Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-04-08DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107557
Mark Lundine, Arthur Trembanis
{"title":"Comment on investigating the origin and dynamics of Carolina Bays by Mark Lundine and Arthur Trembanis [Marine Geology 480 (2025)] Reply","authors":"Mark Lundine, Arthur Trembanis","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We thank the authors for their interest in our recent study as well as encourage continued scientific discourse and debate. However, the geological evidence, of which was thoroughly presented in the original paper, remains in support of a gradualistic, terrestrial formation mechanism for Carolina Bays. Further investigations into tangible, empirical evidence related to Carolina Bays and other similar geomorphic features are encouraged, while entertaining alternative hypotheses not grounded in geologic principles and techniques, nor based upon available data remains as speculation. Again, we welcome recognition, criticism, discussion, and further thought upon the evidence presented in our original paper, but we find continued speculation on hypotheses that remain incompatible with the available empirical evidence to be unproductive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"485 ","pages":"Article 107557"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-04-05DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107555
Chin Yik Lin , Su Shiung Lam , Jenn Wei Er , Wah Sze Lee , Jia Hui Ang
{"title":"Utilizing optical backscatter sensor and sediment traps for measuring sediment dynamics in low-energy marine environment","authors":"Chin Yik Lin , Su Shiung Lam , Jenn Wei Er , Wah Sze Lee , Jia Hui Ang","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the application of the SediMeter (SM) for assessing sedimentation and erosion in a low-energy basin, in conjunction with conventional sediment traps (STs) to characterize the vertical sediment profile in a marina at Port Dickson. Despite the widespread use of STs, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding their ability to capture dynamic sediment processes – such as rapid resuspension and short-term fluxes – which the SM is designed to monitor with high temporal resolution. Our results indicate that sediment fluxes in the water column do not directly correlate with water turbidity due to rapidly changing physical forcing conditions. Notably, the SM detected a pronounced layer of high-water-content sediment – attributed to a storm event followed by steady deposition of resuspended material after the event subsided. While the SM data revealed a clear relationship between semi-diurnal tides and variations in both turbidity and sediment flux, the ST recorded a consistent particle settling rate of 16.9 mg cm<sup>−2</sup> day <sup>−1</sup>, underscoring a weak correlation between these two measurement techniques. This discrepancy suggests that the SM, which captures both sediment influx and resuspension in real time, cannot serve as a direct surrogate for the ST, which only quantifies net sediment accumulation. Instead, the SM provides high temporal resolution necessary for resolving transient sediment dynamics, whereas the ST offers an integrated assessment of overall sedimentation. Thus, the complementary use of both instruments is essential for addressing the current limitations in sediment monitoring and for achieving a comprehensive understanding of sediment transport processes in dynamic marine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"485 ","pages":"Article 107555"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107554
Rachel Barrett , Benjamin Bellwald , Peter J. Talling , Elisaveta Sokolkova , Henrik Grob , Kai-Frederik Lenz , Arne Lohrberg , Jens Schneider von Deimling , Felix Gross , Sebastian Krastel
{"title":"Deep Secrets: Discovery of a giant mega-slide in the North Sea Fan, offshore Norway","authors":"Rachel Barrett , Benjamin Bellwald , Peter J. Talling , Elisaveta Sokolkova , Henrik Grob , Kai-Frederik Lenz , Arne Lohrberg , Jens Schneider von Deimling , Felix Gross , Sebastian Krastel","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Mid-Norwegian continental margin is home to multiple submarine landslides of prodigious volume (mega-slides), thought to have occurred once each glacial cycle over the last ∼500 kyr. Here, we present new 2D seismic reflection data that image the headwall of a previously unknown mega-slide buried beneath Quaternary sediment in the North Sea Fan. The deposits linked to this mega-slide, named the Solsikke Slide, have a volume exceeding 15,000 km<sup>3</sup>. This is five times greater than the neighboring tsunamigenic Holocene Storegga Slide's volume, and makes the Solsikke Slide one of the largest landslides yet discovered on our planet. The Solsikke Slide remobilized deposits from the previous three mega-slides within the North Sea Fan, including the Tampen Slide that is thought to have occurred ca. 120 kyr BP. Together with the overlying deposits, this constrains the timing of the Solsikke Slide to between 120 and 57 kyr BP (MIS 5–3), which indicates that mega-slides may happen more frequently than previously thought along this margin. Furthermore, we identify a network of faults that extend up from the acoustic basement to the base of the Solsikke headwall, and seismic evidence of lateral fluid migration within the underlying unit. These observations suggest seismic shaking and fluid migration, together with sediment loading, likely played an important role in pre-conditioning and/or triggering failure. Our findings thus have significant implications for understanding the hazard posed by mega-slides in the Northern Atlantic, in terms of their frequency, potential magnitude, and pre-conditioning factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"485 ","pages":"Article 107554"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107546
