Significance of the upper miocene coral reefs of the Western Mediterranean

Esteban, Mateu

doi:10.1016/0031-0182(79)90080-4

Cited by 211 publications

(130 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Marine life survived into the Pliocene in the near-shore environments, like those of southern Spain, from where Porites reefs are still reported, together with a variety of irregular tropical sea urchins (Esteban 1979(Esteban /1980Néraudeau et al 2001). A variety of tropical fi sh were reported from the Messinian of Italy, among them the round herring Spratelloides, the razor fi sh Centriscus (Fig.…”

Section: Messinian Survivalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tethys returns to the Mediterranean: Success and Limits of Tropical Re-Colonization

Por¹

2009

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Many thousands of tropical species have been settling in the Mediterranean during the last decades. Th is is the result of congruence between the present Climate Optimum, which is expressed in the warming of the sea and the opening of the contact with the Indo-pacifi c realm through the Suez Canal and a renewed entry through the Straits of Gibraltar. A historical review shows that tropical biota survived in the Mediterranean till the end of the Pliocene Climate Optimum and that presently we are witnessing a re-colonization of the Mediterranean by Tethyan descendants, rather than an invasion by harmful alien species as happens elsewhere. Th e limits of this resettling as witnessed today are discussed.

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Section: Messinian Survivalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tethys returns to the Mediterranean: Success and Limits of Tropical Re-Colonization

Por¹

2009

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“…The Yesares/Sorbas transition re¯ects an upward shallowing trend when coastal environments were established in large parts of the Sorbas basin. Dabrio and Polo (1995) suggest that the Sorbas Member represents the lateral equivalent of a facies association known as the Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC, Esteban and Giner, 1977;Esteban, 1979). This TCC includes Porites patch reefs and thrombolites (Dabrio et al, 1985;Martõ Ân et al, 1993).…”

Section: Sorbas Membermentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrochronology for the Messinian Sorbas basin (SE Spain) and orbital (precessional) forcing for evaporite cyclicity

Krijgsman

Fortuin

Hilgen

et al. 2001

Sedimentary Geology

187

162

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The Sorbas basin of SE Spain contains one of the most complete sedimentary successions of the Mediterranean re¯ecting the increasing salinity during the Messinian salinity crisis. A detailed cyclostratigraphic study of these successions allows a correlation of the sedimentary cycle patterns to astronomical target curves. Here, we present an astrochronological framework for the Messinian of the central part of the Sorbas basin. This framework will form a solid basis for high-resolution correlations to the marginal carbonate facies and to the Central Mediterranean area.The early Messinian Abad Member contains 55 precession induced sedimentary cycles marked by homogeneous marl±opal-rich bed alternations in the`Lower Abad' and by homogeneous marl±sapropel alternations in the`Upper Abad'. Astronomical tuning results in an age of 5.96 Ma for the transition to the Yesares evaporites and thus for the onset of the`Messinian salinity crisis'. The marl±sapropel cycles of the`Upper Abad' are replaced by gypsum±sapropel cycles (14) in the Yesares Member, indicating that the evaporite cyclicity is related to precession controlled oscillations in (circum) Mediterranean climate as well. As a consequence, gypsum beds correspond to precession maxima (insolation minima) and relatively dry climate, sapropelitic marls to precession minima (insolation maxima) and relatively wet climate. An alternative (glacio-eustatic) obliquity control for evaporite cyclicity can be excluded because the number of sedimentary cycles with a reversed polarity is too high.Sedimentation during the Abad, Yesares, and the overlying coastal sequences of the Sorbas Member, took place in a continuously marine environment, indicating that marine conditions in the Sorbas basin prevailed at least until 5.60±5.54 Ma. According to our scenario, deposition of the Yesares and Sorbas Member took place synchronously with deposition of the`Lower Evaporites' in the Central Mediterranean. Finally, the continental Zorreras Member consists of 8 sedimentary cycles of alternating reddish silts (dry climate) and yellowish sands (wet climate) which correlates very well with the`Upper Evaporites' and Lago Mare facies of the Mediterranean. q

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“…In marginal areas it also may onlap the reef cores and their e1inoforms. Then oolitic limestones (representing shallow-marine bars) and algal mats predominate and this facies association is known as the Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC, Esteban and Giner, 1977;Esteban, 1979). This TCC al so ineludes Porites patch-reefs and thrombolites and in places like Góchar (Fig.…”

Section: Cabo De Gatamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lateral relation between the Sorbas Member and the TCC was certified by Dabrio and Polo (1995), who correlated typical sections of both units, using lithology, sequential patterns and stromatolite layers. The TCC has been widely studied in the Mediterranean in relation with reef growth (Esteban, 1979;Dabrio et al, 1981;Martín and Braga, 1994) and the Messinian salinity crisis (Martín et al, 1993;Van de Poel, 1994).…”

Section: Cabo De Gatamentioning

confidence: 99%

Late highstand patterns of shifting and stepping coastal barriers and washover-fans (late Messinian, Sorbas Basin, SE Spain)

Roep

Dabrio

Fortuin

et al. 1998

Sedimentary Geology

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The late Messinian Sorbas Member, up to 75 m thick, consists in it;; lype area of a parasequence sel of three prograding coastal barriers (sequences I-III). associated with lagoon and washover sedimenlS. Around the town of Sorbas these strata can be studied exceptionally wel! due 10 absence of burrowing by raised Messinian salinities and exposure along a network of up to 30 m deep canyons. Fifteen vertical sections were logged and careí'ully correlated. This permits to reconstruct and discuss pattems of relative sea-Ievel movements between decímetres. up to 15 m within a parasequence. Excellent examples oí' non-tidal transgressive facies are characterized by lagoon and washover sedimenls instead oí' the usual combinatíon oí' wa,hover and tidal deposits (channel and ftood-tidal delta). Implications í'or the sandstone connectivity are given. The lower two sequences are deposited in ,J, relatively tectonically enhanced wedge-shaped accommodation space. They show both fining-up, deepening sequences, followed by prograding eoarsening-up shoaling sequences and can be compared lO the c1assical parasequences of lhe Westem Interior Basin (USA). Progradation of sequence II was intemlpted by a major slide event (most likely triggered by an earthquake), which caused more than 400 m seaward slumping of a stretch of 1 km of coasta! sands. The architecture of sequence lIT Is more complex due to limited accommodation spaee characterístic for the late híghstand, so tha! this sett'.ng was very sensitive to sea-Ievel tluctuations. This resulted in an intricate pattem of juxtaposed and superposed lagoonal muds, washover üms and swash zones. So-called 'stranded' coast;:J barriers occur, which were lef! behind after seaward Jump of the coastline over more than 1.5 km during forced regression. The pattem oí' reconstructed sea-Ievel positions is weIl comparable to the sequential partem shown by the correlated equivalent, along the northem basin margin, which belong to the so-called Terminal Carbonate Complex. The problem of ranking the complex sequence III as one or more parasequences and it, consequences for cyclostratigraphy are shortly discussed. Two models of washover formation are given, respectively during more rapid and more slow sea-Ievel rise. The intluence oí' synsedimentary folding on the location of barriers is discussed and also the source arca of extra-and intraclasts supplied to barriers and washovers. After deposition of ¡he Sorbas Member the sea withdrew from the Sorbas Basin, probably as a result of the majar downdrop in lhe Mediterranean at the maximum i,olation during the Salinity Crisis. It 15 suggested that the semi-enclosed selting of the basin resulted only in Iímited. localized eros ion, in contrast to the deeper adjacent Vera Basin, which was more open to the Mediterranean.

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Significance of the upper miocene coral reefs of the Western Mediterranean

Cited by 211 publications

References 5 publications

Tethys returns to the Mediterranean: Success and Limits of Tropical Re-Colonization

Tethys returns to the Mediterranean: Success and Limits of Tropical Re-Colonization

Astrochronology for the Messinian Sorbas basin (SE Spain) and orbital (precessional) forcing for evaporite cyclicity

Late highstand patterns of shifting and stepping coastal barriers and washover-fans (late Messinian, Sorbas Basin, SE Spain)

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