while the margins, including the Alboran Domain, underwent subaerial erosion
(Estrada et al. 2011; Gorini et al. 2015). This crisis came to an end after a major
breakdown of the Gibraltar dam, which caused quick, intense reflooding into the
Mediterranean Sea (Garcia-Castellanos et al. 2009, 2020).
From this point onward, now in the early Pliocene (Zanclean), a new gateway
opened between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. On the basis of
tectonic, gravitational, and erosive effects studies near the Gibraltar Arc, the opening
can be situated in close correspondence to the current Strait of Gibraltar (Loget and
Van Den Driessche 2006; Estrada et al. 2011). After an initial erosive phase owing to
Atlantic water mass flooding, the currently existing oceanographic dynamics progressively prevailed; hence, the region’s present state can be traced to the late
Pliocene-Quaternary boundary (Juan et al. 2016). Yet coetaneously, throughout
this phase, the bulk of uplift affecting main, positive reliefs of the basin took
place. In particular, the Alboran Ridge and its continuation toward the SW toward
the bank of Xauen were substantially elevated (Martínez-García et al. 2013; Lafosse
et al. 2018). This elevation is therefore a consequence of compressive processes that
acted during the Pliocene-Quaternary, along with the indentation of a very resistant
cortical block associated with the Alboran Ridge, all in conjunction with the
compressive ridge uplift and the development of WNW-ESE right-lateral and
NNE-SSW left-lateral conjugate fault systems, bounding it respectively to the east
and to the west, and propagating deformation toward the northern margin of the
basin (Estrada et al. 2018).
Acknowledgments This work was supported by the Spanish projects INCRISIS, DAMAGE
(CGL2016-80687-R AEI/FEDER), FAUCES (CTM2015-65461-C2-1-R), RIGEL (Instituto
Español de Oceanografía), RNM 148 and RNM 328 groups of Junta de Andalucía (PAIDI).
Likewise, this study was supported by the French program Actions Marges, the french Marlboro
cruise, and the EUROFLEETS program-SARAS cruise (FP7/2007-2013; 228344). The Secretaria
General de Pesca (Spain) yielded the bathymetric data from the northern part of the Alboran Sea.
The IHS-Kingdom Geoscience educational license is also acknowledged.
References
Achalhi M, Münch P, Cornée JJ, Azdimousa A, Melinte-Dobrinescu M, Quillévéré F, Drinia H,
Fauquette S, Jiménez-Moreno G, Merzeraud G, Ben Moussa A, El Kharim Y, Feddi N (2016)
The late Miocene Mediterranean-Atlantic connections through the North Rifian Corridor: new
insights from the Boudinar and Arbaa Taourirt basins (northeastern Rif, Morocco). Palaeogeogr
Palaeocl 459:131–152
Advokaat EL, van Hinsbergen DJJ, Maffione M, Langereis CG, Vissers RLM, Cherchi A,
Schroeder R, Madani H, Columbu S (2014) Eocene rotation of Sardinia, and the paleogeography of the western Mediterranean región. Earth Planet Sci Lett 401:183–195
Aïdi C, Beslier MO, Yelles-Chaouche AK, Klingelhoefer F, Bracene R, Galve A, Bounif A,
Schenini L, Hamai L, Schnurle P, Djellit H, Sage F, Charvis P, Déverchère J (2018) Deep
structure of the continental margin and basin off Greater Kabylia, Algeria – New insights from
wide-angle seismic data modeling and multichannel seismic interpretation. Tectonophysics
728–729:1–22
142
J.-T. Vázquez et al.
(Estrada et al. 2011; Gorini et al. 2015). This crisis came to an end after a major
breakdown of the Gibraltar dam, which caused quick, intense reflooding into the
Mediterranean Sea (Garcia-Castellanos et al. 2009, 2020).
From this point onward, now in the early Pliocene (Zanclean), a new gateway
opened between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. On the basis of
tectonic, gravitational, and erosive effects studies near the Gibraltar Arc, the opening
can be situated in close correspondence to the current Strait of Gibraltar (Loget and
Van Den Driessche 2006; Estrada et al. 2011). After an initial erosive phase owing to
Atlantic water mass flooding, the currently existing oceanographic dynamics progressively prevailed; hence, the region’s present state can be traced to the late
Pliocene-Quaternary boundary (Juan et al. 2016). Yet coetaneously, throughout
this phase, the bulk of uplift affecting main, positive reliefs of the basin took
place. In particular, the Alboran Ridge and its continuation toward the SW toward
the bank of Xauen were substantially elevated (Martínez-García et al. 2013; Lafosse
et al. 2018). This elevation is therefore a consequence of compressive processes that
acted during the Pliocene-Quaternary, along with the indentation of a very resistant
cortical block associated with the Alboran Ridge, all in conjunction with the
compressive ridge uplift and the development of WNW-ESE right-lateral and
NNE-SSW left-lateral conjugate fault systems, bounding it respectively to the east
and to the west, and propagating deformation toward the northern margin of the
basin (Estrada et al. 2018).
Acknowledgments This work was supported by the Spanish projects INCRISIS, DAMAGE
(CGL2016-80687-R AEI/FEDER), FAUCES (CTM2015-65461-C2-1-R), RIGEL (Instituto
Español de Oceanografía), RNM 148 and RNM 328 groups of Junta de Andalucía (PAIDI).
Likewise, this study was supported by the French program Actions Marges, the french Marlboro
cruise, and the EUROFLEETS program-SARAS cruise (FP7/2007-2013; 228344). The Secretaria
General de Pesca (Spain) yielded the bathymetric data from the northern part of the Alboran Sea.
The IHS-Kingdom Geoscience educational license is also acknowledged.
References
Achalhi M, Münch P, Cornée JJ, Azdimousa A, Melinte-Dobrinescu M, Quillévéré F, Drinia H,
Fauquette S, Jiménez-Moreno G, Merzeraud G, Ben Moussa A, El Kharim Y, Feddi N (2016)
The late Miocene Mediterranean-Atlantic connections through the North Rifian Corridor: new
insights from the Boudinar and Arbaa Taourirt basins (northeastern Rif, Morocco). Palaeogeogr
Palaeocl 459:131–152
Advokaat EL, van Hinsbergen DJJ, Maffione M, Langereis CG, Vissers RLM, Cherchi A,
Schroeder R, Madani H, Columbu S (2014) Eocene rotation of Sardinia, and the paleogeography of the western Mediterranean región. Earth Planet Sci Lett 401:183–195
Aïdi C, Beslier MO, Yelles-Chaouche AK, Klingelhoefer F, Bracene R, Galve A, Bounif A,
Schenini L, Hamai L, Schnurle P, Djellit H, Sage F, Charvis P, Déverchère J (2018) Deep
structure of the continental margin and basin off Greater Kabylia, Algeria – New insights from
wide-angle seismic data modeling and multichannel seismic interpretation. Tectonophysics
728–729:1–22
142
J.-T. Vázquez et al.