Zhenggang Li , Zhou Li , James R. Hein , Yangrui Cheng , Yuwei Liu , Shiquan Lin , Hao Wang , Xibin Han , Yanhui Dong , Fengyou Chu , Xiaohu Li
{"title":"In-situ geotechnical properties of abyssal sediments and implications for environmental impacts of polymetallic nodule mining","authors":"Zhenggang Li , Zhou Li , James R. Hein , Yangrui Cheng , Yuwei Liu , Shiquan Lin , Hao Wang , Xibin Han , Yanhui Dong , Fengyou Chu , Xiaohu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polymetallic nodules on the global seabed are an enormous resource for critical metals, while environmental impacts caused by mining activities such as sediment disturbance and plume diffusion are under evaluation. Geotechnical properties of surface sediments hosting nodules will critically impact mining operations. However, the spatial variation in geotechnical properties and sediment transport and deposition dynamics are poorly known. We carried out in-situ penetration strength tests at 11 stations in the China Minmetals Contract Area, western Clarion-Clipperton Fracture zone. By establishing a quantitative relationship between sediment penetration strength (indicative of substrate hardness) and the bathymetric position index (BPI, a measure of topographic relief) and sediment grain size, we observed that topographic highs (highlands) exhibit coarser sediments and harder substrates compared to topographic lows (depressions). This observation aligns well with a lateral sediment redistribution model, where sediment is eroded from elevated areas and redeposited in depressions. Our findings suggest that a harder substrate on highlands would lead to reduced mining vehicle subsidence and sediment disturbance, thereby mitigating sediment plumes. Consequently, preferential nodule mining on highlands is likely to yield lower environmental impact and faster ecosystem recovery compared to mining in depressions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107546"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Response of phosphorus burial and post-depositional diagenesis to postglacial climate change in the coastal system","authors":"Shuya Huang , Xia Zhang , Yanyan Zhao , Chunming Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phosphorus (P) burial and diagenesis in coastal systems determine the reactive P flux to the ocean, influencing primary productivity and nutrient element cycles. To understand the fate of P in coastal areas and its association with postglacial climate change, we determined P species, Fe-(oxyhydr)oxides (Fe-oxides), major elements, nutrient elements (C and N), and vivianite minerals characteristics in sediment cores from the Qiantang River (QR) estuary in eastern China. Our findings reveal that the P cycle was predominantly controlled by postglacial sea-level changes in the QR estuarine system. Fe-bound P (P<sub>Fe</sub>) dominates in fluvial and paleo-estuarine sediments, comprising ∼79 % of total P pool, which mainly exists in the form of vivianite, particularly enriched below the estuarine-marine transition. This enrichment is linked to increased bottom-water sulfate concentrations and reduced sedimentation rates in response to marine transgression around 8.5 ka BP, promoting the sustained anaerobic oxidation of methane and reductive dissolution of Fe-oxides. In contrast, Ca-associated P (mostly carbonate fluorapatite) formed at the expense of P<sub>Fe</sub> and organic P in shallow marine and modern estuarine deposits, acting as a major P sink during high sea-level episodes. The high P<sub>Fe</sub> deposition event is linked to a paleo-flood event at the Younger Dryas-Holocene transition. Flood-driven surface sediments oxygenation facilitated the coprecipitation of Fe-oxides and P, notably lowering Fe/P ratio in P<sub>Fe</sub> speciation. Our work highlights the long-term impact of postglacial climate change on the coastal P cycle through sea-level fluctuation, environmental perturbation, and abrupt climate events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"485 ","pages":"Article 107545"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107544
João Regis dos Santos Filho , João Victor Moraes da Costa Anjos , Cleverson Guizan Silva , Allan Kardec Duailibe Barros Filho , Gilberto Tavares de Macedo Dias , Alberto Garcia Figueiredo Jr. , Amanda Bourguignon Cecilio , Juliane Castro Carneiro
