Oligocene-miocene tectono-stratigraphic development of the southern levant basin, Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Author(s)
Joffe, Amir
Bell, Rebecca E
Steinberg, Josh
Jackson, Christopher A-L
Makovsky, Yizhaq
Type
Journal Article
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.
Date Issued
2025-11-01
Date Acceptance
2025-11-11
Citation
Basin Research, 2025, 37 (6)
ISSN
0950-091X
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Basin Research
Volume
37
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Basin Research published by International Association of Sedimentologists and European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Subjects
CONTINENTAL-MARGIN
DEFORMATION
Geology
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
HISTORY
ISRAEL
LATE TERTIARY
Physical Sciences
RED-SEA
Science & Technology
SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY
SUBMARINE CHANNELS
TECTONIC EVOLUTION
TRANSFORM-RIFT
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e70075
Date Publish Online
2025-12-02