⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronostratigraphy of late Miocene–early Pliocene continental aquatic basins in SE Galilee, Israel

Formation of lacustrine dolomite in the late Miocene marginal lakes of the East Mediterranean (Northern Israel)

“…B) were characterized by a low relief with large river systems draining from east to west and depositing sequences of fluvial/alluvial sediments (Hordos Formation; Schulman, ; Shaliv, ). Extensive volcanic eruptions occurred over the Arabian plate, producing thick sequences of alkali basalts in Northern Israel and the Golan Heights, comprising the Lower Basalt Unit (~17·5 to 10 Ma; Shaliv, ; Segev, ; Kafri, ; Rozenbaum et al ., ).…”

“…Composite section of the late Miocene sequence in Northern Israel showing the general lithologies and chronostratigraphy ( 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages by Rozenbaum et al ., ). The current study focuses on the Bira and Gesher formations.…”

“…C), extended from the Upper Galilee Mountains in the north to the Samaria Hills in the south, including the area of the modern Sea of Galilee (Rozenbaum et al ., ). The sediments that were deposited in the lake comprise the Bira Formation (~10 to 7 Ma; Rozenbaum et al ., ) which consists of limestones and dolostones, with some marlstones and evaporites (for example, gypsum in the Kinnarot Basin), and basaltic flows and tuffs (Fig. ).…”

“…The thickness of the Bira Formation varies over short distances across Northern Israel, from a few tens of metres at the Lower Galilee area and Yizre'el Valley to more than 350 m in the Kinnarot Basin (Schulman, ; Shaliv, ; Rozenbaum et al ., , ). A topographic barrier separated Lake Bira from the Mediterranean Sea, and was occasionally crossed by marine intrusions (Schulman, ; Zak, ; Shaliv, ), as indicated by layers of marine fossils, especially a ‘lumachelle’ bed from the uppermost part of the formation (Blake, ; Picard, ; Bentor, ; Greenberg, ; Schulman, ; Shaliv, ).…”

“…). The studied sedimentary sequence comprises the Bira and Gesher formations of Tortonian and Messinian ages, respectively (Rozenbaum et al ., , ). The excellent field exposures of the Bira and Gesher formations and good preservation of dolomite minerals, which did not suffer significant burial diagenesis, make these formations an ideal target for studying the processes involved with lacustrine dolomite formation in a continental environment.…”