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The Enya mounds: a lost mound-drift competition

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Abstract

The genesis and evolution of cold-water coral banks along the Northeastern Atlantic margin is known to be influenced by several factors, among which the palaeotopography and nature of the coral settling surface, the presence of bottom currents and sediment supply. In this paper, a case study is presented of the Enya mound cluster, located in the southernmost tip of the Belgica mound province, west of Ireland. Below this mound cluster, seismic stratigraphy revealed a yet unmapped local unconformity RD1b, being part of a composite erosion event (RD1). As such, from the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene, at least two erosional events have incised the margin, ending with the final RD1a “moundbase” unconformity, acting as a base for the Enya mounds. During the Quaternary the mounds became outgrown and were covered by a mounded contourite drift. In addition, they are closely associated with a cluster of seabed pockmarks. The bottom current regime which became active since the Middle Pleistocene has certainly influenced the fate of this mound cluster. The occurrence of the pockmarks seems to be related to relatively recent fluid migration processes, however leaving an open question if any previous seepage phases were involved in the growth or initiation of the coral banks.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the captains, crews and shipboard parties of R/V Belgica, R/V Polarstern, R/V Pelagia and R/V Marion Dufresne. The study of the Enya mounds originated during the EC FP5 “Geomound” project and was respectively continued under EC FP5 RTN EURODOM and EC FP6 HERMES (contract GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1). The TOBI data was collected within the framework of a project undertaken with support of the European Union (EASSS III programme, ‘Improving Human Potential’, contract HPRI-CT-1999-00047) and on behalf of the Porcupine Studies Group (PSG) of the Irish Petroleum Infrastructure Programme Group 3. The PSG comprises: Agip Ireland BV, Chevron UK Ltd., Elf Petroleum Ireland BV, Enterprise Energy Ireland Ltd., Marathon International Hibernia Ltd., Philips Petroleum Company United Kingdom Ltd., Statoil Exploration (Ireland) Ltd. and the Petroleum Affairs Division of the Department of the Communication, Marine and Natural Resources. We would also like to thank G. Isguder, F. Dewilde and F. Manssouri at LSCE, Gif-sur-Yvette (FR) for the isotopic analysis of core MD01-2449. Also M. Vinckx and D. Schram of the Ghent University Marine Biology section are acknowledged for the use of the Coulter LS130. Swell filtering of the seismic profiles was performed using Swellfilter.com developed by P. Staelens. We also appreciated the comments and suggestions of the topic editor, M. Rebesco and an anonymous reviewer, which significantly improved the quality of this manuscript. DVR is a post-doctoral fellow of the FWO-Flanders. VH is a Marie-Curie post-doctoral fellow and honorary fellow of FWO-Flanders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    D. Van Rooij & J.-P. Henriet

  2. Laboratoire des Sciences de Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE/IPSL/UVSQ), Laboratoire mixte CNRS/CEA, Bâtiment 12, 4 avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    D. Van Rooij & D. Blamart

  3. Geology and Geophysics Group, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK

    V. A. I. Huvenne

  4. Department of Geology and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, College Rd., Cork, Ireland

    A. Wheeler

  5. Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, The Netherlands

    H. de Haas

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  1. D. Van Rooij
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Van Rooij, D., Huvenne, V.A.I., Blamart, D. et al. The Enya mounds: a lost mound-drift competition. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 98, 849–863 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-007-0293-9

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