{"title":"Mesophotic encrusting biotas and bioclastic deposits on the Western South Atlantic Equatorial margin: Geomorphological insights from the Amazon and Semi-Arid Coast Systems","authors":"João Regis dos Santos Filho , João Victor Moraes da Costa Anjos , Cleverson Guizan Silva , Allan Kardec Duailibe Barros Filho , Gilberto Tavares de Macedo Dias , Alberto Garcia Figueiredo Jr. , Amanda Bourguignon Cecilio , Juliane Castro Carneiro","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Encrusting mesophotic biotas shaped by interactions between organisms, sedimentary processes, and environmental factors contribute significantly to bioclastic sediment compositions. This paper focuses on their distribution and relationship to deposits on the Western South Atlantic Equatorial Margin, particularly the Amazon and the Semi-Arid Coast. A comprehensive analysis of historical geological data and innovative mapping techniques, including GIS and seismic attribute integration, provides an understanding of its geomorphology and the extension of these benthic environments, that occupy an area of 29,830 km<sup>2</sup>. A four-stage model explains the origin and development of these important deposits. Stage 1 reflects the initial formation of beachrocks, the erosion of sandstone outcrops, and the formation of rhodolith mounds during the Last Glacial Maximum. Stage 2, during the early Marine Transgression, is characterized by colonization of rocky surfaces. Stage 3 is marked by drowning and the transition from altiphotic to mesophotic environments. Stage 4 involves fully formed mesophotic encrusting biotas and associated bioclastic deposits, influenced by environmental conditions, including discharge of the Amazon River Plume. Enhanced regional seabed mapping aims to support marine management policies, promote sustainable resource use, and serve as a model for conservation efforts elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-15DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107543
Gabriela Medellín , Alec Torres-Freyermuth , Nicholas Cohn
{"title":"Distinct sandbar behavior on a gently sloping shoreface sea-breeze dominated beach","authors":"Gabriela Medellín , Alec Torres-Freyermuth , Nicholas Cohn","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107543","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sandbars are common features in sandy nearshore environments that readily migrate in response to changing hydrodynamic conditions and, when in shallow water, can provide coastal protection by inducing wave breaking and through sediment feeding to the beach. Prior process-based studies related the off- (on-) shore sandbar migration with the increase of the undertow current (wave acceleration skewness) associated to storm (mild) conditions. However, onshore sandbar migration has, under some circumstances, also been reported to occur during storms at mild sloping shorefaces. A comprehensive 9-year data set of (200) weekly to bi-weekly surveys of the beach and shallow nearshore, undertaken on an accretive micro-tidal sea-breeze dominated beach along the southeastern coast of Mexico, are presented here that shed new insights into hydrodynamic drivers of inner surf zone sandbar and shoreline dynamics. During spring-summer, short period waves, mainly associated to local sea-breezes, drive offshore sandbar migration. On the other hand, winter storms, occurring during fall-winter months, generate more energetic swell waves that induce onshore sandbar migration. In general, seasonal changes of shoreline and inner sandbar position are coupled, with on- (off-) shore sandbar migration being synchronous to seasonal shoreline advance (retreat), suggesting a gradual feeding of sediment from the bar system onto the beach. Analysis of the data, in conjunction with comparison to equilibrium model results, are used to explore the physical drivers of sub-seasonal sandbar evolution at the site. The sandbar dynamics in the study area, showing an opposite behavior to conventional expectation of storm-induced offshore transport, are well correlated to seasonal changes of waves properties. This distinct sandbar behavior might be present at other gently sloping shoreface sea-breeze dominated sandy beaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107534
Trenity Ford, Ashley M. Burkett
{"title":"Mg/Ca heterogeneity in the benthic foraminifera Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and Uvigerina peregrina","authors":"Trenity Ford, Ashley M. Burkett","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laser ablation derived Mg/Ca ratios in the epibenthic foraminifera <em>Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi</em> and infaunal <em>Uvigerina peregrina</em> were analyzed from diverse Pacific Ocean sites, covering depths from 600 to 1800 m and bottom water temperatures (BWT) of 2–9 °C. Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), multiple measurements were performed across specimen chambers to assess Mg/Ca variability. For <em>C. wuellerstorfi</em>, intra-chamber Mg/Ca ratios showed an average standard deviation of 0.319 mmol/mol with a mean of 1.41 mmol/mol (relative standard deviation, RSD, of 23.2 %), while inter-chamber variability reached 39.2 %. <em>U. peregrina</em> exhibited slightly lower variability, with a standard deviation of 0.184 mmol/mol and a mean ratio of 1.03 mmol/mol (RSD of 17.0 %). No consistent relationship was observed between Mg/Ca ratios and BWT for either species when using published temperature calibration eqs. A calibration considering carbonate ion concentration (Δ[CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup>]) improved the fit for <em>C. wuellerstorfi</em> samples at temperatures below 3 °C, suggesting Δ[CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup>] influences Mg incorporation in epifaunal foraminifera in colder waters. Further analysis of intertest Mg/Ca ratios across 23 specimens of <em>Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi</em> and 40 of <em>Uvigerina peregrina</em> revealed a lack of correlation with temperature, with R<sup>2</sup> values of 0.004 and 0.003, respectively. The lack of a temperature correlation with Mg/Ca values supports the hypothesis that factors beyond ambient temperature, such as biomineralization processes and carbonate ion concentration, affect Mg/Ca incorporation in the studied species. These results highlight the complexities in interpreting Mg/Ca ratios for these species as temperature proxies and suggest the need for further research to account for geochemical variability in these proxies, especially in LA-ICP-MS based datasets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107534"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107533
