Soria Mingorance, Jesús Miguel, Caracuel Martín, Jesús Esteban, Corbí, Hugo, Dinarès Turell, Jaume, Lancis Sáez, Carlos, Tent-Manclus, Jose Enrique, Yébenes Simón, Alfonso
The Bajo Segura Basin (SE Spain): implications for the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean margins
SORIA MINGORANCE, Jesús Miguel, et al. "The Bajo Segura Basin (SE Spain): implications for the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean margins". Stratigraphy. Vol. 5, No. 3-4 (2008). ISSN 1547-139X, pp. 257-263
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/17228
DOI: 
ISSN: 1547-139X
Abstract: 
The analysis of the Messinian and Pliocene stratigraphy of the Bajo Segura Basin (a marginal basin of the western Mediterranean) has revealed three synthems deposited in a high sea-level context: T-MI (late Tortonian-Messinian), MII (Messinian), and P (early Pliocene), bounded by two lowstand erosional surfaces (intra-Messinian and end-Messinian unconformities). With respect to the salinity crisis, we propose the following series of events: 1) pre-evaporitic or pre-crisis phase (T-MI synthem); 2) first sea-level fall and subaerial exposure (intra-Messinian unconformity), possibly related to the precipitation of the Lower Evaporites; 3) syn-evaporitic phase (MII synthem), recorded both by selenitic gypsum (Upper Evaporites) as well as by lagoon deposits (Lago-Mare); 4) second sea-level fall and subaerial exposure (end-Messinian unconformity), characterized by deeply incised palaeovalleys; and 5) postevaporitic or post-crisis phase (P synthem), which coincides with the definitive restoration of open marine conditions in the basin. A combined biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic study revealed that all the events linked to the salinity crisis (from the end of the pre-evaporitic phase to the beginning of the post-evaporitic phase) occurred within the chron C3r (c. 5.9-5.2 Ma).
Keywords:Bajo Segura Basin, Messinian salinity crisis, Stratigraphy
Micropaleontology Press
info:eu-repo/semantics/article