Large and rapid salinity fluctuations affected the eastern Mediterranean at the Tortonian–Messinian transition

Evangelia Besiou; Iuliana Vasiliev; George Kontakiotis; Konstantina Agiadi; Katharina Methner; Andreas Mulch; Wout Krijgsman; Assimina Antonarakou

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568

Large and rapid salinity fluctuations affected the eastern Mediterranean at the Tortonian–Messinian transition

Evangelia Besiou (Corresponding author)
, Iuliana Vasiliev
, George Kontakiotis
, Konstantina Agiadi
, Katharina Methner
, Andreas Mulch
, Wout Krijgsman
, Assimina Antonarakou

Department of Geology

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Restricted marine basins are highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, yet, paleoenvironmental responses to gateway restriction frequently remain unclear. Here, we investigate the Mediterranean Sea that experienced gradually restricted conditions starting during the late Tortonian and culminating with complete isolation from the Atlantic during the peak of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We established sea surface temperature and salinity records during the Tortonian to Messinian transition (7.52–7.20 Ma) through coupled analysis of organic biomarkers and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of planktonic foraminifera from the eastern Mediterranean basin (Potamida section, Crete Island, Greece). We further contrast these sea surface data with stable isotope records of benthonic foraminifera to identify periods of increased density-driven deterioration of bottom water ventilation in the basin. The combined results show that normal marine conditions, expressed by relatively warm (27.5 °C) Tortonian surface waters with normal salinity (38) prevailed until 7.36 Ma. The 7.36–7.32 Ma interval is characterized by pulses of increased bottom water salinity, that contrast the lasting normal salinity (39) at the sea surface, indicating strengthened water column stratification provoked by sluggish water circulation already prior to the Tortonian–Messinian boundary. A brief return to marine conditions, similar to the time prior to 7.36 Ma, re-appeared between 7.32 and 7.31 Ma. Between 7.31 and 7.28 Ma, a rebound to enhanced stratification took place accompanied by a high-amplitude, stepwise decrease in both sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity. Ultimately, the Tortonian–Messinian boundary was characterized by lower sea surface temperature and salinity accompanied by increased salinity and/or colder bottom waters. A ∼ 10 °C cooling episode (at 7.212 Ma) highlights the regional importance of the global Late Miocene cooling event.

Original language	English
Article number	112568
Journal	Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Volume	656
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2024

Funding

We thank U. Treffert for technical assistance in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory and J. Fiebig for support in using the Goethe University-Senckenberg BiK-F Stable Isotope Facility. This research benefited from financial support via the Greek-German collaboration project (IKYDA-DAAD): \u201CQuantification of the environmental changes in the Eastern Mediterranean at the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Crete-Greece)\u201D (QUANTMES) of Iuliana Vasiliev (IV) and Vasileios Karakitsios. Collaboration was possible through the COST Action CA15103 \u201CUncovering the Mediterranean salt giant\u201D (MEDSALT) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). Analyses were partially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project 449448496 of IV.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

105105 Geochemistry
105204 Climatology

Keywords

Bentho-Pelagic decoupling
Late Miocene Mediterranean restriction
Paleoceanographic evolution
Sea surface salinity
Sea surface temperature
Water column stratification

Access to Document

10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568

Cite this

@article{4b19adfbc98347f39e2b3b2bd5cf53c1,

title = "Large and rapid salinity fluctuations affected the eastern Mediterranean at the Tortonian{\textendash}Messinian transition",

abstract = "Restricted marine basins are highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, yet, paleoenvironmental responses to gateway restriction frequently remain unclear. Here, we investigate the Mediterranean Sea that experienced gradually restricted conditions starting during the late Tortonian and culminating with complete isolation from the Atlantic during the peak of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We established sea surface temperature and salinity records during the Tortonian to Messinian transition (7.52{\textendash}7.20 Ma) through coupled analysis of organic biomarkers and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of planktonic foraminifera from the eastern Mediterranean basin (Potamida section, Crete Island, Greece). We further contrast these sea surface data with stable isotope records of benthonic foraminifera to identify periods of increased density-driven deterioration of bottom water ventilation in the basin. The combined results show that normal marine conditions, expressed by relatively warm (27.5 °C) Tortonian surface waters with normal salinity (38) prevailed until 7.36 Ma. The 7.36{\textendash}7.32 Ma interval is characterized by pulses of increased bottom water salinity, that contrast the lasting normal salinity (39) at the sea surface, indicating strengthened water column stratification provoked by sluggish water circulation already prior to the Tortonian{\textendash}Messinian boundary. A brief return to marine conditions, similar to the time prior to 7.36 Ma, re-appeared between 7.32 and 7.31 Ma. Between 7.31 and 7.28 Ma, a rebound to enhanced stratification took place accompanied by a high-amplitude, stepwise decrease in both sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity. Ultimately, the Tortonian{\textendash}Messinian boundary was characterized by lower sea surface temperature and salinity accompanied by increased salinity and/or colder bottom waters. A ∼ 10 °C cooling episode (at 7.212 Ma) highlights the regional importance of the global Late Miocene cooling event.",

keywords = "Bentho-Pelagic decoupling, Late Miocene Mediterranean restriction, Paleoceanographic evolution, Sea surface salinity, Sea surface temperature, Water column stratification",

author = "Evangelia Besiou and Iuliana Vasiliev and George Kontakiotis and Konstantina Agiadi and Katharina Methner and Andreas Mulch and Wout Krijgsman and Assimina Antonarakou",

