Morphology and downslope sediment displacement in a deep-sea valley, the Valencia valley (northwestern Mediterranean)
O'Connell, S.; Alonso, B.; Kastens, K.A.; Maldonado, A.; Malinverno, A.; Nelson, C.H.; Palanques, A.; Ryan, W.B.F. (1985). Morphology and downslope sediment displacement in a deep-sea valley, the Valencia valley (northwestern Mediterranean). Geo-Mar. Lett. 5(3): 149-156
In: Geo-Marine Letters. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 0276-0460; e-ISSN 1432-1157, more
| |
Keywords |
Earth sciences > Geology > Geomorphology Measurement > Depth measurement > Echosounding Morphology Morphology Morphology Records > Analog records > Seismic profiles > Seismic reflection profiles Sedimentation Topographic features > Landforms > Valleys > Submarine features > Submarine valleys Topography MED, Western Mediterranean, Valencia Valley Marine/Coastal |
Authors | | Top |
- O'Connell, S.
- Alonso, B.
- Kastens, K.A.
- Maldonado, A.
|
- Malinverno, A.
- Nelson, C.H.
- Palanques, A.
- Ryan, W.B.F.
|
|
Abstract |
This paper reports on a segment of the Valencia Valley approximately midway along its length. The winding nature, extent of valley entrenchment into the sediment blanket of the Valencia Trough, and the sedimentary mechanisms of its development were explored by swathmapping. The authors focus specifically on: the morphology of the valley; the confluence of the Valencia Valley with the Foix Canyon (also called Sitges or Tarragona Canyon; and features that indicate the evolution of the channel walls. The Valencia Valley is a quaternary, 200 km long deep-sea valley in the Valencia Trough, Western Mediterranean Sea. A swathmapping survey approximately mid-way along the valley length, where the floor has an average gradient of 1:250 (0.2 degree ), shows valley walls that rise 200 to 350 m above the valley floor, with slopes of 2 to 18 degree . Sediment forming the walls is undergoing retrogressive, upslope-directed slumping with increasing bedding disruption along steeper walls. The valley exhibits a winding course with steep outer and gentler inner walls around bends, and bedforms on the valley floor. Lateral migration around bends is less than 5 km and the valley is deeply entrenched into Quaternary-bedded sediments. |
|