Algero-Balearic Basin

The south Algero-Balearic basin is thought to be floored by middle Miocene oceanic crust (Panza et al., 2007) as young as 16 Ma originated at the buried spreading centre of the Hannibal Ridge (Mauffret et al., 2004). Accordingly, the oceanic basin opened in approximately E-W direction following the rift of the Kabylide thrust belt, triggered by the westward migration of the Gibraltar Arc. According to others (Rosenbaum and Lister, 2004), extension occurred approximately in a N-S direction similarly to the opening of the Provencal Basin, as a result of back-arc extension behind the eastward migration of the Maghrebian and Apenninic Arcs (see also Gueguen et al., 1998). Seismic facies of MSC unconformities and units are described. Furthermore, evidence of possible gypsum dehydration is discussed.