note = "Funding Information: We thank U. Treffert for technical assistance in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory and J. Fiebig for support in using the Goethe University-Senckenberg BiK-F Stable Isotope Facility. This research benefited from financial support via the Greek-German collaboration project (IKYDA-DAAD): \textbackslash{}u201CQuantification of the environmental changes in the Eastern Mediterranean at the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Crete-Greece)\textbackslash{}u201D (QUANTMES) of Iuliana Vasiliev (IV) and Vasileios Karakitsios. Collaboration was possible through the COST Action CA15103 \textbackslash{}u201CUncovering the Mediterranean salt giant\textbackslash{}u201D (MEDSALT) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). Analyses were partially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project 449448496 of IV. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568",

language = "English",

volume = "656",

journal = "Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology",

issn = "0031-0182",

publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Large and rapid salinity fluctuations affected the eastern Mediterranean at the Tortonian–Messinian transition

AU - Besiou, Evangelia

AU - Vasiliev, Iuliana

AU - Kontakiotis, George

AU - Agiadi, Konstantina

AU - Methner, Katharina

AU - Mulch, Andreas

AU - Krijgsman, Wout

AU - Antonarakou, Assimina

N1 - Funding Information: We thank U. Treffert for technical assistance in the SBiK-F organic geochemistry laboratory and J. Fiebig for support in using the Goethe University-Senckenberg BiK-F Stable Isotope Facility. This research benefited from financial support via the Greek-German collaboration project (IKYDA-DAAD): \u201CQuantification of the environmental changes in the Eastern Mediterranean at the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (Crete-Greece)\u201D (QUANTMES) of Iuliana Vasiliev (IV) and Vasileios Karakitsios. Collaboration was possible through the COST Action CA15103 \u201CUncovering the Mediterranean salt giant\u201D (MEDSALT) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). Analyses were partially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project 449448496 of IV. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2024/12/15

Y1 - 2024/12/15

N2 - Restricted marine basins are highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, yet, paleoenvironmental responses to gateway restriction frequently remain unclear. Here, we investigate the Mediterranean Sea that experienced gradually restricted conditions starting during the late Tortonian and culminating with complete isolation from the Atlantic during the peak of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We established sea surface temperature and salinity records during the Tortonian to Messinian transition (7.52–7.20 Ma) through coupled analysis of organic biomarkers and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of planktonic foraminifera from the eastern Mediterranean basin (Potamida section, Crete Island, Greece). We further contrast these sea surface data with stable isotope records of benthonic foraminifera to identify periods of increased density-driven deterioration of bottom water ventilation in the basin. The combined results show that normal marine conditions, expressed by relatively warm (27.5 °C) Tortonian surface waters with normal salinity (38) prevailed until 7.36 Ma. The 7.36–7.32 Ma interval is characterized by pulses of increased bottom water salinity, that contrast the lasting normal salinity (39) at the sea surface, indicating strengthened water column stratification provoked by sluggish water circulation already prior to the Tortonian–Messinian boundary. A brief return to marine conditions, similar to the time prior to 7.36 Ma, re-appeared between 7.32 and 7.31 Ma. Between 7.31 and 7.28 Ma, a rebound to enhanced stratification took place accompanied by a high-amplitude, stepwise decrease in both sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity. Ultimately, the Tortonian–Messinian boundary was characterized by lower sea surface temperature and salinity accompanied by increased salinity and/or colder bottom waters. A ∼ 10 °C cooling episode (at 7.212 Ma) highlights the regional importance of the global Late Miocene cooling event.

AB - Restricted marine basins are highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, yet, paleoenvironmental responses to gateway restriction frequently remain unclear. Here, we investigate the Mediterranean Sea that experienced gradually restricted conditions starting during the late Tortonian and culminating with complete isolation from the Atlantic during the peak of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We established sea surface temperature and salinity records during the Tortonian to Messinian transition (7.52–7.20 Ma) through coupled analysis of organic biomarkers and oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of planktonic foraminifera from the eastern Mediterranean basin (Potamida section, Crete Island, Greece). We further contrast these sea surface data with stable isotope records of benthonic foraminifera to identify periods of increased density-driven deterioration of bottom water ventilation in the basin. The combined results show that normal marine conditions, expressed by relatively warm (27.5 °C) Tortonian surface waters with normal salinity (38) prevailed until 7.36 Ma. The 7.36–7.32 Ma interval is characterized by pulses of increased bottom water salinity, that contrast the lasting normal salinity (39) at the sea surface, indicating strengthened water column stratification provoked by sluggish water circulation already prior to the Tortonian–Messinian boundary. A brief return to marine conditions, similar to the time prior to 7.36 Ma, re-appeared between 7.32 and 7.31 Ma. Between 7.31 and 7.28 Ma, a rebound to enhanced stratification took place accompanied by a high-amplitude, stepwise decrease in both sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity. Ultimately, the Tortonian–Messinian boundary was characterized by lower sea surface temperature and salinity accompanied by increased salinity and/or colder bottom waters. A ∼ 10 °C cooling episode (at 7.212 Ma) highlights the regional importance of the global Late Miocene cooling event.

KW - Bentho-Pelagic decoupling

KW - Late Miocene Mediterranean restriction

KW - Paleoceanographic evolution

KW - Sea surface salinity

KW - Sea surface temperature

KW - Water column stratification

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85208042768

U2 - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568

DO - 10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112568

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85208042768

SN - 0031-0182

VL - 656

JO - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

JF - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

M1 - 112568

ER -

Large and rapid salinity fluctuations affected the eastern Mediterranean at the Tortonian–Messinian transition

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this