A new proposal for the late Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the western Mediterranean |
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| Authors: | BernadíGelabert FrancescSàbat & AntonioRodríguez-Perea |
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| Institution: | Departament de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Mallorca 07007, Spain,;Departament de Geologia Dinàmica i Geofísica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain |
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| Abstract: | A simple mechanism of arcuate fold belt and back-arc basin formation is presented based on the opening of mega-continental tension gashes along pre-existing, deep, parallel and steep faults that separate lithospheric units with different properties. If plate convergence is parallel to these faults, the fault-bounded units open at right angles to the convergence vector, adopting an arcuate shape with thrusting in front of the bowed-out units and extensional basin opening between the separated units. This model is applied to the Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the western Mediterranean. After the Iberian collision 35–30 Ma, several ellipsoidal basins (Valencia, Alboran, North Algerian and Liguro–Provençal) developed by 10 Ma along the eastern margin of the Iberian plate. The formation of these basins is attributed to an increase in NE–SW horizontal tectonic palaeostress during early–middle Miocene times resulting from the post-subduction collision of the Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. |
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