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The Mauritanian Margin. Bathymetric and Geomorphological Characteristics

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Deep-Sea Ecosystems Off Mauritania

Abstract

From 2007 to 2010, four multidisciplinary cruises were carried out on Mauritanian upper and middle slope . Based on the multibeam echosounder swath bathymetry full coverage data, the TOPAS profiles and rock dredges were established for the first time detailed maps of bathymetry and geomorphology . The main morphological features are as follows: (1) >70 canyons and large gullies grouped into 10 different canyon systems, (2) 580 km long cold-water coral mounds ridge at 500 m depth, (3) several pockmark areas , and (4) an isolated seamount of ~200 m high. Based on the distribution of the identified features in Mauritanian slope , three geomorphological provinces were determined as follows: (i) Arguin Province, characterized by the abundance of quite sinuous canyons and the headwalls of three large landslides ; (ii) Nouakchott Province, characterized by a few rectilinear canyons and a slope that seems undisturbed in the north, but mostly affected by the headwalls of Mauritania Slide Complex in the south, and (iii) Senegal River Province, characterized by the abundance of canyons and gullies linked to the migration of the mouth of Senegal River .

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Abbreviations

ACUF:

Advisory Committee Undersea Features

AHP:

African Humid Period

AMW:

Arguin Mud Wedge

BdA:

Banc d’Arguin

CCLME:

Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem

DTM:

Digital Terrain Model

GEBCO:

General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans

GdA:

Gulf d’Arguin

GPS-D:

Global Position System-differential

IOC:

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

IHO:

International Hydrographic Organization

MBES:

Multibeam echosounder

MSC:

Mauritania Slide Complex

SCUFN:

Subcommittee on Undersea Feature Names

TMW:

Timiris Mud Wedge

TOC:

Total organic matter

TOPAS:

Topographic Parametric Sounder

UNE:

Una Norma Española

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Acknowledgements

We thank César Alcala, Lourdes Viscasillas, Valle López, and Isabel Otero, the geologists and specialists in the use and control of a multibeam echosounder . Their work each night during the four Maurit cruises helped to obtain a high quality data and full coverage of the seabed in the study area. Our sincere thanks to Armelle Genier for her support in the first English review of the manuscript.

This work has been accomplished in the framework of the EcoAfrik project, constituting ECOAFRIK publication number 23.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Corazón de María, 8, 28002, Madrid, Spain

    José Luis Sanz & Luis Miguel Agudo

  2. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Calera, 1, 28760, Tres Cantos, Spain

    Adolfo Maestro

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  1. José Luis Sanz
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  2. Adolfo Maestro
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  3. Luis Miguel Agudo
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Correspondence to José Luis Sanz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Español de Oceanografía , Vigo, Spain

    Ana Ramos

  2. Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Fran Ramil

  3. Instituto Español de Oceanografía , Madrid, Spain

    José Luis Sanz

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Sanz, J.L., Maestro, A., Agudo, L.M. (2017). The Mauritanian Margin. Bathymetric and Geomorphological Characteristics. In: Ramos, A., Ramil, F., Sanz, J. (eds) Deep-Sea Ecosystems Off Mauritania. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1023-5_2

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