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Displaced terranes and crustal evolution of the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean
Author(s) -
BenAvraham Zvi,
Ginzburg Avihu
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
tectonics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.465
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1944-9194
pISSN - 0278-7407
DOI - 10.1029/tc009i004p00613
Subject(s) - geology , terrane , crust , paleozoic , mediterranean climate , paleontology , tectonics , mesozoic , structural basin , archaeology , geography
Geophysical data from the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean suggest that this area can be divided into distinct crustal units of different origins. For example, a marked difference in crustal structure and structural style exists in the Levant between Samaria and Judea, south of the Carmel structure, and the Galilee and Lebanon, north of it. On the other hand, several microcontinental fragments such as Cyprus, and the Eratosthenes and Anaximander Seamounts are embedded within the oceanic crust of the eastern Mediterranean. The present location of these units has resulted from complex tectonic processes which were active during the mid Paleozoic‐Mesozoic evolution of this area. During this period several crustal units were accreted to the northern margin of Africa while others were detached away from it. The crustal evolution of the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant is intimately linked with the closure of the Paleo‐Tethys, the formation of the Neo‐Tethys, and its subsequent closure.