The Messinian Salinity Crisis deposits in the Balearic Promontory: An undeformed analog of the MSC Sicilian basins??

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) is a controversial geological event that influenced the Mediterranean Basin in late Miocene leaving behind widespread Salt Giant. Today, more than 90% of evaporitic deposits are located offshore, buried below Plio-Quaternary sediments and have thus been studied mainly by marine seismic reflection imaging. Onshore-offshore records’ comparisons correlations should be considered key approach to progress our understanding MSC. This has however not widely explored so far. Indeed, because erosion on continental shelves slopes during MSC, only few places domain offers opportunity compare onshore offshore records preserved from erosion. In this paper, we for first time MSC two basins were lying at intermediate water depths which salt layers emplaced topographic lows: Central Mallorca Depression (CMD) Balearic Promontory, Caltanissetta (CB) Sicily. reduced tectonic movements CMD since (Messinian) till recent days, favored conservation most configuration relatively close their original configuration, allowing comparison with reference outcropping We perform interpretation wide dataset study area aim refining mapping units covering Promontory (BP) restituting depositional history based detailed Sicilian Basin. discuss how matches existing 3-stages chrono-stratigraphic model. show could an undeformed analog those on-land Basin, questioning contemporaneous onset deposition scale. change facies certain range depth between stage 1 units, wonder if reflect threshold/maximum bottom growth PLG selenites passing distally pelagic snowfall cumulate gypsum. Moreover, confirm deposited exceeding 200 m.