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Along-slope oceanographic processes and sedimentary products around the Iberian margin

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An Erratum to this article was published on 10 November 2011

An Erratum to this article was published on 10 November 2011

Abstract

This contribution to this special volume represents the first attempt to comprehensively describe regional contourite (along-slope) processes and their sedimentary impacts around the Iberian margin, combining numerically simulated bottom currents with existing knowledge of contourite depositional and erosional features. The circulation of water masses is correlated with major contourite depositional systems (CDSs), and potential areas where new CDSs could be found are identified. Water-mass circulation leads to the development of along-slope currents which, in turn, generate contourite features comprising individual contourite drifts and erosional elements forming extensive, complex CDSs of considerable thickness in various geological settings. The regionally simulated bottom-current velocities reveal the strong impact of these water masses on the seafloor, especially in two principal areas: (1) the continental slopes of the Alboran Sea and the Atlantic Iberian margins, and (2) the abyssal plains in the Western Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. Contourite processes at this scale are associated mainly with the Western Mediterranean Deep Water and the Levantine Intermediate Water in the Alboran Sea, and with both the Mediterranean Outflow Water and the Lower Deep Water in the Atlantic. Deep gateways are essential in controlling water-mass exchange between the abyssal plains, and thereby bottom-current velocities and pathways. Seamounts represent important obstacles for water-mass circulation, and high bottom-current velocities are predicted around their flanks, too. Based on these findings and those of a selected literature review, including less easily accessible “grey literature” such as theses and internal reports, it is clear that the role of bottom currents in shaping continental margins and abyssal plains has to date been generally underestimated, and that many may harbour contourite systems which still remain unexplored today. CDSs incorporate valuable sedimentary records of Iberian margin geological evolution, and further study seems promising in terms of not only stratigraphic, sedimentological, palaeoceanographic and palaeoclimatological research but also possible deep marine geohabitats and/or mineral and energy resources.

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Acknowledgements

The Spanish Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología supports this research through the project CTM 2008-06399-C04/MAR (CONTOURIBER) and CTM2009-14157-C02. It was carried out as part of a stage funded by the Mobility Award from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to F. Javier Hernández-Molina and spent at Heriot-Watt University, UK (reference PR2009-0343), within the framework of ESF MiCROSYSTEMS, EC FP6 HERMES and EC FP7 HERMIONE, and as part of the Portuguese FCT project PPCDT/MAR/58384/2004. D. Van Rooij is a post-doctoral fellow of the FWO-Flanders. We would like to thank Ricardo León (Spanish Geological Survey, IGME, Madrid) for his help with the bathymetric base map, the Euromargins project MVSEIS and, in particular, Luis Pinheiro (Aveiro University, Portugal) for allowing use of a section of seismic line 114, as well as the REPSOL Oil Company and TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA for permission to use unpublished seismic records from the Gulf of Cadiz. Finally, we thank Eliane Gonthier (Université de Bordeaux, France) and one anonymous reviewer for constructive assessments and the editors for helpful suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Vigo, 36200, Vigo, Spain

    Francisco Javier Hernández-Molina

  2. Institute of Oceanography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstr. 53, 20146, Hamburg, Germany

    Nuno Serra

  3. IPE-ECOSSE, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK

    Dorik A. V. Stow

  4. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    Estefanía Llave

  5. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, CMIMA-CSIC, Paseo Marítimo de la Barcelonesa 37–49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Gemma Ercilla

  6. Renard Centre of Marine Geology (RCMG), Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    David Van Rooij

Authors
  1. Francisco Javier Hernández-Molina
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  2. Nuno Serra
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  3. Dorik A. V. Stow
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  4. Estefanía Llave
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  5. Gemma Ercilla
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  6. David Van Rooij
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nuno Serra.

Additional information

Responsible guest editor: A. Mena

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00367-011-0260-0

Appendix

Appendix

Water-mass compilation for both the Western Mediterranean and North Atlantic: Fig. 3, deep-water circulation; Fig. 4, intermediate water circulation; Fig. 5, surficial water circulation, based on data and arguments from the following authors: Wüst (1936, 1961), Madelain (1970), Kelling and Stanley (1972), Kenyon and Belderson (1973), Mélières (1974), Thorpe (1975), Zenk (1975), Stanley et al. (1975), Ambar and Howe (1979), McCartney and Talley (1982), Gardner and Kidd (1983, 1987), Fiúza (1984), Bryden and Stommel (1984), Gascard and Richez (1985), Pollard and Pu (1985), Dickson et al. (1985), Parrilla and Kinder (1987), Caralp (1988, 1992), Haynes and Barton (1990), Herburn and La Violette (1990), Pingree and Le Cann (1990), Zenk and Armi (1990), Garrett et al. (1990), Perkins et al. (1990), Cano and García (1991), Ochoa and Bray (1991), McCartney (1992), Nelson et al. (1993, 1999), Reid (1994), Ambar and Fiúza (1994), Arhan et al. (1994), Bryden et al. (1994), Daniault et al. (1994), Pollard et al. (1996), Paillet and Mercier (1997), Mazé et al. (1997), Díaz del Río et al. (1998), Fiúza et al. (1998), Paillet et al. (1998, 1999), Millot (1999), Baringer and Price (1999), Iorga and Lozier (1999), OSPAR (2000), van Aken (2000, 2002), Johnson and Stevens (2000), Cherubin et al. (2000), Richardson et al. (2000), Sarnthein et al. (2000), Weaver et al. (2000), Candela (2001), Mauritzen et al. (2001), Borenäs et al. (2002), Hernández-Molina et al. (2002, 2006), Huthnance et al. (2002), Slater (2003), Serra (2004), Valencia et al. (2004), Díaz del Río (2006), González-Pola (2006), Sánchez et al. (2006), García Lafuente et al. (2008), García et al. (2009), Legg et al. (2009), Serra et al. (2010b), Van Rooij et al. (2010a), Stow et al. (unpublished data).

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Hernández-Molina, F.J., Serra, N., Stow, D.A.V. et al. Along-slope oceanographic processes and sedimentary products around the Iberian margin. Geo-Mar Lett 31, 315–341 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-011-0242-2

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