Morphology and Acoustic Character of the Middle and Lower North Sea Fan

Abstract

The North Sea Fan is a major depocentre, located on the European continental margin at the mouth of the 500 m deep Norwegian Channel (Fig. 1a). Sediments consist of a sequence of hemipelagic debris, slides, glacimarine units, and glacigenic debris flows (GDFs) (King et al. 1996; 1998). However, the full extent and character of the middle and lower North Sea Fan have remained poorly resolved until now. GLORIA 6.5 kHz long-range sidescan sonar and 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler data are presented here, defining the extent and nature of the fan below 1,500 m water depth. Open image in new window Fig. 1a Location and extent of the North Sea Fan, as mapped from geophysical records. The fan is delimited on either side by large-scale failure (the Storegga and North Faeroes margin complexes) and does not display a lobate form as a result (a, b).