THE MEDITERRANEAN RIDGE AND RELATED MUD DIAPIRISM - A BACKGROUND

The Mediterranean Ridge, stretching from the Calabrian Rise to the Flo rence Rise, is the largest structural unit of the Eastern Mediterranea n Sea. It is directly related to ongoing convergence and collision of the African and Eurasian plates, starting in the Oligocene, and is con sidered to be a giant accretionary complex consisting of intensively f olded and faulted rocks of the African margin. Since its origin in the late Miocene, the Ridge continued to grow up and outward, experiencin g more deformation because of the developing collision. The mud diapir ism and mud volcanism are usual and wide-spread phenomena for the Medi terranean Ridge that developed as a result of an intensive tectonic ov erburden due to stacking of rock units by thrusting and strong lateral compressional stress pressing up and squeezing plastic sedimentary se ries out onto the seafloor.