A high-resolution record of early rift development and tectonic, sedimentary and environmental conditions in an active rift basin
IODP MSP drilling in the Corinth Rift, Greece (Expedition 381)
Abstract
The Corinth Rift in Greece is very active, with high rates of extension, sedimentation and environmental change. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 381 drilled three sites sampling syn-rift sediments, complementing previous fault and stratigraphic interpretations and providing the longest high-resolution stratigraphic record for an early phase rift. Sedimentation in the Gulf of Corinth started ∼2.0-2.5 Ma as an isolated basin, with the most recent rift phase starting at ∼0.75 Ma, marking a shift to increasingly orbitally-controlled marine incursions. A wide range of paleoenvironmental conditions have been generated, reflected in the diverse microfossil assemblages and sedimentary lithologies. Drilling results highlight a recent acceleration of strain rate and fault activity connected to rapid strain localization, with linkage of the border fault system over 10s-100s kyr timescales. Over long timescales (100s kyr), these variations in fault slip rate control sediment accumulation. On shorter time scales (10s kyr), changes in accumulation rate and type of sediment are primarily controlled by glacial-interglacial climate change, with accumulation rates in glacial periods at least double that of interglacial periods, accompanied by enhanced basin stratification and dominance of non-marine faunal assemblages. The mud-dominated sediments have three stratal package types (bioturbated, bedded, laminated) that record distinct hydrological conditions linked to climate and sea level which influence the landscape and basin conditions. Results from the Corinth Rift are compared with other active basins and rift systems for a better understanding of the tectonic and climatic processes shaping these environments.
Details
- Organisationseinheit(en)
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Institut für Erdsystemwissenschaften
- Externe Organisation(en)
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University of Southampton
Northern Arizona University
Rice University
British Geological Survey
University of Leeds
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Universidad de Vigo
Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
University of Bergen (UiB)
University of Athens
Université de Lorraine (UL)
University of Patras
Université de Lausanne (UNIL)
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune
Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo
University of Utah
Universität zu Köln
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.)
Géosciences Montpellier
University of Leicester
China University of Geosciences (CUG)
University of Birmingham
Northumbria University
Columbia University
City University of New York
The University of Liverpool
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
National Observatory of Athens
Statoil ASA
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Louisiana State University
BP America, Inc.
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer (Ifremer)
Central Michigan University
- Typ
- Artikel
- Journal
- Marine geology
- Band
- 496
- ISSN
- 0025-3227
- Publikationsdatum
- 06.2026
- Publikationsstatus
- Veröffentlicht
- Peer-reviewed
- Ja
- ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Ozeanographie, Geologie, Geochemie und Petrologie
- Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung
- SDG 13 - Klimaschutzmaßnahmen, SDG 14 - Lebensraum Wasser
- Elektronische Version(en)
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2026.107750 (Zugang:
Offen
)