Xin Zhang , Dejiang Fan , Baoduo Wang , Peng Cheng , Judong Mao , Xiaolin Ren , Xueshi Sun
{"title":"Modern bioturbation structures and their mixing effects in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent sea areas","authors":"Xin Zhang , Dejiang Fan , Baoduo Wang , Peng Cheng , Judong Mao , Xiaolin Ren , Xueshi Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bioturbation structures are not only critical indicators to the state of the seafloor environment but also serve as important proxies for reconstructing paleo-environments. Furthermore, bioturbation processes will cause the redistribution of materials and early diagenesis in sediments, which makes it a challenging component to explore elements cycles or interpret sedimentary records over centennial time scale. This study, based on sediment cores from 31 stations in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent areas, utilized high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning technology and MATLAB data processing method, along with measurements of sediment grain size and <sup>210</sup>Pb activity, to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize the bioturbation structures in the area and estimate mixing intensity. The results indicate that bioturbation structures can be functionally categorized into four types: biodiffusor structure, conveyors structure, regenerator structure and gallery-diffusor structure, with conveyors structure and gallery-diffusor structure being the most common. The vertical distribution patterns of bioturbation structures within the cores exhibit variations, including exponential decay pattern, fluctuating decay pattern, pulse distribution pattern, and uniform distribution pattern. Based on bioturbation intensity and their combinations, three bioturbation structural zones were identified: the Yangtze River Estuary bioturbation zone, the coastal sand ridge and northern Zhejiang-Fujian bioturbation zone, and the transitional phase and northern Zhejiang-Fujian muddy bioturbation zone. The mixing coefficients in this area ranges from 0.02 to 884.24 cm<sup>2</sup>/yr, exhibiting significant spatial variation. Strong mixing is observed in the pro-delta and delta front-shelf transition zones, while weaker mixing occurs in the northern Zhejiang-Fujian muddy area and the southern coastal region of northern Jiangsu coastal. The mixing effects are influenced not only by bioturbation but also by non-biological factors such as physical mixing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143592044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marine GeologyPub Date : 2025-03-05DOI: 10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107518
Anna Saroni , Federica Maurantonio , Daniele Casalbore , Francesco L. Chiocci , Ettore Cimenti , Massimo Coltorti , Maurizio Demarte , Martina Pierdomenico , Daniele Spatola , Roberta Ivaldi
{"title":"Seafloor morphology and recent dynamics in the Scoglio d'Affrica (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea)","authors":"Anna Saroni , Federica Maurantonio , Daniele Casalbore , Francesco L. Chiocci , Ettore Cimenti , Massimo Coltorti , Maurizio Demarte , Martina Pierdomenico , Daniele Spatola , Roberta Ivaldi","doi":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.margeo.2025.107518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From 2017 to 2023, the offshore area nearby the Scoglio d'Affrica islet, located in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, has been surveyed and monitored after a violent fluid emission from a shallow-water mud volcano that caused an outburst rising 10 m above the sea surface. This transient phenomenon occurred very localized and short-lived. Assessing the complexity of this kind of event requires an integrated monitoring system, which allows us to characterize the seafloor morphology and recent dynamics through high resolution swath bathymetry and direct visual seafloor observation. These data allow also the identification of new features produced by recent seafloor dynamics and fluid seepage related to mud volcanism, obtaining insights on the temporal and spatial evolution of the seafloor morphology related to cold seeps in the area. In particular, the mud volcano responsible for the 2017 gas outburst is made up of two shallow water mounds characterized by different seafloor evolutionary records, including sediment consolidation, fracturing and variation in morphology and height, likely related to inflation/deflation processes as well as to the sediment reworking by wave action.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18229,"journal":{"name":"Marine Geology","volume":"484 ","pages":"Article 107518"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}