Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of the late-Messinian - Early pliocene continental to marine deposits of the Boudinar basin (North Morocco)

During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), between 5.97 and 5.33 Ma, the marine connections between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea were temporarily restricted. The post-MSC reflooding of the Mediterranean Sea by the Atlantic waters and its sedimentary record are debated. The Boudinar basin (North-Morocco) provides an exceptional record of this period between ca 5.32–5.27 and 4.37 Ma at youngest (Zanclean - Zone PL1). The sedimentary succession of this basin comprises seven facies associations corresponding to depositional settings ranging from continental to open marine environments. We provide a new sequence stratigraphic framework, based on twelve stratigraphic sections. Two orders of depositional sequences (4th, 3rd order), related to base-level changes during the Late-Messinian Early-Pliocene time interval, are correlated at the basin scale. According to our reconstruction, the post-MSC base level rise and the Zanclean reflooding lasted from a minimum of several tens up to hundreds thousands years, suggesting a gradual, not catastrophic event indicative of a progressive transgression. •Two orders of sequences (4th, 3rd order) were correlated during the Late-Messinian Early-Pliocene.•The sea-level drop during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) was of limited amplitude.•The post-MSC transgression does not match with the rapid and sudden reflooding scenario.