Oligocene—Miocene Tectono-Stratigraphic Development of the Southern Levant Basin, Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The southern Levant Basin, Eastern Mediterranean, has a complex geological history. The separation of Africa from Arabia, and the collision of the latter with Eurasia during the Oligocene–Miocene had significant implications for the tectono-stratigraphy of the region, as recorded in the thick, siliciclastic-dominated sequence preserved in the southern Levant Basin. Previous studies mostly focused on either onshore or relatively local offshore areas, with a synthesis of the interplay between plate motions and sedimentation still lacking. Using multiple high-resolution, 3D seismic reflection surveys, we generated sediment thickness maps, spectral decomposition, and ISO-proportional slices that document the structural and sedimentological elements shaping the basin during the Oligocene–Miocene. More specifically, our results show that during the Early Oligocene, sedimentation was dominated by an easterly (Arabian) source, whereas the Late Oligocene to Aquitanian witnessed a shift to a southerly (African) source through the evolution of the Nile River. The Burdigalian period marked a significant tectono-stratigraphic transition period during which large-scale folding, regional faulting and renewed incision had occurred. The Langhian–Serravallian was followed by widespread carbonate deposition. The Early Tortonian is marked by a thick, extensive, seismically chaotic interval that underlies deposits associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. This interval is identified across the basin, being associated with the collision of Cyprus and Eratosthenes, a major tectonic event that affected the entire Southern Levant Basin. The Late Tortonian–Messinian was largely characterised by widespread submarine incision across the southern Levant Basin. Our study reveals how sedimentary systems record important clues as to complex tectonic reorganisations involving rifting, subduction and strike-slip motion.