides fold and thrust system, appear the Paxi and the Ionian Zones. In this study, an Upper Cretaceous carbonate succession, which is a part of the Paxi Zone, cropping out near the area of Sami (central area of Kefallinia), is discussed in detail with regard to its depositional facies, microfacies, biostratigraphy and palaeoenviroments. Detailed sedimentological and palaeontological investigations have been carried out on seven sections and petrographic analysis of thin-sections that led to the recognition of a number of microfacies types grouped into four facies zones. There was recorded a supratidal- intertidal (restricted)-intertidal (open lagoon)- subtidal (or shallow subtidal) vertical transition. Supratidal facies are characterized by fenestral and peloidal wackestone / packstone, intertidal (restricted) facies are represented by bioclastic wackestone and bindstone, whereas intertidal (open lagoon) facies are indicated by bioclastic packstone. Finally subtidal facies are dominated by bioclastic floatstone and grainstone. Benthic foraminifera are especially abundant and along with calcareous algae are the most important fossils used for age determination. The benthic foraminiferal genera that were identified (Cuneolina sp., Quinqueloculina sp., Nezzazata sp., Pseudonummoloculina sp., Dicyclina sp.), in addition with the observed calcareous algae, rudist and gastropods provide significant data for the depositional environments and the paleoecology of the Paxi Zone during the Upper Cretaceous.

The facies distribution of the Late Cenomanian carbonate platform deposits of the Tripolitza zone, in central Peloponnesus (Vitina, Mainalon Mnt., Greece) is more or less uniform and supports a flat topography of the related platform sector during the above interval. Peritidal facies with shallow-upward cyclothems predominate, containing a subaerial exposure evidence, while parts of the studied section correspond to vanished evaporites. Texturally, the Late Cenomanian limestone in central Peloponnesus, as well as, in central eastern Crete, appear principally as wackestone, lesser as wackestone-packstone and only randomly as packstone-floatstone. Peloidal wackestone are common, as well, characterized by irregular fenestrae and/or dissolution cavities. Grainstone (intrabiopelsparites) are minor in occurrence.Facies associations include: fossiliferous limestone/dolostone and microbial laminites documenting a low-energy, restricted shallow subtidal environment to intertidal/supratidal settings in a ramp-like depositional system comparable with the Balearic ramp-like platforms; temporary high-energy conditions also periodically instead of occured; dolomites/dedolomites after preexistent evaporites assigned to supratidal conditions and intermittent subaerial exposure as well as pedogenic limestone-conglomerates support a long-term, terrestrial exposure environment. The thick shale interval detected in the Vitina section supports a long-lasting exposure (sedimentary hiatus) of the platform during the Late Cenomanian. Pedogenic alteration of the sediments is intensive along certain horizons, indicating repeated sea-level fall intervals, supporting regional sea-level fluctuations, of allogenic origin, during a general sea-level rise status, which for the Late Cenomanian is known to coincide with the highest global sea-level stand.