Pliocene to Recent mud diapirism and related mud volcanoes in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Abstract

Abstract High resolution and multichannel seismic profiles depict the Pliocene to Recent evolution of the mud diapirism in the West Alboran Basin (WAB) and its relationship with the Miocene diapir province that occupies the WAB depocentre. During the early to middle Miocene period of basin extension (16 to 9 Ma), normal faulting triggered the diapirism from mobile overpressured shale containing olistostromes. Plio-Quaternary diapirism evolved as a second main stage of diapiric activity and developed throughout the subsequent contractive tectonic evolution of the basin (9 Ma to Holocene). Mud volcanoes, discovered to the south of the WAB, developed on the flank of Recent diapirs as a consequence of the rise of fluidized sediments through diapiric bodies and/or through fractures connecting with deeper diapirs. During the Pliocene to Recent, some diapirs stopped ascending, leading to the production of collapse structures on their tops due to lateral subsurface mud migration and/or fluid escape. Other cylindrical shaped diapirs continued rising and produced mud volcanoes on the sea floor. All the studied volcanoes seem to be currently inactive. Two major pulses of diapiric rise have been distinguished during the Pliocene to Recent contractive evolution of the basin.