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The onset of the Messinian salinity crisis in the deep Eastern Mediterranean basin
Author(s) -
Manzi Vinicio,
Gennari Rocco,
Lugli Stefano,
Persico Davide,
Reghizzi Matteo,
Roveri Marco,
Schreiber B. Charlotte,
Calvo Ran,
Gavrieli Ittai,
Gvirtzman Zohar
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
terra nova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.353
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-3121
pISSN - 0954-4879
DOI - 10.1111/ter.12325
Subject(s) - evaporite , geology , halite , structural basin , anhydrite , mediterranean climate , paleontology , foraminifera , diagenesis , ecological succession , mediterranean basin , salinity , period (music) , geochemistry , oceanography , gypsum , archaeology , geography , ecology , biology , benthic zone , physics , acoustics
Abstract Astronomical tuning of the Messinian pre‐salt succession in the Levant Basin allows for the first time the reconstruction of a detailed chronology of the Messinian salinity crisis ( MSC ) events in deep setting and their correlation with marginal records that supports the CIESM ([, 2008]) 3‐stage model. Our main conclusions are (1) MSC events were synchronous across marginal and deep basins, (2) MSC onset in deep basins occurred at 5.97 Ma, (3) only foraminifera‐barren, evaporite‐free shales accumulated in deep settings between 5.97 and 5.60 Ma, (4) deep evaporites (anhydrite and halite) deposition started later, at 5.60 Ma and (5) new and published 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data indicate that during all stages, evaporites precipitated from the same water body in all the Mediterranean sub‐basins. The wide synchrony of events and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr homogeneity implies inter‐sub‐basin connection during the whole MSC and is not compatible with large sea‐level fall and desiccation of the Mediterranean.