Mesozoic and Cenozoic oceanic gateway evolution and global tectonics: paleoceanographic and sedimentary implications

Following the breakup of Pangea in the Early Jurassic, plate motion trajectories from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic gave rise to a succession of new oceans and seas. Their development frequently involved the opening and closure of oceanic gateways, which in turn shaped the structure and exchange of water masses. These processes influenced not only climate, but also deep-marine sedimentation patterns and the morphology of continental margins and abyssal plains across ocean basins. This study provides a comprehensive review of oceanic gateways and their global paleogeographic evolution, aiming to explain the origin, development and distribution of contourite and mixed depositional systems through Earth's history. The emergence of these systems was not random; they formed as extensive sediment accumulations in specific deepwater physiographic settings. Their long-term stacking patterns exerted a fundamental control on basin-scale morphology, including the architecture of continental slopes and margins. Although these depositional systems represent key components of deepwater stratigraphic records, they remain under-recognized. They preserve evidence of sedimentary, tectonic and oceanographic–climatic processes, recording their timing and interactions. Despite the central role of oceanic gateways in governing the onset and evolution of these systems, significant uncertainties persist regarding the geological and paleoceanographic processes operating within and around them. Addressing these uncertainties requires future research aimed at better constraining their timing and evolutionary pathways.