Le déluge et la Crise messinienne

National audienceLa Crise messinienne débuta il y a 5,971 Millions d’années (Ma) pour s’achever 500 000 ans plus tard. L’eau, qu’elle soit salée, saumâtre ou douce, y a tenu un rôle déterminant. La fin de crise s’est soldée par un déluge d’une violence inouïe tirant sa source dansl’ampleur même de la crise, à savoir l’évaporation quasi-totale de la Mer Méditerranée. Depuis 14 Ma, la Méditerranée est un appendice de l’Océan Atlantique. La tectonique a fermé successivement trois corridors pour n’en laisser qu’un seul au sud du Rif (figure 1a-b). Les stades de la Crise messinienne sont bien datés par les microfossiles marins, le paléomagnétisme, la cyclostratigraphie

The GOLD project - Drilling in the Western Mediterranean Sea

ECORD NEWSLETTER 16The "GOLD" IODP Project aims to recover the complete history of the Gulf of Lion (25-30 Ma) with a specific focus on Global Climate and Sea-level Changes, Extreme Events, Margin formation, Natural Resources and the Deep Biosphere using dedicated drilling Platform (MSP, Joides and Chikyu). It should be emphasized that no academic drillings dealing with pre-5million years exist in the Mediterranean Sea

Messinian erosional and salinity crises: View from the Provence Basin (Gulf of Lions, Western Mediterranean)

International audienceThough the late Miocene “Messinian Salinity Crisis” has been intensely researched along the circum-Mediterranean basins, few studies have focused on the central part of the Mediterranean Basin and, especially, the pre-salt deposits. To improve our knowledge of the Messinian events, it is imperative to better understand this domain. In this study, we provide a more complete understanding of this central domain in the Provence Basin. We were able to recognize: a) thick marine detrital series (up to 1000 m) derived from the Messinian subaerial erosion which is partly prolongated in the distal part by b) a thick unit of deep marine deposits (up to 800 m) prior to the evaporites; c) a thick presumed alternation of detritals and evaporites (1500 m) below the mobile halite; and d) a two-step transgression at the end of the Messinian. Spatially, we document the eroded shelf to the deep basin (and from the western to the eastern parts of the Gulf of Lions), and temporally, we extend the interpretations from the early deposition of detritic sediments to the final sea-level rise. The results provide a new basis for discussion not only for the development of the Messinian Salinity Crisis but also for the reconstruction of the subsidence history of the Provence Basin

On the termination of deep-sea fan channels: Examples from the Rhone Fan (Gulf of Lion, Western Mediterranean Sea)

The termination of a deep-sea turbiditic channel represents the ultimate sink of terrigenous sediment in the oceans or lakes. Such environment is characterized by rapid slope decrease and by loss of confinement of turbidity currents. It results in the deposition of Channel-Mouth-Lobes that can be separated from the channel mouth by an erosional (scoured) or by-pass dominated Channel-Lobe Transition Zone. Several factors can control the occurrence, extent and morphologic expression of the area such as the slope break angle, the upslope and downslope angle and the mud/sand ratio in flows. Disentangling these factors remains challenging due to the scarcity of outcrops and to the usual faint morphologies and low thickness of deposits. With bathymetric and seismic data we calculated the morphometric parameters of 8 channel-levees and their Channel-Mouth Lobes from the deepest area of the Rhone fan, a mud-sand rich system, and among which the youngest one (called neofan) was deposited at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum between 21.5 and 18.3 ka cal. BP. Emplacement and shape (finger-shaped or pear-shaped bulges) of Channel-Mouth Lobes is controlled by the seabed morphology (adjacent channel-levees and salt diapirs). A less prominent morphology of the neofan is attributed to premature quiescence related to the post sea-level rise sediment starvation. We show that the occurrence and expression of a Channel-Lobe Transition Zone is controlled by the gradient upstream of the channel mouth slope break. The extended Channel-Lobe Transition Zone and detached lobe of the neofan are attributed to the high upslope gradient (0.26°) while the less detached or attached lobes of other channel-levees is attributed to lower upslope gradient (0.13°). We show that scouring and scours concatenation into flutes at the Channel-Lobe Transition Zone is a major driver for the inception of channels and further confinement of turbidity current. For the first time we show that concatenation of scours in shingled disposition developed an incipient channel sinuosity at this very early stage of channel development. The channel-levee can extend downslope nearly instantaneously by tens of kilometers when isolated nascent channels connect to the channel mouth

