Organic-rich sedimentary units called sapropels have formed repeatedly in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, but the mechanisms leading to the formation of these shale beds are still under debate. The analysis of a suite of sediment cores covering the Eastern Mediterranean basin reveals that across the entire basin preservation of sapropel S1 was different in characteristics above and below 1,800 m depth, which is a result of different redox conditions.
- Gert J. De Lange
- John Thomson
- Cesare Corselli