Messinian events: new constraints from sedimentological investigations and new 40Ar/39Ar ages in the Melilla–Nador Basin (Morocco)

Correlations and sequence stratigraphic model for Messinian carbonate platforms of the western and central Mediterranean

“…Gypsum is also present in the Tessala-Beni Chougrane platform margin, within siliciclastic sediments, or above the carbonate platform. The age and geometric position of the thick Yesares Member gypsum of the Sorbas basin, in the vicinity of the carbonate margins, has been discussed in CornØe et al (2002), and also the margin to basin correlations in this area (Fig. 2).…”

“…For Martin and Braga (1994), Braga and Martin (1996), and Riding et al (1999Riding et al ( , 2000, the TCC should be coeval only with the beach sequences of Sorbas Member, above the gypsum in the central parts of the basin. and CornØe et al (2002), however, proposed that the T3 deposits were coeval with both the Yesares and Sorbas Members, and that the Roger et al (2000) and CornØe et al(2002), Sorbas ages from Krijgsman et al (2001) gypsum developed in relatively deep basins. This proposal is in accordance with paleontological studies indicating rather deep marine environment in the uppermost part of the Abad Member, just under the gypsum Baggley 2000), and those concerning the marly interbeds in the Yesares gypsum, which indicate the deep part of the inner shelf with photophilic seagrass and the upper part of the outer shelf with sciaphilic seagrass (Saint Goubert et al 2001;Lacour et al 2002;NØraudeau et al 2002).…”

“…This conclusion is also viable at the Alboran Sea scale as the radiometric datings in MelillaNador and the astrochronologic and paleomagnetic datings in the mostly similar Sorbas basin prove that reefs of T3 in Melilla-Nador are coeval with both the Yesares and Sorbas Members . Consequently, the correlations and the sedimentary anatomy we use in this work for the Sorbas area are from and CornØe et al (2002). We consider that gypsum could develop during T3 deposition, and not as a different sedimentary unit.…”

“…Magnetostratigraphic studies were devoted to the MelillaNador carbonate platform in NE Morocco (Cunningham et al 1994) and Cabo de Gata in SE Spain (Franseen et al 1998;Montgomery et al 2001). Volcanic deposits interbedded with the littoral to the basinal sediments of the Melilla-Nador basin were dated using Ar 39 /Ar 40 radiometric dating (Cunningham et al 1997;Roger et al 2000;Münch et al 2001;CornØe et al 2002). In these two areas, the marine carbonate complexes are considered to have developed from late Tortonian (in Spain only) to Messinian in chron 3Cr, at around 5.8-5.7 Ma or a little later.…”

“…1) and (2) to propose a new general sedimentary model for the Messinian carbonate platforms and their adjacent basins that excludes most local controls. This proposal is based on eight carbonate complexes that we have investigated over the past 10 years, in Morocco (Melilla-Nador and its opposite southern margin, Kebdana: Saint Martin and Rouchy 1986;Saint Martin 1990;Saint Martin et al 1991;Chennouf et al 1996;CornØe et al 1996;Saint Martin et al 1997a, 1997bChennouf 1999;Roger et al 2000;Münch et al 2001;CornØe et al 2002;Pestrea-Saint Martin et al 2003;Münch et al 2003a;Garcia et al 2004), in Algeria (Murdjadjo and its opposite southern margin, TessalaBeni Chougrane: Saint Martin 1990;Saint Martin and Rouchy 1990;CornØe et al 1994;Saint Martin et al 1995;Pestrea et al 1999), in SE Spain (Sorbas basin: Saint Martin and Rouchy 1990;Conesa 1997;Conesa and Babinot 1999;Lacour et al 2000;Saint Martin et al 2000, 2001, in Malta (Saint Martin and AndrØ 1992;Saint Martin et al 1997a), and in south Italy (Lampedusa: AndrØ et al 2002, andSalemi in northwestern Sicily: Saint Martin et al 1996;Saint Martin 2001;Pestrea and Saint Martin 2002;Fig. 2).…”