Plate kinematics of the Western Mediterranean region during the Oligocene and Early Miocene

Abstract

SUMMARY The tectonic history of the Western Mediterranean region during the Oligocene and Early Miocene is illustrated through a series of plate reconstructions, from chron C13n to chron C6n. The reconstructions are based on a new interpretation of published magnetic anomaly data and two-ships seismic data, and their integration with known geological constraints, in order to determine style and timing of the backarc extension processes in the Liguro-Provencal, Valencia and Algerian basins. In particular, a reinterpretation of the regional magnetic anomaly field allowed the calculation of the instantaneous Euler poles associated with the motion of 11 microplates relative to Eurasia and Iberia. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the acoustic basement morphology and the balancing of deep crustal profiles were used to estimate the closure and pre-rift rotation angles associated with the Euler poles of opening of the Ligurian, Provencal, Valencia and Algerian basins. This rigorous reconstruction of the geometry of the pre-rift continental margins of Iberia and Eurasia could furnish important insights into the study of Mediterranean tectonics for older times.