Seafloor Erosion Research Articles

Response of early diagenesis to methane leakage in the inner shelf of the East China Sea

Shelf seas are experiencing a rise in shallow gas leaks, primarily methane, raising concerns due to their environmental impact. However, the effect of the leaks on early diagenesis remains poorly understood. This study analyzes sediment lithology, organic geochemistry and porewater geochemistry of two short cores collected nearby the pockmarks in the muddy inner shelf of the East China Sea. Our findings clearly demonstrate the impact of methane leakage on early diagenesis, evidenced by the shallower position of the SMTZ (sulfate-methane transition zone), higher concentrations of uranium (U), vanadium (V), and manganese (Mn) in the porewater near and above the SMTZ, and downcore decrease in Mg2+, Ca2+, and Sr2+ concentrations versus increase in Mg2+/Ca2+ and Sr2+/Ca2+ ratios. Their profile variations and the difference between two cores are determined by the intensity of methane leakage. The estimated methane diffusive flux of 619 mmol m-2 yr-1 at YEC7–2 is roughly 8.5 times that at YEC7–1 (73 mmol m-2 yr-1), consistent with a shorter distance of YEC7–2 to the pockmark with active methane leakage. A schematic model is summarized to demonstrate the response of early diagenesis processes to the increasing methane leakages in response to changing sedimentation regimes from accretion to severe erosion. This study undoubtedly improves our understanding mutual promotion effect between seafloor erosion and gas leakage, and their impact on early diagenesis processes and resultant porewater geochemical changes and authigenic mineral records.

Satellite-Based Evaluation of Submarine Permafrost Erosion at Shallow Offshore Areas in the Laptev Sea

Large areas of the seafloor in the Laptev Sea consist of submarine permafrost, which has experienced intense degradation over the last decades and centuries. Thermal abrasion of the submarine permafrost results in upward advection of suspended matter, which could reach the surface layer in shallow areas. This process is visually manifested through increased turbidity of the sea surface layer, which is regularly detected in optical satellite imagery of the study areas. In this study, satellite data, wind and wave reanalysis, as well as in situ measurements are analyzed in order to reveal the main mechanisms of seafloor erosion in shallow areas of the Laptev Sea. We describe the synoptic variability in erosion at the Vasilyevskaya and Semenovskaya shoals in response to wind and wave conditions. Finally, using reanalysis data, daily suspended matter flux from this area was evaluated during ice-free periods in 1979–2021, and its seasonal and inter-annual variabilities were described. The obtained results contribute to our understanding of subsea permafrost degradation, the sediment budget, and carbon and nutrient cycles in the Laptev Sea.

Island formation adjacent to a large-scale slope failure in Central Peru: The Nazca Ridge subducted relief hypothesis

Vertical tectonics and mass wasting activity along convergent margins are geodynamic processes commonly associated with the subduction of oceanic plate structures. At the Central Peruvian margin, the connection of the small Hormigas de Afuera Islands (HAI) (12°S) with a large-scale slope failure suggests the surficial expression of the subducted relief of the Nazca Ridge. This hypothesis is supported by the idea that the Tuamotu Ridge relief on the Pacific Plate is the analog of the subducted roughness of the Nazca Ridge based on their mirror-image location relative to the East Pacific Rise. Here, we use bathymetry, multichannel seismic data, subbottom profiling data and published findings to analyze the massive slope collapse near the HAI. At the shelf break, the HAI reflect uplift of the metamorphic basement and mark a N-S transition between post-Pliocene onlapping sediments and seafloor erosion of an uplifted, tectonically deformed sequence. W of the shelf break, the HAI scar is a trench-parallel, two-horseshoe-shaped escarpment in the upper slope (1300 m high and 1690 km2 area) that has lost mass with a total volume of 810 km3. Within this large escarpment, two cliffs show differences in size, seafloor morphology, and basement uplift. An embayment at the base of the HAI scar aligns with a downslope mass of 285 km3 volume in the middle slope. A bathymetric bulge of 800 m height characterizes the toe of this mass deposit. When the HAI are projected onto the Tuamotu Ridge northeastern flank, a seamount-shaped platform-like feature of 12,000 km3 is found. Our study area coincides with the well-known and highly coupled segment of the Central Peru subduction, which suggests an association with the history of large megathrust earthquakes in this area such as the great 1746 MW 8.8 Callao-Lima earthquake. Based on these findings, we postulate that the formation and spatial association of the small HAI with the HAI mass wasting result from the tectonic control imposed by the subducted roughness of the Nazca Ridge.

