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New insights into slide processes and seafloor geology revealed by side-scan imagery of the massive Hinlopen Slide, Arctic Ocean margin

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Abstract

The submarine Hinlopen Slide, located along the Arctic Ocean margin, is one of the largest known mass movements on Earth. The slide scar has several unusual morphometric characteristics, including headwalls up to 1,500 m high and spectacularly large, steep-sided rafted megablocks. The slide processes and continental margin properties that produced these features are not well known. A new high-resolution TOBI (towed ocean bottom instrument) side-scan sonar dataset reveals information about the detailed seafloor morphology and, therefore, slide dynamics during the final stages of sliding. First, the headwall area was efficiently and almost completely evacuated of slide debris, which is unusual for large submarine slides. Second, features relating to the propagation of extension to the shelf behind the headwall are absent, suggesting “strong” cohesive shelf material here or that a very stable shelf configuration was reached, possibly defined by NE-SW-trending faults. Third, there is little evidence for the translation of shelf material, again uncommon for submarine slides. Taken together with the occurrence of massive megablocks in the slide debris, Hinlopen Slide is distinct because of the juxtaposition of apparently “stronger” shelf material that has remained intact (headwalls, megablocks), and “weaker” shelf material that disaggregated fully during slope failure. Nevertheless, there is sonograph evidence of variable post-slide disintegration of the megablocks. Contrary to previous interpretations, this suggests that the blocks comprise sedimentary lithologies that are prone to failure, a key aspect awaiting confirmation.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by UK NERC Grant NER/T/S/2003/00318 to JAD, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The contents of this document are solely the liability of K. Hogan and co-authors and under no circumstances may be considered as a reflection of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s position. We thank the officers and crew of the R.R.S. James Clark Ross for their assistance during cruise JR142 to the east Svalbard margin, as well as Riko Noormets, Colm Ó Cofaigh, Jeff Evans, Ruth Mugford and the NMF TOBI engineers for assisting with geophysical data acquisition. Maarten Vanneste and Steinar Iversen are gratefully acknowledged for processing the bathymetric data collected by the R/V Jan Mayen in 2004, and Tim Le Bas for help in processing the side-scan sonar data. Insightful comments from Pete Talling, and careful reading by Burg Flemming and Monique Delafontaine helped to improve the manuscript.

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  1. Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1ER, UK

    Kelly A. Hogan & Julian A. Dowdeswell

  2. Department of Geology, and Centre of Excellence for Arctic Gas hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), University of Tromsø, Dramsveien 201, 9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Jürgen Mienert

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  1. Kelly A. Hogan
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Hogan, K.A., Dowdeswell, J.A. & Mienert, J. New insights into slide processes and seafloor geology revealed by side-scan imagery of the massive Hinlopen Slide, Arctic Ocean margin. Geo-Mar Lett 33, 325–343 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-013-0330-6

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