Structure and Evolution of the Mediterranean Basins

Biju-Duval, B.; Letouzey, J.; Montadert, L.

doi:10.2973/dsdp.proc.42-1.150.1978

Cited by 91 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…This subduction zone forms the eastern boundary of the Caribbean plate, where Atlantic oceanic lithosphere is subducted westward. The Barbados complex is an intra-oceanic arc flanked on the west by the Grenada back arc basin [Biju-Duval et al, 1978] and to the east by the Atlantic oceanic crust.…”

Section: Geological Setting Of Northern Barbados Ridge and Apenninesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Décollement depth versus accretionary prism dimension in the Apennines and the Barbados

et al. 2003

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Along representative cross sections of the Apennines and the Northern Barbados accretionary prisms, we measured the area, the décollement depth, the angle α of the upper envelope and the angle β of the dip of the regional monocline. The continental sections of the Apennines accretionary prism have a deeper décollement than the oceanic sections of the Northern Barbados, 6–10 km depth and <1 km depth, respectively, because the sediment pile is thinner on the incoming Barbados plate and its denser oceanic structure is more easily subducted. Considering the frontal 50 km, the Apennines have an average cross‐sectional area of 500 km2 and the Northern Barbados Ridge of 100 km2. The total area is a function of the depth of the décollement plane. Therefore, at a given amount of subduction, the deeper the décollement depth is, the bigger the area of the wedge will result, assuming negligible compaction and erosion. As a consequence, the larger area/volume and higher elevation of the Apennines with respect to the Barbados is determined by the Apenninic deeper décollement. Despite these differences, the geometry of both décollements is, in some cases, comparable, in particular, close to the boundary between the crystalline crust and the sediment pile, where the main density and strength contrasts are concentrated. Variations in depth of the décollement occur moving along strike in both accretionary prisms. The geometry of the prisms is further controlled by the different values of α and β, their sum, and the distance of the accretionary prism relative to the subduction hinge.

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Section: Geological Setting Of Northern Barbados Ridge and Apenninesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Décollement depth versus accretionary prism dimension in the Apennines and the Barbados

et al. 2003

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“…The main control for the basement reflector is given by multichannel seismic profiles (e.g., Finetti and Morelli, 1973;Mauffret et al, 1973Mauffret et al, , 1982Biju-Duval et al, 1978), shallow refraction profiles (Recq et al, 1979;Fahlquist and Hersey, 1969) From deep refraction experiments in the Northern Balearic (Fahlquist and Hersey, 1969;Nicolich, 1981;Le Douaran et al, 1984) which lacks a lower crustal layer with a low velocity gradient (similar to oceanic seismic layer 3), so that they could define crust type on the basis of the detailed velocity structure constrained by the data. Since the Ligurian data is of poorer resolution, magnetic anomaly patterns and basement depth have also been used to delineate the oceanic domain (Le Douaran et al, 1984;Burrus, 1984;Rehault et al, 1984a).…”

Section: Corrected Heat Flow Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using the Birch (1967) method of exact solutions to topographic approximations, Abbott et al Given the available bathymetric control in the locality of the measurements, these low values cannot be conclusively linked to small-scale topographic highs. Sea Beam bathymetry (Pautot et al, 1984) indicates small ridges of less than 50 m relief within the platforms.…”

Section: Data Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heat flow and tectonics of the Ligurian Sea basin and margins

Jemsek¹

1988

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Heat flow, tectonic subsidence and crustal thickness distributions in the Ligurian Basin are best explained by asymmetric lithospheric thinning mechanisms. Over 150 heat flow measurements are made on several transects between Nice, France and Calvi, Corsica on continental slope and rise settings. Thermal gradient determinations are improved using an optimization technique. Piston core data and surface sediment 3.5 kHz reflectivity patterns help constrain thermal conductivity obtained from over 100 in situ stations. Plio-Quaternary stratigraphy is revised using new seismic reflection profiles: a boundary fault system associated with postrift margin uplift, a Pleistocene-age Var Fan construction, and recent diapirism of Messinian salt are indicated. After assessing local thermal disturbances (mass-wasting, microtopography, and salt refraction), positive heat flow corrections are made for multi-lithologic sedimentation histories and glacial paleotemperatures. Using boundary-layer cooling models, equilibrium heat flow estimates support geologic evidence for Oligocene and early Miocene rifting. Heat flow maxima correlate well with two "oceanic" sub-basins, suggesting that the southeastern trough near Corsica is 5 Myr younger, consistent with the southeastern progression of volcanism and back arc rifting in the Western Mediterranean. Tectonic subsidence-crustal thickness trends indicate lithospheric stretching, with heat flow supporting asymmetric sub-crustal lithospheric thinning during the conjugate margin formation. Extended AbstractWe report 176 new heat flow measurements which are distributed on several transects across the Ligurian Basin and margins between Nice, France and Calvi, Corsica. Improved heat flow instrumentation provides in situ thermal conductivity data at points where equilibrium temperatures are known for over 100 gradient determinations. Analytical studies of the in situ continuous-heating method indicate uncertainties of 5%, comparable to those of needle-probe measurements on piston cores. Gamma ray attenuation logs of sediment cores predict vertical variations in conductivity and indicate possible instrumental bias for discretelyspaced thermistor arrangements. Piston core data and 3.5 kHz reflection records demarcate regions of predominantly hemipelagic sediment on the slopes and turbiditic sediment on the Var fan. Mean conductivity values correlate well with surficial sediment patterns and morphology, so that conductivity may be reliably estimated for thermal gradient stations without in situ conductivity. To automate as well as improve equilibrium temperature estimates, the Golden Section Search method is used to optimize effective origin times for heating incurred on probe impact. Numerical modeling of probe thermal structure indicates that an initial temperature perturbation in sediments surrounding the probe may account for observed nonlinearities in standard temperature versus reciprocaltime plots. This technique has the largest effect on equilibrium values where high velocities ...

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“…It is located in the south-western sector of the Apulian foreland along the Ionian Sea in southern Italy (Figure 1). The Apulian foreland is the Pliocene -Pleistocene foreland of the South Apennines orogenic system and corresponds to a wide, buckled lithospheric zone (Biju-Duval, Letouzey, & Montadert, 1978). The Taranto area records the main Quaternary tectonic and sedimentary phases that involve the entire Apulian foreland.…”

Section: The Geological Mapmentioning

confidence: 99%