Anatomy of the Mesozoic Tethyan Margins: The Eratosthenes Carbonate Platforms of the Levant Basin

The Eratosthenes carbonate system tells us a complex story of the establishment, growth, and development of this giant isolated carbonate platform through intervals of partial demise and recovery. The Eratosthenes isolated platform shows an evolution partly similar to other Tethyan margins. It's Jurassic retrograding lower unit is followed by a Cretaceous aggrading carbonate platform (forereef breccia, buildups and probably lagoonal facies). The seismic interpretation has shown that the Early Cretaceous platforms on the Levant margin and Eratosthenes Seamount were both drowned in the late Cretaceous. Then, the drowning was followed by the deposition of shallow carbonates during the Miocene. Such an interpretation is enhanced by the recent discoveries of hydrocarbons south of the Eratosthenes seamount (e.g., Zhor). In fact, ENI Oil Company confirmed the presence of greater than 16 Tcf in subsalt either Cretaceous or Miocene carbonate build-ups, indicating that the understanding of the evolution of this new frontier hydrocarbon province is of great importance.