A Biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic review of the Mid-Late Miocene in and around Northern Lebanon*

George Sebastian Gerard Bellos^1,2

(MSc Geology, MA Archaeology. MBA Management)

¹ Prospective PhD Candidate, Lebanese University, Sin El Fil, Lebanon

² Email: gb.leo14@icloud.com, OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7815-0688. 

 

Abstract: This study investigates the stratigraphic framework of Lebanon, focusing on Miocene and Eocene successions that provide critical anchors for regional correlation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Positioned at the junction of the Levant Basin and the Arabian Plate, Lebanon’s geology records both local depositional dynamics and basin‑wide tectonic and climatic influences. By integrating sedimentological, biostratigraphic, and astrochronological data, the research reconstructs depositional environments, evaluates reservoir quality, and assesses petroleum system architecture in Neogene carbonates. The findings situate Lebanese exposures within broader Mediterranean paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic models, highlighting their dual role as local archives and global reference points.

Scientific Context: Stratigraphy is the language of Earth history. In the Mediterranean, nearly all Cenozoic stages are defined by Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs), many located in Italy. Lebanon, though smaller in scale, offers exposures that rival these type sections in completeness and diversity. Its Miocene and Eocene strata provide critical anchors for regional correlation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction (Source: Geologic TimeScale Foundation; International Commission on Stratigraphy).

Regional Significance: Lebanon’s position at the junction of the Levant Basin and the Arabian Plate makes its stratigraphy uniquely sensitive to tectonic and climatic forces. From the fluvial incisions of Albian strata near Ehden to the pelagic chalks of Ras Ech‑Chaqaa, the country’s geology reflects both local dynamics and basin‑wide processes. This duality — local detail and regional resonance — elevates Lebanon’s role in Mediterranean stratigraphy (cf. US Geological Survey; NASA Earth Observatory).

Research Objectives: This study aims to: 1 Reconstruct the depositional environments of Lebanon’s Miocene and Eocene successions. 2 Integrate biostratigraphic and astrochronological data for high‑resolution correlation. 3 Assess reservoir quality and petroleum system architecture in Neogene carbonates. 4 Situate Lebanese exposures within broader Mediterranean paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic models (see: US Energy Information Administration; UNESCO World Heritage Centre).

Study expected outcome: The study is expected to demonstrate that Lebanon’s Miocene and Eocene successions provide regionally significant stratigraphic anchors, enabling high‑resolution correlation with Mediterranean GSSPs, while clarifying depositional environments, reservoir quality, and petroleum system architecture in Neogene carbonates; ultimately, it situates Lebanese exposures within broader paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic models (cf. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History).

 

Author profile: Mr. Bellos graduated from the Official School of tourism in Dekwaneh with a technical Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Sciences (2024), and marketing and management (2025). In 2023, he also graduated with a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management from the Lebanese International University (LIU), Mount Lebanon campus. His educational background is varied. He currently is a Masters' degree holder in Geological Sciences from the American University of Beirut (AUB, 2008) and an MA in Archaeological Sciences from the Lebanese University (LU, 2019) as well as an MBA (2019) in Management, with an emphasis on Economic Development and Tourism Management, and a Teaching Diploma in Entrepreneurial Skills Training (2020) from LIU. His current aspirations are to join a Ph.D. program and pursue a doctoral degree in a hybrid Ph.D. program combining Geosciences, Archeology, tourism, and education into one Ph.D. research in a multi-disciplinary track to improve the tourism situation in Lebanon, through education in educating youths about the importance of the natural (hydrocarbon reserves) and cultural (archeology sites) resource valorisation. The selected PhD he seeks will in maritime archeology and geoarchaeology involving the usage of AI tools to detect, map and safeguard the data of submerged archeology sites as well as their full documentation. the author decided to mention this because initially in 2014 he chose to do his PhD in Petroleum geosciences but shifted his research interests to maritime geoarcheology.

* The study is underfoing oublication, as it is proposed to be published in the Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies. under 2 distinct entries. This is  a small part of the article that can be disseminated to the pulblic.