Evaluating the role of physical mechanisms as possible triggers for turbidity currents in a deep ocean seamount

ABSTRACT: Turbidity currents on continental margins are often attributed to cyclic climate variability and sea-level change, while the causes of deep ocean turbidites are as yet to be tested. The Atlantic Iberian margin provides a unique setting to contrast deep ocean and continental environments, including depression features that further protect from resuspension and erosion by along-slope bottom currents. We present records of low-frequency, non-periodic, climate-independent turbidites from three deep cores covering up to 426,000 years in the Tore seamounts area. By evaluating a range of physical oceanographic mechanisms, the breaking of internal waves and mesoscale Mediterranean-eddies against unstable slopes in the seamounts area arises as the most likely triggers that precondition the recurrence pattern of the observed deep ocean turbidites.

Keywords

Oceanography Internal Waves Sea level Circulation Deep ocean Topography

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/6049

Citation

Lebreiro, S.M., Peliz, A., Anton, L., Nave, S., Reguera, M.I., Lozano-Luz, R., Waelbroeck, C., Crowhurst, S., Martrat, B., Lopez, J.F., Hebert, R. & Lopez-Rodriguez, A. (2025). Evaluating the role of physical mechanisms as possible triggers for turbidity currents in a deep ocean seamount. In: Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2025, vol. 224, article 104557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2025.104557