Data set: Chronostratigraphic, Sedimentological and Geochemical Data

The research presents for the first time a jointly analysis about the impact of the light intermediate Mediterranean (LMW) and dense deep Mediterranean (DMW) bottom currents on the sedimentation in the Alboran Sea (SW Mediterranean) and its paleoceanographic significance in response to climatic oscillations from the last glacial period to the Holocene. For that, an integration of chronostratigraphical, sedimentological, and compositional data from contourites formed by those water masses is carried out. That integration enable us to define three distinct contourite stratigraphic models. (I) The contourite terrace model, characterized by coarse-grained contourites, which is an archive of the interplay between the high-energy Atlantic Water-LMW interface and glacioeustasy from the Younger Dryas to the Holocene. (II) The contourite drift models, which are archives of rapid ocean-climate coupled fluctuations since 29.5 kyr. They comprise coarse-grained contourites formed by a relatively fast LMW and fine-grained contourites formed by a relatively weak DMW, except for the Heinrich Stadials HS3 to HS1 and YD when coarse-grained contourites were deposited. (III) The contourite/turbidite mixed model represents another archive of DMW and glacioeustasy interplay from the end of the late Pleistocene to Holocene.