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Quaternary turbidite systems on the northern margins of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean): a synthesis

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Abstract

The Balearic Basin is a young basin composed of thick Plio–Quaternary sediments, including active gravity sedimentation. During the Quaternary, gravity processes deposited (1) turbidite systems, either as symmetrical fans (Petit-Rhône and Valencia fans) or asymmetrical ridges (Marseille–Planier, Grand-Rhône and Pyreneo-Languedocian ridges) and (2) several mass-transport deposits, indicating recurrent sedimentary failures of the margin. This paper synthesizes previous works and proposes a chronological sedimentary evolution for the basin. Except for the last 20 ka, the chronostratigraphy remains poorly constrained but should soon be established for the last 500 ka, based on the PROMESS1 drillings on the outer shelf of the Gulf of Lions, and hopefully for the last 30 Ma, based on ultra-deep drilling in the deep basin from aboard the Chikyu research vessel (IODP proposal Pre699).

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Acknowledgements

This synthesis is based on numerous published and unpublished studies. We acknowledge financial support by the French Programme GDR Marges (“Turbidites Silicoclastiques et Carbonatées” and “Golfe du Lion”), the URM 17, and the EU programmes EUROSTRATAFORM (EC contract no. EVK3-CT-2002-00079) and PROMESS1 (EC contract no. EVR1-CT-2002-40024). A.T. dos Reis received a research grant from CNPq and Faperj-Brazil. We are grateful to C. Gorini (University of Lille 1) who kindly reviewed the draft version of this paper, and D. Aslanian (Ifremer) who supplied the bathymetric map. N. Kenyon and an anonymous reviewer are thanked for comments improving the original version of this paper. This is contribution no. 2142 of GDR Marges and no. 1005 of the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM, Brest, France).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, UMR 6538, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Place Nicolas Copernic, 29280, Plouzané, France

    L. Droz & M. Rabineau

  2. Departamento de Oceanografia/UERJ-Brazil, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, 4 Andar, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, 22550-900 RJ, Brazil

    A. T. dos Reis

  3. IFREMER, Laboratoire Environnements Sédimentaires, 29280, Plouzané, France

    S. Berné

  4. CNRS, UMR 6526 GEOSCIENCES-AZUR, B.P. 48, 06235, Villefranche/Mer, France

    G. Bellaiche

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Correspondence to L. Droz.

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Droz, L., dos Reis, A.T., Rabineau, M. et al. Quaternary turbidite systems on the northern margins of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean): a synthesis. Geo-Mar Lett 26, 347–359 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-006-0044-0

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