The Oligo-Miocene closure of the Tethys Ocean and evolution of the proto-Mediterranean Sea.

ABSTRACT: The tectonically driven Cenozoic closure of the Tethys Ocean invoked a significant reorganization of oceanic circulation and climate patterns on a global scale. This process culminated between the Mid Oligocene and Late Miocene, although its exact timing has remained so far elusive, as does the subsequent evolution of the proto-Mediterranean, primarily due to a lack of reliable, continuous deep-sea records. Here, we present for the first time the framework of the Oligo-Miocene evolution of the deep Levant Basin, based on the chrono-, chemo- and bio- stratigraphy of two deep boreholes from the Eastern Mediterranean. The results reveal a major pulse in terrigeneous mass accumulation rates (MARs) during 24-21 Ma, reflecting the erosional products of the Red Sea rifting and subsequent uplift t

SUBMITTER: Torfstein A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7427807 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature