New onshore/offshore evidence of the Messinian Erosion Surface from key areas: The Ibiza-Balearic Promontory and the Orosei-Eastern Sardinian margin

Abstract

As the Messinian sea-level draw down associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis is still questioned, we propose to show that the widely spread erosion surface affecting the Mediterranean margins is indeed linked to an exondation demonstrated from offshore and onshore data. Our study presents a comprehensive onshore to offshore correlation of the Messinian erosional surface. It is focused on small drainage systems or interfluve areas, outside of evaporite basins or incised canyons, where the Messinian erosion had not yet been studied previously: around Ibiza on the Balearic Promontory and around Orosei on the Eastern Sardinian margin, Tyrrhenian Basin, both areas where new offshore data were recently acquired. We show that the late Messinian erosion formed in subaerial settings, as testified by evidence of continentalization events, and attests for a regression phase that was correlated from the offshore continental slopes to the onshore paleo-platforms in both areas. Characteristics of this erosion in both study areas strengthen the scenario with at least one important low-stand sea-level for the Messinian Salinity Crisis with evaporites subbasins lying at different depths and possibly disconnected.

Flexural‐isostatic reconstruction of the Western Mediterranean during the Messinian Salinity Crisis: Implications for water level and basin connectivity

“…On Mallorca and Ibiza, the MSC record is mainly expressed by the terminal carbonate complex lying today between 30 and 60 m above sea level (Maillard, Gaullier, et al, 2020;Mas & Fornós, 2011). It is thought that the terminal carbonate complex formed close to sea level, starting from stage 1 of the MSC contemporaneous to the PLG (Cornée et al, 2004;Mas & Fornós, 2013;Roveri et al, 2009).…”

A Challenged Evaporite Paradigm?

“…Furthermore, a study by [6] states that the sea level drawdown of the Messinian is still under debate. Their work concentrates on erosional patterns around Ibiza and Orosei in the Tyrrhenian Basin.…”

The Messinian Erosion Surface along the Eastern Sardinian Margin, Western Tyrrhenian: New Insights from Very High-Resolution Seismic Data (METYSS 4)

“…• This study is the first step to conclude on our objectives. We are going to focus on the link between onshore observation (Giresse et al, 2015) and deepest offshore studies (Lymer et al, 2018;Maillard et al, 2020). The results will be integrated to understand at local and larger scale the tectonic framework from the opening of the Tyrrhenian basin to present deformation.…”

“…(B) Map of the Tyrrhenian Sea. MSC units were compilated from Lofi et al, 2005;Sage et al, 2005;Maillard et al, 2006Maillard et al, , 2020Cornée et al, 2008;Lofi, 2011Lofi, , 2018Tassy et al, 2014;Thinon et al, 2016;Garcia-Castellanos et al, 2020. Geological features were compilated from Mascle et al, 2012;Romagny et al, 2020. Topography and bathymetry are extracted from the GMRT database (Becker et al, 2009).…”