The Oligo-Miocene deepwater system of the Levant Basin

- 15 -western flank of the Judean anticline (Buchbinder and Zilberman, 1997; Buchbinder et al., 1993).However, its life span was short (ca. 1.5 m.y.). The high sea level at that time facilitated thedevelopment of the carbonate platform by curbing siliciclastic supply, while hemi-pelagicdeposition of the Bet Guvrin facies, persisted in the basin (Fig. 3). However, a thick (250 m)succession of conglomerate, consisting of limestone, chalk and chert pebbles apparently derivedfrom Cretaceous to Tertiary formations, was found in the Nahal Oz-1 borehole in the Afiq Canyon(Druckman et al., 1995).3.4 The Middle Miocene Serravallian crisisThe Ziqlag episode terminated abruptly when the sea level dropped and erosion and canyon incisionresumed, leaving behind their products: conglomerates and overbank deposits (Bet Nirconglomerate, Buchbinder et al., 1986). This happened despite the relatively high global sea level.Apparently, a climatic, ecological and salinity crisis occurred in the Mediterranean duringSerravallian times, and as a result, the Mediterranean sea-level curve departed from that of theglobal sea level (see Martinotti, 1990; Buchbinder et al., 1993; Esteban et al., 1996). Small onlapepisodes of limited landward penetration are indicated by the middle Ziqim (N14 zone) "mini"cycle (Fig. 3).3.4.1 Upper Miocene (Tortonian) (N16-N17) Messinian cycleAlthough of limited inland penetration, sediments of this cycle are relatively common in outcrops(Buchbinder and Zilberman, 1997) and especially in wells in the Coastal Plain and offshore. Thecycle is marked by the accumulation of basinal hemi-pelagic marly sedimentation, capped by coral(mostly Porites) and algal reefs of the Pattish Formation in proximal plarform position (Fig. 3).However, in the offshore extension of the Afiq Canyon, hemi-pelagic muds are found, interbeddedwith mass transported sands, conglomerates of chert pebbles. The forced regression of this cycle isrepresented by the lower part of the Mavqiim anhydrites.3.5 The uppermost Miocene (Messinian) evaporitesThe Messinian evaporites are found throughout the Mediterranean region (Hsu et al., 1973a; Hsu etal., 1973b; Neev et al., 1976; Ryan, 1978). The deposition of Mavqiim evaporites (Fig. 3), whichare composed mainly of halite and some anhydrite, followed a major sea-level drop associated withthe closure and desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea (Hsu et al., 1973a; Hsu et al., 1973b; Hsu etal., 1978; Gvirtzman and Buchbinder, 1978). The area of evaporite accumulation extendedthroughout the Levant basin to about 20-40 km west of the present-day coastline (Gardosh and