Salt deposition in ultra-deep brine settings by dynamic inflow and evaporation

We propose two new classifications of salt basins that are characterized by paleo-bathymetries that exceed 1000m during salt deposition. In these ultra-deep basins, salt deposition can occur when the basin is mostly air-filled and the brine depth is <300m or when the basin has little to none air-filled accommodation and the brines exceed 750m in depth. Using regional observations and numerical box modeling, we demonstrate that the Mediterranean Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), and the Jurassic salt in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are variations of salt deposition in ultra-deep brines, even if the basins experience large (>1000m) base level drops relative to sea level.