RT journal article
T1 Oceanographic processes and morphosedimentary products along the Iberian margins: A new multidisciplinary approach
A1 Hernández-Molina, Francisco Javier
A1 Wahlin, Anna
A1 Bruno Mejías, Miguel
A1 Ercilla, Gemma
A1 Llave, Estefania
A1 Serra, Nuno
A1 Rosón, Gabriel
A1 Puig, Pere
A1 Rebesco, Michele
A1 Van Rooij, David
A1 Roque, David
A1 Gonzalez-Pola, Cesar
A1 Sanchez, Francisco
A1 Gómez, María
A1 Preu, Benedict
A1 Schwenk, Tilmann
A1 Hanebuth, Till J. J.
A1 Sanchez Leal, Ricardo F.
A1 García-Lafuente, Jesús
A1 Brackenridge, Rachel E.
A1 Juan, Carmen
A1 Stow, Dorrik A. V.
A1 Sánchez-González, Jose María
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 Iberian margins
K1 Oceanographic processes
K1 Bottom currents
K1 Sedimentary processes
K1 Contourites
AB Our understanding of bottom-currents and associated oceanographic processes (e.g., overflows, barotropic tidal currents) including intermittent processes (e.g., vertical eddies, deep sea storms, horizontal vortices, internal waves and tsunamis) is rapidly evolving. Many deep-water processes remain poorly understood due to limited direct observations, but can generate significant depositional and erosional features on both short and long term time scales. This paper represents a review work, which describes for the first time these oceanographic processes and examines their potential role in the sedimentary features along the Iberian continental margins. This review explores the implications of the studied processes, given their secondary role relative to other factors such as mass-transport and turbiditic processes, and highlights three major results: a) contourite depositional and erosional features are ubiquitous along the margins, indicating that bottom currents and associated oceanographic processes control the physiography and sedimentation; b) the position of interfaces between major water masses and their vertical and spatial variation in time specifically appears to exert primary control in determining major morphologic changes along the slope gradient, including the contourite terraces development; and c) contourites deposits exhibit greater variation than the established facies model suggests. Therefore, a consistent facies model however faces substantial challenges in terms of the wide range of oceanographic processes that can influence in their development. An integrated interpretation of these oceanographic processes requires an understanding of contourites, seafloor features, their spatial and temporal evolution, and the near-bottom flows that form them. This approach will synthesize oceanographic data, seafloor morphology, sediments and seismic images to improve our knowledge of permanent and intermittent processes around Iberia, and evaluate their conceptual and regional role in the margin's sedimentary evolution. Given their complexes, three-dimensional and temporally-variable nature, integration of these processes into sedimentary, oceanographic and climatological frameworks will require a multidisciplinary approach that includes Geology, Physical oceanography, Paleoceanography and Benthic Biology.
SN https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2015.12.008
YR 2015
FD 2015-12-17
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19776
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19776
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026