Geochemical indicators in Western Mediterranean Messinian evaporites: implications for the salinity crisis

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dc.contributor.authorGarcía-Veigas, Jen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCendón, DIen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGilbert, Len_AU
dc.contributor.authorLowenstein, TKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorArtiaga, Den_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-02T04:24:23Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-12-02T04:24:23Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2018-09-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-10-14en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) led to deposition of one of the youngest saline giant on Earth. The increasing restriction of the connections between the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the freshwater Paratethyan basins resulted in the deposition of massive amounts of evaporites (gypsum, anhydrite, halite and potash salts) in shallow marginal basins as well as in deep Mediterranean basins. Here we show that each gypsum unit in the circum-Mediterranean marginal basins in Sicily and Spain is characterized by a narrow range of sulfate isotopic values (δ34S ~ 23‰ and δ18O ~ 14‰ in the Lower Gypsum; δ34S ~ 23‰ and δ18O ~ 17‰ in the Upper Gypsum). Sulfate isotope compositions found in MSC evaporites from a variety of circum-Mediterranean basins are homogenously high relative to expected Late Miocene marine evaporites (δ34S ~ 22‰ and δ18O ~ 12‰). This points to a stratified Mediterranean Sea with a high-salinity, dense, and anoxic bottom water mass. An intermediate depth gypsum-saturated brine flooded marginal basins from which selenite deposits formed during the MSC Stage 1 (Primary Lower Gypsum) and MSC Stage 3 (Upper Gypsum). Messinian brines were gradually affected by biogenic redox processes and isotopically differentiated from global seawater values. The homogeneity of isotopic signatures between distant synchronous gypsum deposits further supports the deep-basin deep-water model for the Mediterranean during the entire MSC event. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.en_AU
dc.description.sponsorshipThis study was supported by projects CGL-2013-42689 and CGL-2016-79458 (Spanish Government) and by 2017-SGR-824 (Catalan Government).en_AU
dc.identifier.citationGarcía-Veigas, J., Cendón, D. I., Gibert, L., Lowenstein, T. K., & Artiaga, D. (2018). Geochemical indicators in Western Mediterranean Messinian evaporites: implications for the salinity crisis. Marine Geology, 403, 197-214. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2018.06.005en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0025-3227en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleMarine Geologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination197-214en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2018.06.005en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/12320en_AU
dc.identifier.volume403en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevier B. V.en_AU
dc.subjectGeochemistryen_AU
dc.subjectEvaporationen_AU
dc.subjectMediterranean Seaen_AU
dc.subjectSalinityen_AU
dc.subjectEarth planeten_AU
dc.subjectAtlantic Oceanen_AU
dc.subjectGypsumen_AU
dc.subjectAnhydriteen_AU
dc.subjectHaliteen_AU
dc.subjectSaltsen_AU
dc.subjectStable isotopesen_AU
dc.subjectMiocene epochen_AU
dc.subjectWateren_AU
dc.titleGeochemical indicators in Western Mediterranean Messinian evaporites: implications for the salinity crisisen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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