Sedimentary record of pre-Quaternary tsunamis in the Gibraltar strait area after the Zanclean Flood
- P.G. Silva
- J. Elez
- P. Huerta
- J. Civis
- M.A. Perucha
- E. Roquero
- M.A. Rodríguez Pascua
- A. Martínez Graña
- T. Bardají
- K. Reicherter
- Ana Gomes (ed. lit.)
- Célia Gonçalves (ed. lit.)
- Lino André (ed. lit.)
- Nuno Bicho (ed. lit.)
- Tomasz Boski (ed. lit.)
Publisher: Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario ; Grupo de Trabalho Português para o Estudo do Quaternário (GTPEQ) ; Universidade do Algarve
ISBN: 978-989-8859-20-4
Year of publication: 2017
Pages: 137-140
Congress: Reunión del Cuaternario Ibérico = Reuniâo do Quaternário Ibérico (9. 2017. Faro)
Type: Conference paper
Abstract
The refilling of the Mediterranean after the Messinian Salinity Crisis make possible to consider the Gibraltar Strait as a giant kilometric dam separating the Atlantic waters from the adjacent dissecated Mediterranean Basin. The available evaluations on associated drawdown (-1000 m), time of refilling (3 years) and associated rates of loading (10 m/week) coming from recent models allow to infer the occurrence of a mega-case of reservoir-induced seismicity (RIS) during or soon after the Zanclean Flooding. Stratigraphic data presented here indicate the occurrence of a giant tsunami event with an estimated wave run-up close to 100 meters. The mixture of pelagic and planktonic foraminifera in the basal breccias of the tsunamites and the species indicate a late Zanclean biostratigraphy.