Miocene reefs in western Mediterranean
Coral reefs were particularly abundant and well developed during the late Tortonian and Messinian in southeastern Spain, the Balearic Islands, Italy, Sicily, Algeria, and Morocco. These reefs occurred just before and during the deposition of the thick Messinian evaporite units in the basinal areas and disappeared completely from Mediteranean during the early Pliocene. Most of the coral reefs are fringing terrigenous coastal fan complexes with very small lagoons and show progradation of less than 2 km. Some of the reefs occur on, or are intercalated with, Neogene volcanics or Messinian evaporites. Barrier-reef complexes are less common, have extensive lagoons behind them, and show complex progradational geometries more than 10 km wide. Excellent outcrops allow detailed reconstruction of paleogeography and sea level changes. Progradation predominated during phases of relative sea level drops and stillsands, while significant retrogradation occurred during sea level rises. The coral reef wall framework is commonly less than 20 m thick and is dominated by Porites and, locally, Tarbellastrae. Older Miocene reefs are less well developed, but show greater diversity of corals and reef organisms. Younger Miocene reef complexes occurring in open ocean settings are formed by only one branching coral genus (Porites or, locally, Tarbellastraea) with branching colonies up to 7 m high. Halimeda sands are particularly abundant in the upper reef slopes with occasional intercalations of red algae pavements that most likely coincide with episodes of terrigenous influx.
- OSTI ID:
- 6503072
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Cementation of Upper Miocene reefs in western Mediterranean
Miocene reef facies of pelagian block, central Mediterranean
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BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CATAGENESIS
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMISTRY
CNIDARIA
CORALS
EXPLORATION
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
REEFS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SEDIMENTATION
SURFACE WATERS
TERTIARY PERIOD