Evolutionary Models of the Cenozoic Basins of Central-Western Mediterranean Area: A Review of Methodological Approaches

Abstract

In the last 40 years, several models based on very different methodological approaches have been proposed to interpret the complex geodynamic evolution of the central-western Mediterranean area and, in particular, of the Cenozoic basins. The persistence of numerous interpretations and still-open problems resulted in the proliferation of very different models. The reconstructions presented are highly influenced by difficulties often encountered in considering constraints introduced by models built by means of completely different methodological approaches. For example, major difficulties can arise in integrating data from individual classical disciplines (i.e., geology, stratigraphy, geophysics, tectonics, magmatology and plate kinematics) with those resulting from the use of modern technologies (i.e., digital processing, uses of software, field observations using drones, etc.) and generally aimed to support specific topics. These considerations lead researchers to believe that a multidisciplinary approach would always be auspicious for these studies, because a greater control of the reconstruction of geologic and geodynamic events, and, therefore, for resulting models, would be ensured. After some considerations about different types of literature models based on specific investigation methodologies, the updating of a recently presented evolutionary model is proposed by attempting to integrate as much data as possible about the Cenozoic basins of the central-western Mediterranean area.

Tectono-Sedimentary Cenozoic Evolution of the El Habt and Ouezzane Tectonic Units (External Rif, Morocco)

“…Five main unconformities to which different biostratigraphic gaps associate have been detected The proposed stratigraphic architecture clearly indicates a non tabular sedimentation with marked lateral changes as suggested by lateral variation of the: lithofacies, thicknesses, and diachronous stratigraphic boundaries. According to regional data [8][9][10][11][12]80], after the Cretaceous a paleogeographic reorganization of the external basins of the African Margin took place as a consequence of the beginning of the tectonic inversion (from extensional to compressional) between Europe and Africa plates. In short, this structuring is related to the neo-Alpine phase (Pyrenean of [81]) as response to the beginning of the Africa/Europe convergence during the Eocene and Oligocene.…”

“…In addition, across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, the occurrence of the well-known sea level fall in the entire globe due to a climatic cooling caused a generalized regression everywhere. The beginning of convergence (prenappe tectonics) is characterized by differential basement uplift that generated mild folds (also reflected on surface) and initiated blind thrusts leading to the end of the preorogenic sedimentation in the central-western Mediterranean area [80,[82][83][84]. The beginning of the large and growing volumes of reworked terrigeneous supply (turbidites, slumps, olistostromes, etc.)…”

Nearshore Pelagic Influence at the SW Margin of the Paratethys Sea—Examples from the Miocene of Croatia

“…They were temporarily connected, and also had periodical communication with other marine areas (Figure 1) (e.g., [2,3,[21][22][23][24][25][26] and references therein). Due to the intense tectonic activity in the wider region (Figure 2) (e.g., [27][28][29][30][31]) and sea-level fluctuations, the Central and Eastern Paratethys had a complex geological history, leading to a variety of problems in the stratigraphic correlation of these two sub-basins, and particularly, their correlation with the Proto-Mediterranean Sea, Northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Indopacific (e.g., [4,21,22,25,26,[32][33][34] and references in the papers). Here, we focus on the Miocene stratigraphy of the southwestern margin of the Central Paratethys, i.e., the North Croatian Pannonian Basin (NCPB).…”

Tectono-Sedimentary Evolution of Cenozoic Basins

“…Guerrera et al (2021) [8] performed a review on the evolutionary models of the Cenozoic basins of the central-western Mediterranean, focused on the methodological approaches. In the last 40 years, several models based on very different methodological approaches have been proposed to interpret the complex geodynamic evolution of the central-western Mediterranean area during the Cenozoic.…”