The Mediterranean salinity crisis
That the Mediterranean Sea underwent a salinity crisis during the Miocene (Messinian) is proven by the 1970 JOIDES deep sea drilling expedition. Subsequent work by ocean drilling and by studies on land have recorded the history of this crisis. Based upon the deep desiccated-basin model, the use of event-stratigraphy, calibrated by strontium-isotope dating and magnetostratigraphy, has enabled them to decipher the following events between 6.0 and 5.1 Ma: (1) deposition of marine diatom-rich sediments in a partially restricted basin, (2) first desiccation of the Mediterranean when Calcare di base was deposited at a time of isolation from the Atlantic because of a glacial eustatic drop of sea level, (3) influx of marine waters through southern Spanish basins to furnish brines for the deposition of the main salt, (4) Intra-Messinian desiccation, as evidenced by the erosional unconformity above the lower evaporite, (5) Intra-Messinian denudation, when reefs grew on Cyprus and marine sediments were deposited in basins, (6) frequency isolations due to oscillating sea level, when the upper evaporite was deposited, (7) Lago mare, formation of freshwater and brackish lakes due to influx of Paratethys water, (8) opening of the Gibraltar and Pliocene inundation of the Mediterranean.
- Research Organization:
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zuerich
- OSTI ID:
- 5594976
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8809346-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bull.; (United States), Vol. 72:8; Conference: Mediterranean Basins conference and exhibition, Nice, France, 25-28 Sep 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC MODELS
SALINITY
SEA LEVEL
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TERTIARY PERIOD
WELL DRILLING
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
CENOZOIC ERA
DRILLING
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
ISOTOPES
LEVELS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)