Fault-controlled evaporite deformation in the Levant Basin, Eastern Mediterranean

Seismic imaging of Late Miocene (Messinian) evaporites from Western Mediterranean back-arc basins

“…Montadert et al 1978;Lofi et al 2011a, b). The interval velocities of the Levant Basin MU are even lower (Costa et al 2004;Reiche et al 2014;Feng & Reshef 2016), as the salt is intercalated with clays (Feng & Reshef 2016). Studies based on laboratory experiments (Jones & Davison 2014) report pure halite seismic velocities of 4500 m s -1…”

Intra- to post-Messinian deep-water gas piping in the Levant Basin, SE Mediterranean

“…This new evidence of an intra-evaporitic phase of deformation (e.g., Gvirtzman et al, 2013) may permit breaching the sealing competence of the evaporites at that level. These deformations may be used as route for fluid reaching the upper evaporite units, where it would be capable of promoting dissolution and hydrofracturing in the top seal thereby promoting deformation in the overburden (Reiche et al, 2014).…”

“…This is consequence of the low permeability of rock salt (in-situ permeability of undisturbed rock Steinberg et al, 2008;Bertoni et al, 2013). Pink polyline marks the landward edge of the Messinian evaporite (Reiche et al, 2014). Red circles represent evaporite dissolution features (Bertoni and Cartwright, 2005;Cartwright and Jackson, 2008).…”

“…The Messinian evaporite unit exerts major control on basin fluid flow across the Mediterranean (Lastras et al, 2004;Cartwright, 2005, 2014;Gradmann et al, 2005;Zitter et al, 2005;Netzeband et al, 2006b;Camerlenghi and Pini, 2009;Clari et al, 2009;Hübscher et al, 2009;Micallef et al, 2011;Iadanza et al, 2013;Natalicchio et al, 2013;Mascle et al, 2014). Although the Messinian evaporite serves as regional seal (Bertoni and Cartwright, 2005;Gardosh and Tannenbaum, 2014), there are compelling evidences documented over the last decade suggesting fluids bypassing this supposedly sealing sequence albeit most of which have been documented along the Northern and Southern Levant margin (Bertoni and Cartwright, 2005;Frey-Martinez et al, 2005b;Fuhrmann, 2010;Netzeband et al, 2006b;Reiche et al, 2014). In addition there are also evidences of an intra-Messinian fluid plumbing documented in the Levant Basin (Lazar et al, 2012;Bertoni et al, 2013;Reiche et al, 2014) and elsewhere in the Western Mediterranean (Pierre et al, 2002;Clari et al, 2009;Iadanza et al, 2013;Natalicchio et al, 2013).…”

“…Although the Messinian evaporite serves as regional seal (Bertoni and Cartwright, 2005;Gardosh and Tannenbaum, 2014), there are compelling evidences documented over the last decade suggesting fluids bypassing this supposedly sealing sequence albeit most of which have been documented along the Northern and Southern Levant margin (Bertoni and Cartwright, 2005;Frey-Martinez et al, 2005b;Fuhrmann, 2010;Netzeband et al, 2006b;Reiche et al, 2014). In addition there are also evidences of an intra-Messinian fluid plumbing documented in the Levant Basin (Lazar et al, 2012;Bertoni et al, 2013;Reiche et al, 2014) and elsewhere in the Western Mediterranean (Pierre et al, 2002;Clari et al, 2009;Iadanza et al, 2013;Natalicchio et al, 2013). Nonetheless, a detailed analysis of the nature of subsurface fluid flow in the supra-Messinian succession in the central Levant Basin has never been the focus of any previous systematic study.…”