Structure and evolution of the Gulf of Lions: The Sardinia seismic experiment and the GOLD (Gulf of Lions Drilling) project

International audienceThe study of the deep structure and evolution of passive continental margins is important for the understanding of rifting processes and the formation of associated sedimentary basins. Since the classical models of McKenzie (1978) and Wernicke (1985), understanding how passive continental margins form, that is to say mainly the way that continental lithosphere is thinned leading to subsidence, remains one of the main challenges in the Earth sciences. Many recent observations and discoveries have modified our basic views of margin formation. The conservational models paradigm (i.e., simple shear, pure shear, or polyphase models), which exclude exchanges between lower continental crust and upper mantle and which are usually proposed to explain lithospheric stretching and consequent crustal thinning of passive continental margins, fail to completely explain all these observations. Furthermore, these models imply a large amount of horizontal movement, movements not observed in the field. In consequence, new concepts need to be built and tested

Numerical modeling of bottom trawling-induced sediment transport and accumulation in La Fonera submarine canyon, northwestern Mediterranean Sea

Bottom trawling leads to recurrent sediment resuspension events over fishing grounds. Recent studies have shown how bottom trawling can drive seascape reshaping at large spatial scales and enhance sediment transport in submarine canyons, which subsequently impacts deep-sea ecosystems. Present knowledge on the transfer and accumulation of sediment flows triggered by bottom trawling is based on localized and infrequent measurements whilst a more complete picture of the process is needed. The present work focuses on the modeling of sediment transport and accumulation resulting from trawling activities in La Fonera submarine canyon, northwestern Mediterranean Sea, thus contributing to an improved assessment of trawling impacts. Based on mooring data within a canyon gully, we use an inverse model to retrieve the unknown time series of resuspension due to trawling over the fishing grounds. This resuspension is later used as forcing for the direct problem: we simulate trawling-induced flows through the canyon and provide a 3D visualization of potential trawling impacts on sediment dynamics, including the identification of the propagation patterns of sediments resuspended by trawling. Flows coming from shallower fishing grounds are funneled through canyon flank gullies towards the canyon axis, with part of the resuspended sediment reaching the continental rise out of the canyon across the open continental slope. Trawling-induced sediment flows promote sediment accumulation beyond the canyon mouth. Given the wide geographical distribution of bottom trawling, our results have far-reaching implications that go much beyond La Fonera submarine canyon. Our study represents a starting point for the assessment of the sedimentary impact of bottom trawling in deep continental margins

New insights on the Sorbas Basin (SE Spain): the onshore reference of the Messinian Salinity Crisis

International audienceThe Sorbas Basin is the land reference of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) that affected the Mediterranean Sea in the latest Miocene. Its stratigraphy has been re-visited using calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifers, which provide a reliable biostratigraphic frame and lead to particularly specify the relationships between the Sorbas and Zorreras members with Yesares evaporites.The evaporites overlie a shallowing upward sequence ending with the deposition of the Reef Unit and Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) on the periphery of the basin. The reefal carbonates of the TCC are overlain by clastic deposits that are foreset beds of post-MSC Gilbert-type fan deltas developed on the northern edge of the basin. These sedimentary structures are separated from reefal carbonates and the Reef Unit by the Messinian Erosional Surface (MES). The various facies of the Sorbas Member have been correlated with the bottomset beds of the Gilbert-type fan deltas despite some differences in palaeobathymetry. In the southeastern periphery of the basin, the MES separates the Sorbas Member from the Yesares gypsums. In the central part of the basin, a hiatus characterizes the contact between these members. The Zorreras Member postdates the MSC and entirely belongs to Zanclean. Its white “Lago Mare” layers are lagoonal deposits, the fauna of which is confirmed to result from Mediterranean–Paratethys high sea-level exchange after the post-MSC marine reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin.This study allows to re-assert the two-step scenario of the MSC (Clauzon et al., 1996) with the following events:- at 5.971–5.600 Ma, minor sea-level fall resulting in the desiccation of this peripheral basin with secondary fluctuations;- at 5.600–5.460 Ma, significant subaerial erosion (or lack of sedimentation) caused by the almost complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea;- instantaneous marine reflooding, accepted at 5.460 Ma, followed by continuing sea-level rise

New Insights on the Sorbas Basin (SE Spain): the onshore reference of the Messinian Salinity Crisis

