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Large sediment waves over the Gulf of Roses upper continental slope (NW Mediterranean)

(2018) MARINE GEOLOGY. 399. p.84-96
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Abstract
Large sediment waves have been observed over the Gulf of Roses (GoR) continental slope (NW Mediterranean), developed between similar to 200 and similar to 400 m water depth. Geometric parameters computed from the acquired swath bathymetry revealed mean wave lengths of similar to 2000 m, and maximum wave heights of similar to 60 m. Single-channel reflection seismic profiles provided information on the sediment wave internal structure and the Quaternary stratigraphic architecture of the GoR outer shelf and slope. Seven main seismic units could be identified, with continuous development of sediment waves over the outer continental shelf and upper slope, showing differences in wave height and length. The seismic units are differentiated by erosional surfaces that can be followed from the outer shelf down the slope, and which have been correlated with Pleistocene eustatic oscillations. Sediment cores were collected over the sediment wave crests and troughs, and grain size distribution and sediment accumulation rates were analysed. Results show a dominant fraction of fine sediments, allowing classifying the observed bedforms as mud waves. Calculated sediment accumulation rates ranged between 0.08 and 0.18 cm/y, with no clear sedimentation pattern (e.g. differential sediment deposition rates) observed between wave crests and troughs. Nevertheless, the presence of thick surface mixed layers and the increase of the sand fraction in the upper sections of the cores indicate that the surface sediments are affected by bottom trawling activities, since the area is highly impacted by this human activity. The sediment waves observed over the GoR slope are most likely to be formed by bottom currents generated by overflows of dense water originated in the Gulf of Lions shelf, which cascade downslope in an oblique angle with respect the main bathymetric contours. This study offers new insights on the role of dense shelf water cascading processes and associated off-shelf sediment transport reshaping the morphology of the open-slope regions.
Keywords
SHELF WATER CASCADES, DENSE WATER, SUBMARINE-CANYON, CREUS CANYON, WESTERN GULF, DEEP-WATER, PARTICULATE MATTER, ACCUMULATION RATES, CATALAN MARGIN, WORLD OCEAN, Sediment waves, Continental slope, NW Mediterranean Sea, Dense shelf, water cascading (DSWC)

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MLA
Ribó, Marta, et al. “Large Sediment Waves over the Gulf of Roses Upper Continental Slope (NW Mediterranean).” MARINE GEOLOGY, vol. 399, 2018, pp. 84–96, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2018.02.006.
APA
Ribó, M., Durán, R., Puig, P., Van Rooij, D., Guillén, J., & Masqué, P. (2018). Large sediment waves over the Gulf of Roses upper continental slope (NW Mediterranean). MARINE GEOLOGY, 399, 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2018.02.006
Chicago author-date
Ribó, Marta, Ruth Durán, Pere Puig, David Van Rooij, Jorge Guillén, and Pere Masqué. 2018. “Large Sediment Waves over the Gulf of Roses Upper Continental Slope (NW Mediterranean).” MARINE GEOLOGY 399: 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2018.02.006.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Ribó, Marta, Ruth Durán, Pere Puig, David Van Rooij, Jorge Guillén, and Pere Masqué. 2018. “Large Sediment Waves over the Gulf of Roses Upper Continental Slope (NW Mediterranean).” MARINE GEOLOGY 399: 84–96. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2018.02.006.
Vancouver
1.
Ribó M, Durán R, Puig P, Van Rooij D, Guillén J, Masqué P. Large sediment waves over the Gulf of Roses upper continental slope (NW Mediterranean). MARINE GEOLOGY. 2018;399:84–96.
IEEE
[1]
M. Ribó, R. Durán, P. Puig, D. Van Rooij, J. Guillén, and P. Masqué, “Large sediment waves over the Gulf of Roses upper continental slope (NW Mediterranean),” MARINE GEOLOGY, vol. 399, pp. 84–96, 2018.
@article{8560479,
  abstract     = {{Large sediment waves have been observed over the Gulf of Roses (GoR) continental slope (NW Mediterranean), developed between similar to 200 and similar to 400 m water depth. Geometric parameters computed from the acquired swath bathymetry revealed mean wave lengths of similar to 2000 m, and maximum wave heights of similar to 60 m. Single-channel reflection seismic profiles provided information on the sediment wave internal structure and the Quaternary stratigraphic architecture of the GoR outer shelf and slope. Seven main seismic units could be identified, with continuous development of sediment waves over the outer continental shelf and upper slope, showing differences in wave height and length. The seismic units are differentiated by erosional surfaces that can be followed from the outer shelf down the slope, and which have been correlated with Pleistocene eustatic oscillations. Sediment cores were collected over the sediment wave crests and troughs, and grain size distribution and sediment accumulation rates were analysed. Results show a dominant fraction of fine sediments, allowing classifying the observed bedforms as mud waves. Calculated sediment accumulation rates ranged between 0.08 and 0.18 cm/y, with no clear sedimentation pattern (e.g. differential sediment deposition rates) observed between wave crests and troughs. Nevertheless, the presence of thick surface mixed layers and the increase of the sand fraction in the upper sections of the cores indicate that the surface sediments are affected by bottom trawling activities, since the area is highly impacted by this human activity. The sediment waves observed over the GoR slope are most likely to be formed by bottom currents generated by overflows of dense water originated in the Gulf of Lions shelf, which cascade downslope in an oblique angle with respect the main bathymetric contours. This study offers new insights on the role of dense shelf water cascading processes and associated off-shelf sediment transport reshaping the morphology of the open-slope regions.}},
  author       = {{Ribó, Marta and Durán, Ruth and Puig, Pere and Van Rooij, David and Guillén, Jorge and Masqué, Pere}},
  issn         = {{0025-3227}},
  journal      = {{MARINE GEOLOGY}},
  keywords     = {{SHELF WATER CASCADES,DENSE WATER,SUBMARINE-CANYON,CREUS CANYON,WESTERN GULF,DEEP-WATER,PARTICULATE MATTER,ACCUMULATION RATES,CATALAN MARGIN,WORLD OCEAN,Sediment waves,Continental slope,NW Mediterranean Sea,Dense shelf,water cascading (DSWC)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{84--96}},
  title        = {{Large sediment waves over the Gulf of Roses upper continental slope (NW Mediterranean)}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2018.02.006}},
  volume       = {{399}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}

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