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Oligocene to early Miocene tectono‐sedimentary history of the Alicante region (SE Spain): implications for Western Mediterranean evolution
Author(s) -
Geel T.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
basin research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.522
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1365-2117
pISSN - 0950-091X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2117.1995.tb00120.x
Subject(s) - geology , paleontology , tectonics , foreland basin , sedimentary rock , extensional tectonics , structural basin , continental collision , rift , geomorphology , subduction
The Alicante region, situated at the intersection of major Western Mediterranean structural units, is unique in possessing a complete marine Oligocene to early Miocene record of both platform and slope deposits. Detailed analysis of three selected platform areas in the north of the region, each showing a different tectono‐sedimentary history, and comparison with coeval slope deposits in the south of the region shows that: (a) during the Rupelian to early Chattian the region formed part of the Iberian microplate and can be considered the south‐eastern continuation of the NW‐SE‐trending Iberian Chain (folding phase between 36 and 33 Ma, updoming event at 31–29 Ma, both induced by Pyrenean collision); (b) during the late Chattian to Aquitanian it was linked to the extensional, SW‐NE‐orientated Valencia Trough forming part of its western margin (rifting phases at 28 and 25 Ma); (c) from the Aquitanian‐Burdigalian boundary (20 Ma) onward, the region underwent NW‐directed compression due to Betic collision (folding phases at 20 and 17 Ma); (d) a foreland basin formed in the late Burdigalian (18–17 Ma), continuous from the Betic Cordilleras over the Alicante region to the Balearics; (e) a purely compressive regime was superseded by strike‐slip tectonics at the Langhian—Serravallian boundary. The previously formulated hypotheses of coeval compression and extension with inferred hypothetical strike‐slip or other faults in or near the Alicante region is rejected on the basis that compress ional and extensional tectonics are separated in time in the Alicante region.