The onset of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean (Pissouri Basin, Cyprus)

The Pissouri Basin in Cyprus contains one of the most suitable sedimentary successions with which to study the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean. Exposures along the new Paphos–Limassol motorway near Pissouri exhibit distinct cyclic bedding which permits the construction of a chronology based on orbital tuning. Biostratigraphic results reveal 10 planktonic foraminifera events that have been astronomically dated in other Mediterranean sections, and as such provide an excellent first-order age control. Magnetostratigraphic results are in good agreement with the biostratigraphic data and show that all magnetic chrons between C4n.1n and C3An.1n are present. The pattern of sedimentary cycles generally fits well with the insolation curve. Astronomical tuning of the succession shows that the first gypsum bed at Pissouri overlies a 40–60 kyr stromatolite-bearing transitional interval and correlates with the amplitude increase in insolation at 5.96 Ma, as in the western Mediterranean. This indicates that the onset of evaporite precipitation was synchronous right across the entire Mediterranean Basin.