Abstract
We present the seafloor morphology and shallow seismic structure of the continental slope south-east of the Balearic promontory and of the adjacent Algero-Balearic abyssal plain from multibeam and chirp sonar data. The main purpose of this research was to identify the sediment pathways from the Balearic promontory to the Algero-Balearic deep basin from the Early Pliocene to the Present. The morphology of the southern Balearic margin is controlled by a SW–NE structural trend, whose main expressions are the Emile Baudot Escarpment transform fault, and a newly discovered WSW–ENE trend that affects the SW end of the escarpment and the abyssal plain. We relate the two structural trends to right-lateral simple shear as a consequence of the Miocene westward migration of the Gibraltar Arc. Newly discovered steep and narrow volcanic ridges were probably enabled to grow by local transtension along the transform margin. Abyssal plain knolls and seahills relate to the subsurface deformation of early stage halokinetic structures such as salt rollers, salt anticlines, and salt pillows. The limited thickness of the overburden and the limited amount of deformation in the deep basin prevent the formation of more mature halokinetic structures such as diapirs, salt walls, bulbs, and salt extrusions. The uppermost sediment cover is affected by a dense pattern of sub-vertical small throw normal faults resulting from extensional stress induced in the overburden by subsurface salt deformation structures. Shallow gas seismic character and the possible presence of an active polygonal fault system suggest upward fluid migration and fluid and sediment expulsion at the seafloor through a probable mud volcano and other piercement structures. One large debris flow deposit, named Formentera Debris Flow, has been identified on the lower slope and rise of the south Formentera margin. Based on current observations, we hypothesize that the landslide originating the Formentera Debris Flow occurred in the Holocene, perhaps in historical times.
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Notes
In this manuscript we use the term ‘seahill’, synonymous of ‘abyssal hill’ for the elevations previously described in the literature in the Algero-Balearic basin. When describing the newly defined morphology of these elevations (beginning in “Results”), we introduce also the term ‘knoll’. According to the US Board on Geographic Names Policies and Guidelines for the Standardization of Undersea Feature Names seahills are ‘elevations rising generally less than 500 m from the surrounding seafloor’, while according to the UNESCO IHO-IOC Standardization of Undersea Feature Names they are simply a ‘tract of small elevations on the deep seafloor’. In contrast knolls are defined respectively as ‘elevations rising generally more than 500 m and less than 1,000 m and of limited extent across the summit’, and as ‘elevations somewhat smaller than a seamount and of rounded profile, characteristically isolated or as a cluster on the sea floor’. Because of the ambiguity of these definitions and the widespread use of the term knoll in the literature to refer to salt-related seafloor deformation structures (e.g. MacDonald et al. 2004) we decided to use both terms, where knolls indicate the sub-rounded elevations while seahills the more elongated or sinuous ones.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to thank the captain and crew of the OGS-Explora and the OGS technical staff for their friendly cooperation in all the phases of the data acquisition. This research benefited of the OGS Grant RIMA/RR 0388/2006 (in form of ship-time), WESTMED (REN2002-11216-E/MAR) and SPACOMA (REN2002-11217-E/MAR) ESF EUROMARGINS projects, and HERMES (GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1) and EURODOM (RTN2-2001-0028) EC funded projects. GRC Geociències Marines is supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya program for excellence research groups (ref. 2005SGR00152). SC is funded by a FPI grant from the Spanish Ministry for Education and Research. We acknowledge Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. for the agreement to use the Kingdom Suite software. The publication reflects only the views of the authors; the EC is not liable for any use that may be made of this paper. We thank A. Maillard, M. Hovland and an anonymous reviewer for the helpful and constructive criticism to the first draft of this article.
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Camerlenghi, A., Accettella, D., Costa, S. et al. Morphogenesis of the SW Balearic continental slope and adjacent abyssal plain, Western Mediterranean Sea. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 98, 735–750 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-008-0354-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-008-0354-8