Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Costa, E. Articles by Wardell, N. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Modeling deformation and salt tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean Ridge accretionary wedge

E. Costa^,1, A. Camerlenghi^,2, A. Polonia^,3, C. Cooper^,4, P. Fabretti^,5, A. Mosconi^,6, P. Murelli^,7, M. Romanelli^,8, L. Sormani^,8 and N. Wardell^,8

¹ Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Parco Area delle Scienze 157/A, 43100 Parma, Italy
² Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c, I-34010 Sgonico (TS), Italy
³ Istituto di Geologia Marina, CNR, Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy
⁴ Eni—Agip Division, Via Emilia 1, 20097 San Donato Milanese (MI), Italy
⁵ Istituto di Geologia Marina, CNR, Via Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy
⁶ Eni—Agip Division, Via Emilia 1, 20097 San Donato Milanese (MI), Italy
⁷ Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Parco Area delle Scienze 157/A, 43100 Parma, Italy
⁸ Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c, I-34010 Sgonico (TS), Italy

This study addresses some aspects of the kinematics and structural setting of the Mediterranean Ridge accretionary complex, particularly those aspects related to the occurrence and distribution of Messinian evaporites. The approach is by (1) identification of the geometry of deformation through reprocessing of existing multichannel seismic reflection data from the Levantine Basin, aimed at the definition of the velocity field and depth imaging; (2) physical modeling in the laboratory, aimed at the study of the kinematics of shortening of sedimentary sequences detaching on viscous décollements; and (3) comparison between the results of the two approaches.

We conclude that the thick Messinian sequence of the Levantine Basin is composed primarily of salt, so that the entire evaporitic sequence can be expected to behave as a viscous material. It follows that the main detachment of the post-Messinian wedge is located at the base of the Messinian salt layer. A viscous (salt) décollement would produce thrusting trending normal to the shortening direction, but boundary conditions affect structural trends even more than stress and/or movement direction. Both strain partitioning and the formation of major strike-slip faults within the post-Messinian wedge are prevented by the high angle of convergence between the African and Aegean plates as well as by the low intraplate friction. In addition, we show that curved and anastomosing thrust fronts are reflected in the cobblestone topography of the Mediterranean Ridge. We finally postulate that extension may occur in the central Mediterranean Ridge as a result of the geometry of the plate boundaries. This extension is considered as a possible cause of mud volcanism and mud diapirism.

Key Words: Eastern Mediterranean • Mediterranean Ridge • Messinian evaporites • accretionary wedge • physical modeling • salt tectonics

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Storti, R. Soto Marin, F. Rossetti, and A.M. Casas Sainz Evolution of experimental thrust wedges accreted from along-strike tapered, silicone-floored multilayers Journal of the Geological Society, January 1, 2007; 164(1): 73 - 85. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Schreurs, S. J. H. Buiter, D. Boutelier, G. Corti, E. Costa, A. R. Cruden, J.-M. Daniel, S. Hoth, H. A. Koyi, N. Kukowski, et al. Analogue benchmarks of shortening and extension experiments Geological Society, London, Special Publications, January 1, 2006; 253(1): 1 - 27. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Z. Ben-Avraham, J. Woodside, E. Lodolo, M. Gardosh, M. Grasso, A. Camerlenghi, and G. B. Vai Eastern Mediterranean basin systems Geological Society, London, Memoirs, January 1, 2006; 32(1): 263 - 276. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. Chamot-Rooke, A. Rabaute, and C. Kreemer Western Mediterranean Ridge mud belt correlates with active shear strain at the prism-backstop geological contact Geology, November 1, 2005; 33(11): 861 - 864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]