Structural evolution of the Latakia Ridge and Cyprus Basin at the front of the Cyprus Arc, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Early-to-mid Pleistocene Tectonic Transition Across the Eastern Mediterranean Influences the Course of Human History

“…Deformations were also recorded in the marine surroundings of Cyprus, from Iskenderun through Adana-Cilicia to Antalya basins, and along the Larnaka and Latakia Ridges. In these regions, which were studied in detail in the last decade, the Pliocene-Quaternary is interpreted as a single seismic stratigraphic unit (Unit 1 in Aksu et al, 2005a;Aksu et al, 2005b;Burton-Ferguson et al, 2005;Calon et al, 2005a;Calon et al, 2005b;Hall et al, 2005a;Hall et al, 2005b;Isler et al, 2005;Aksu et al, 2009;Hall et al, 2009). In light of the findings brought here the young fill of these basins should be reexamined.…”

The Hecataeus Rise, easternmost Mediterranean: A structural record of Miocene-Quaternary convergence and incipient continent-continent-collision at the African-Anatolian plate boundary

“…Based on seismic reflection profiles across the Latakia Ridge, Hall et al (2005) described a Miocene period of NW-directed compression, causing the formation of several NEeSW trending anticlines. Further west, Eratosthenes Seamount experienced significant Miocene tectonic uplift, possibly related to subduction initiation south of Cyprus (Robertson, 1998a).…”

“…Sedimentary evidence from the Mesaoria and the Pissouri basins suggest that the Troodos Massif was uplifted as a single tectonic entity (Kinnaird et al, 2011) with ongoing uplift throughout Holocene times at rates varying between 1.8 and 4.1 mm yr À1 during the last 40 ka (Harrison et al, 2013). PlioceneePleistocene compressional tectonic activity is evident within the area between the Latakia and Larnaka Ridges where Hall et al (2005) reported Early-Middle Pliocene transpressional reactivation of pre-existing anticlinal structures (Fig. 1b).…”

“…The Cyprus Arc, located in the easternmost Mediterranean Sea, represents a complex zone of tectonic convergence between the African and Anatolian plates (Vidal et al, 2000b;McClusky et al, 2003;Hall et al, 2005;Wdowinski et al, 2006;Le Pichon and Kreemer, 2010) (Fig. 1a).…”

“…1a). Major advances in understanding the evolution of the plate boundary were made in the course of scientific drilling at DSDP Leg 42a (Sites 375 and 376) (Shipboard Scientific Party, 1978) and ODP Leg 160 (Sites 965, 966, 967 and 968) (Robertson, 1998a,b) and by reflection seismic profiling at several locations along the Cyprus Arc (Ben-Avraham et al, 1995;Vidal et al, 2000a,b;Woodside et al, 2002;Hall et al, 2005;Kopf et al, 2005;Krasheninnikov et al, 2005;Hübscher et al, 2009;Maillard et al, 2011;Sellier et al, 2013;Klimke and Ehrhardt, 2014;Montadert et al, 2014;Reiche et al, 2015).…”