The Sorbas Basin is the land reference of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) that affected the Mediterranean Sea in the latest Miocene. Its stratigraphy has been re-visited using calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifers, which provide a reliable biostratigraphic frame and lead to particularly specify the relationships between the Sorbas and Zorreras members with Yesares evaporites. The evaporites overlie a shallowing upward sequence ending with the deposition of the Reef Unit and Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) on the periphery of the basin. The reefal carbonates of the TCC are overlain by clastic deposits that are foreset beds of post-MSC Gilbert-type fan deltas developed on the northern edge of the basin. These sedimentary structures are separated from reefal carbonates and the Reef Unit by the Messinian Erosional Surface (MES). The various facies of the Sorbas Member have been correlated with the bottomset beds of the Gilbert-type fan deltas despite some differences in palaeobathymetry. In the southeastern periphery of the basin, the MES separates the Sorbas Member from the Yesares gypsums. In the central part of the basin, a hiatus characterizes the contact between these members. The Zorreras Member postdates the MSC and entirely belongs to Zanclean. Its white "Lago Mare" layers are lagoonal deposits, the fauna of which is confirmed to result from Mediterranean-Paratethys high sea-level exchange after the post-MSC marine reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. This study allows to re-assert the two-step scenario of the MSC (Clauzon et al., 1996) with the following events: - at 5.971-5.600 Ma, minor sea-level fall resulting in the desiccation of this peripheral basin with secondary fluctuations; - at 5.600-5.460 Ma, significant subaerial erosion (or lack of sedimentation) caused by the almost complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea; - instantaneous marine reflooding, accepted at 5.460 Ma, followed by continuing sea-level rise

ARQUITETURA E EVOLUÇÃO DEPOSICIONAL DA SUCESSÃO SEDIMENTAR PLEISTOCENO TARDIO-HOLOCENO (ÚLTIMOS ~20 Ka) DA BAÍA DE SEPETIBA (RJ): Architecture and Depositional Evolution of the Latest Pleistocene-Holocene (last ~20ky) Sedimentary Succession of Sepetiba Bay (RJ)

The Sepetiba Bay, western coastal area of Rio de Janeiro state, consists of an embayment where estuarine conditions prevail, due to its limited contact to open ocean being isolated by a barrier island of ~40 km extent - restinga da Marambaia. The present study aims at investigating the stratigrahic evolution of the bay’s infilling units, based on seismic anlysis of ~800 km of high-resolution reflection seismic profiles. Seismic analysis was coupled with previously dated horizon on the Rio de Janeiro continental shelf (14C AMS), as well as with recently-dated sedimentary evolutional stages of the Marambaia barrier island (14C AMS/OSL). Integration of all results revealed the existence of a transgressive-highstand sedimentary sucession (up to 30 m thick) composed of units U2-U5 which testifies the onset and evolution of estuarine conditions in the Sepetiba area: an open ocean estuarine system (deposition of unit U2) progressively envolved into more isolated estuarine conditions (depositions units U3-U4), until attaining the configuration of a low energy estuarine environment no longer in direct connection with the open sea (deposition of Unit U5) related to the constructional phases of the Marambaia barrier island itself.   Palavras-chave: Transgressive deposition; Paleoestuarine system; Latest Pleistocene-Holocene transgression.A baía de Sepetiba, localizada na costa oeste fluminense, consiste de um embaiamento onde predominam condições estuarinas com contato limitado ao oceano aberto, devido à presença da restinga da Marambaia - uma ilha-barreira de ~40 km de comprimento. O presente estudo visa o detalhamento da evolução estratigráfica do preenchimento sedimentar da baía, baseado na análise de ~ 800 km de linhas sísmicas de alta resolução, correlacionada a dados de datação de horizonte sísmico na plataforma continental (14C AMS) e de estágios de evolução da restinga da Marambaia (14C AMS/LOE). A integração dos resultados revelou a existência das unidades U2-U5 - uma sucessão sedimentar transgressiva e de mar alto de até ~30 m de espessura, que testemunha a implantação de um sistema estuarino aberto na região em direta conexão com o mar (deposição de U2), que evoluiu para condições estuarinas progressivamente mais isoladas (deposição das unidades U3 e U4) até atingir uma configuração de ambiente estuarino de baixa energia sem conexão direta com o mar (deposição da unidade U5), similar às condições do sistema deposicional atual. Os diferentes ambientes estuarinos, revelados pela fácies sísmicas das unidades U2-U5, estão diretamente correlacionados às diferentes fases de construção e/ou fechamento da restinga da Marambaia. Palavras-chave: Deposição transgressiva; Paleosistema estuarino; Transgressão Pleistoceno Tardio-Holoceno