Changing seas in the Early–Middle Miocene of Central Europe: a Mediterranean approach to Paratethyan stratigraphy

Abstract

The Miocene palaeogeographic evolution of the Paratethys Sea is still poorly constrained. Here, we use modern Mediterranean biochronology to provide an up‐to‐date overview of changing seas in Central Europe. Instead of a Paratethys that waxed and waned with fluctuating global sea levels, we show that the development of different seas was mainly controlled by tectonic phases. The Early Miocene “Ottnangian Sea” (~18 Ma) was connected to the Mediterranean via the Rhône valley, while the “Karpatian Sea” (~16.5 Ma) was initiated by a tectonically induced marine transgression through the Trans‐Tethyan gateway. In most Central European basins, the establishment of the “Badenian Sea” (<15.2 Ma), triggered by subduction‐related processes in the Pannonian and Carpathian domain, is significantly younger (by ~1 Myr) than usually estimated. The updated palaeogeographic reconstructions provide a better understanding of the concepts of basin dynamics, land–sea distribution and palaeoenvironmental change in the Miocene of Central Europe.

Deciphering tectonic, eustatic and surface controls on the 20 Ma-old Burdigalian transgression recorded in the Upper Marine Molasse in Switzerland

“…Interestingly, shifts towards larger δ 18 O values generally coincide with times when hiatus are registered in the Molasse basin ( Fig. 7; see also Pippèrr and Reichenbacher, 2017;Sant et al, 2017). We thus suggest, that even small drops in global sea level initiated a phase of 25 erosion and recycling of previously deposited sediments because of the proximity of the Swiss Molasse to the peripheral seas.…”

“…In addition, shifts in surface loads caused by thrusting of the Aar-massif resulted in flexural adjustments in the Molasse basin, which could explain the establishment of distinct depositional environments and the formation of subtidal-shoals where a lateral bulge is expected. Because of the formation of shallow marine conditions, subtle changes in the eustatic sea level contributed to the occurrence of several hiatus (Sant et al, 2017). While these mechanisms are capable of explaining the establishment of the 20 Burdigalian seaway and the formation of distinct sedimentological niches in Switzerland, the drainage reversal during OMM-times possibly requires a change in the tectonic processes at the slab scale.…”

“…3 and 4). The overlying magnetozones of the Napf-15 units are correlated with the ATNTS following Sant et al (2017).…”

Cryptic species and co‐diversification in sand scorpions from the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts of Central Asia

“…The Tethys Ocean extended into these regions during the Jurassic and was then isolated during the late Oligocene, forming the Paratethys Sea, a shallow ocean ranging from the Alps to the modern Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts (Popov, Antipov, Zastrozhnov, Kurina, & Pinchuk, 2010). Over time the Paratethys Sea became smaller, first as restricted marine waters and then as separate lacustrine systems (Ghassemi & Garzanti, 2018;Sant, Palcu, Mandic, & Krijgsman, 2017). This progressive restriction is thought to be associated with Alpine-Himalayan orogeny, accelerated uplift of the Greater Caucasus Range and subduction in the South Caspian Basin (Van Baak et al, 2013).…”

The mid-Langhian flooding in the eastern Central Paratethys: integrated stratigraphic data from the Transylvanian Basin and SE Carpathian Foredeep

“…The first flooding only had a small impact on the Central Paratethys-installing semi-marine environments with occasional marine fauna influxes. The Slovenian corridor probably functioned as the connecting sea strait (Bistricic and Jenko 1985;Sant et al 2017). Central Europe became covered by a very diverse marine-brackish-lacustrine system Kovac et al 2003;Mandic et al 2012;Rijavec 1985;Zuschin et al 2014) (Fig.…”