The Miocene-Recent evolution of the Antalya Basin, eastern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Detailed interpretation of high-resolution and industry multichannel seismic reflection profiles and lithostratigraphy from onshore wells reveals that the Miocene to Recent tectonic evolution of the western Antalya Basin occurred in three distinct intervals: the pre-Messinian Miocene, the Messinian, and the Pliocene-Quaternary. During the pre-Messinian Miocene, a prominent east-west striking fold-thrust belt developed across the region. Today, this belt is characterized by NW-SE striking, SW-verging thrust panels in the east and broadly N-S striking, W-verging thrust panels in the west. The belt became buckled during the late Miocene assuming its current configuration as an inverted V-shaped structure within the marine western Antalya Basin. The Miocene fold-thrust belt mapped in the marine areas is readily correlated with the onland Isparta Angle. The Messinian interval was tectonically quiet and marked by the deposition of a thick evaporite succession within the deep Antalya Basin. The Pliocene-Quaternary interval marked a major change in tectonic style, where strain is partitioned into discrete regional morpho-tectonic domains. In the east, the Miocene fold-thrust belt remained largely inactive; however, several prominent thrusts became re-activated during this time. Mapping showed that these three thrusts can be traced toward the southeast in the deep Antalya Basin and readily correlated with the Ovgos, Kythrea and Orga thrusts mapped onland Cyprus. The shallower slope and shelf in this area are characterized by broadly actuate and NW-SE striking and SE- and NW-dipping extensional faults with strike slip components. In the west portion of the Antalya Basin, the structural framework was dominated by a series of broadly N-S striking, invariably steeply E-dipping extensional faults which form a 20-30 km wide zone of deformation. This zone occurs over the very steep continental slope in western Antalya Basin, and extends westward into the Kemer Peninsula and the Beydağları region. Correlations with the similarly striking Pliocene-Quaternary transtensional faults mapped onland suggest that these faults must also have notable strike slip components.