HR: 08:45h
AN: OS11D-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Contemporary Suspended Sediment Fluxes Through the Gulf of Lion Submarine Canyons.
AU: * Palanques, A
EM: albertp@icm.csic.es
AF: Institut de CiŠncias del Mar (C.S.I.C.), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003 Spain
AU: Puig, P
AF: Institut de CiŠncias del Mar (C.S.I.C.), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003 Spain
AU: de Madron, X D
AF: Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur L'Environnement Marin CNRS - Universite de Perpignan UMR 5110, 52 Avenue de Villeneuve, Perpignan, 66860 France
AU: Guillen, J
AF: Institut de CiŠncias del Mar (C.S.I.C.), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003 Spain
AU: Calafat, A
AF: Departament d'Estratigrafia , P. i GeociŠncies Marines Universitat de Barcelona , Campus de Pedralbes, Barcelona, 08028
AU: Fabres, J
AF: Departament d'Estratigrafia , P. i GeociŠncies Marines Universitat de Barcelona , Campus de Pedralbes, Barcelona, 08028
AU: Heussner, S
AF: Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur L'Environnement Marin CNRS - Universite de Perpignan UMR 5110, 52 Avenue de Villeneuve, Perpignan, 66860 France
AU: Canals, M
AF: Departament d'Estratigrafia , P. i GeociŠncies Marines Universitat de Barcelona , Campus de Pedralbes, Barcelona, 08028
AB: The Gulf of Lion continental margin receives sediment inputs from the River Rhone as well as from some smaller rivers. From the west to the east ends of this margin, the slope is incised by numerous submarine canyons and the shelf-slope suspended sediment transfer through these canyons is not well known. In the framework of the EUROSTRATAFORM Project (EVK3-CT-2002-00079, EU Fifth Framework Programme: Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development), contemporary suspended sediment transport in the head of seven submarine canyon of the Gulf of Lion was studied by deploying moorings with Aanderaa RCM9/11 current meters equipped with turbidimeters 5 m above bottom at 300 m depth from November 2003 to May 2004. In these time period, there were several sediment transport events, but two of them were especially relevant: one in Early December 2003 and another one in late February 2004. The December event was generated by a "wet storm" during which rivers discharges increased up to one order of magnitude and a cyclonic along-shore advection of a cold, brackish and turbid stream developed in the shelf, whereas the February event was generated by a "dry storm" without associated relevant rivers discharges increases and with an advective transport of fine sediment across the shelf due to cascading of cold, dense water. During these events, the maximum suspended sediment transport took place through the Cap de Creus canyon (at the western end of the Gulf of Lion) where sediment fluxes increased up to two orders of magnitude, and also a relevant transport occurred in other western (Lacaze-Duthier) and central canyons (Herault and Petit Rhone) where sediment fluxes increased up to one order of magnitude. However sediment fluxes in the eastern canyons (Planier and Grand Rhone) did not increase during these events. Other minor sediment flux increases in winter were associated to dense water cascading. This study indicates a preferential shelf-slope sediment transfer through the central and western canyons of the Gulf of Lion and especially through the Cap de Creus canyon.
DE: 3022 Marine sediments--processes and transport
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting