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Deep roots of the Messinian salinity crisis
Svend Duggen1, Kaj Hoernle, Paul van den Bogaard
1GEOMAR Research Center for Marine Geosciences, Wischhofstrasse 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany. s.duggen@gl.rhul.ac.uk
Nature
|April 11, 2003
Summary
The Messinian salinity crisis was caused by the closure of marine gateways. Westward rollback of subducted Tethys lithosphere uplifted margins, leading to Mediterranean desiccation.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Geodynamics
- Paleoceanography
Background:
- The Messinian salinity crisis (5.96–5.33 million years ago) involved Mediterranean Sea desiccation.
- The closure of Atlantic-Mediterranean marine gateways caused this event, but the underlying causes are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the westernmost Mediterranean from the Middle Miocene to the Pleistocene (12.1–0.65 million years ago).
- Investigate the link between geodynamic changes and the Messinian salinity crisis.
Main Methods:
- Dating and geochemical analysis of volcanic rocks.
- Thermomechanical modeling.
Main Results:
- A geochemical shift in mantle-derived volcanic rocks from subduction-related to intraplate-type occurred between 6.3 and 4.8 million years ago.
- This shift is synchronous with the Messinian salinity crisis.
Conclusions:
- Westward rollback of Tethys oceanic lithosphere and asthenospheric upwelling explain the observed geochemical changes.
- This process caused ~1 km uplift along African and Iberian margins, closing marine gateways and triggering the Messinian salinity crisis.
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