The Messinian reef complex of the Salento Peninsula (southern Italy): Stratigraphy, facies and paleoenvironmental interpretation

Abstract

An integrated study of the early Messinian reef complex cropping out along the eastern coast of the Salento Peninsula (southern Italy), including stratigraphy, facies analysis and paleoecological aspects, is here presented. Fourteen facies types belonging to three main facies associations (back reef and shelf, shelf-edge, slope) have been recognized. They document a wide spectrum of depositional environments, reef building organisms and growth fabrics, in response to depth and other environmental factors in different parts of the reef complex.