Systematic vertical organization of matrix-rich and associated matrix-poor sandstones in ancient deep-marine slope and basin-floor deposits

AbstractDeepmarine two-part strata consisting of a sand-rich basal part overlain sharply by a mud-rich upper part have been termed linked debrites, hybrid event beds, transitional flow deposits, and bipartite facies. In continental slope and proximal basin floor strata of the Neoproterozoic Windermere Supergroup (western North America) and distal basin-floor strata of the Ordovician Cloridorme Formation (eastern North America), bipartite facies form the middle of a depositional continuum hundreds of meters long consisting upflow of thick-bedded, matrix-poor sandstone (<20% detrital mud matrix) to thin-bedded, sandy mud-stone (50%–90% mud matrix). This consistent lithofacies change is interpreted to reflect particle settling in a rapidly but systematically evolving, negligibly sheared sand-mud suspension developed along the margins (Windermere) and downflow terminus (Cloridorme) of a high-energy, mud-enriched avulsion jet.In both study areas, beds of similar lithofacies type succeed one another vertically and transform to the next facies in the depositional continuum at about the same along-strike position, forming stratal units two to nine beds thick whose grain-size distribution gradually decreases upward. This spatial and temporal regularity is interpreted to be caused by multiple surges of a single, progressively waning turbidity current, with sufficient lag between successive surges for the deposition of a traction-structured sandstone overlain by mudstone cap. Furthermore, the systematic back-stepping or side-stepping recognized at the stratal unit scale is interpreted to have been driven by a combination of knickpoint migration and local topographic steering of the flows, which continued until the supply of mud from local seafloor erosion became exhausted, the main channel avulsed elsewhere, or a new stratal element developed.

The influence of hybrid sediment gravity flows on distribution and composition of trace‐fossil assemblages: Ordovician succession of the north‐eastern Alborz Range of Iran

ABSTRACTThe distribution of conventional subichnofacies in deep‐water fan systems (i.e. Ophiomorpha rudis–Paleodictyon–Nereites‐subichnofacies) depends on the presence of fully turbulent non‐cohesive flows such as low‐density turbidites and high‐density turbidites. However, changes in flow state between laminar and turbulent conditions can affect the distribution style of conventional subichnofacies. This study deals with the effects of environmental or ecological stressors as a result of hybrid sediment gravity flows (hybrid event beds) on distribution and composition of trace fossils in the deep‐marine depositional system of the Ordovician Ghelli Formation in the north‐eastern Alborz Range. The spatial distribution and sedimentological character of hybrid sediment gravity flows, in particular their abundance in the down‐dip parts of lobe‐related facies associations, are interpreted as products of longitudinal and lateral transformation from turbidity currents to debris flows promoted by incorporation of significant claystone and mudstone clasts into the flow by seafloor erosion and flow bulking. Seven trace‐fossil assemblages were recognized in the channel and lobe‐related facies associations. The observed spatial distribution of trace‐fossil assemblages in the interpreted frontal and lateral lobe fringes, somewhat contrasts with conventional subichnofacies distribution models. The development of cohesive flows and rapid emplacement of turbidite, banded and debrite beds could be accompanied by fluctuations in physico‐chemical conditions and, hence, the time available for colonization and the lifestyle of producers. This study suggests that, compared to the archetypal models of the subichnofacies in down‐dip parts of lobe‐related facies associations, ichnodiversity and density of bioturbation are drastically reduced, and trace fossils are limited to simple, shallow‐tier feeding strategies. Commonly, the presence of cohesive flows may have forced the producers in the Paleodictyon and Nereites‐subichnofacies to migrate into lateral lobe fringe with more participation of low‐density turbidites. This study shows that, in addition to sedimentological and architectural criteria, ichnological criteria can also be used to distinguish between frontal and lateral lobe‐fringe deposits in unconfined systems.

Reconstructing sedimentary processes in a Permian channel–lobe transition zone: an outcrop study in the Karoo Basin, South Africa

AbstractTurbidity currents commonly bypass sediment in submarine channels on the continental slope, and deposit sediment lobes farther down-dip on the flat and unconfined abyssal plain. Seafloor and outcrop data have shown that the transition from bypass to deposition usually occurs over complex zones referred to as channel–lobe transition zones (CLTZs). Recognition of these zones in cores and outcrop remains challenging due to a lack of characteristic sedimentary facies and structures. This paper focuses on Unit E of the Permian Fort Brown Formation in the Karoo Basin, South Africa, in the Slagtersfontein outcrop complex, which has previously been interpreted as a CLTZ. This study integrates thin-section micrographs, sedimentary facies, bed-set and stratigraphic architecture, and palaeoflow directions to achieve a multiscale analysis of CLTZ features. A novel process-based facies scheme is developed to evaluate deposits in terms of the depositional or erosional tendencies of the flows that formed them. This scheme allows bypass to be distinguished from depositional zones by the spatial distribution of certain sediment facies. Areas of net sediment bypass were predominantly marked by erosive sediment facies and a larger variability in palaeoflow direction while depositional areas showed a lower variability in palaeoflow directions. Metre-scale structures in the bypass-dominated area reveal seafloor erosion and scour formation. Field relations suggest the presence of a ∼500 m long mega-scour in the CLTZ. The characteristic structures documented here are applicable for identifying CLTZs in sparse datasets such as outcrops with limited palaeogeographical context and sediment cores obtained from subsurface systems.

Stratal characteristic and depositional origin of two-part (Mud-poor overlain by mud-rich) and associated deep-water strata: Components in a lateral depositional continuum related to particle settling in negligibly sheared mud-rich suspensions

AbstractDeep-marine strata consisting of a sandy basal part overlain sharply by a muddier and mud-clast-rich upper part are increasingly being recognized in the deep-marine sedimentary record, and have been termed linked debrites, cogenetic debrite–turbidite beds, hybrid event beds, transitional-flow deposits, and bipartite beds. These composite strata are generally reported to develop downflow of clean (less muddy) sand, but the variable distance (hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers) over which this lithological change is reported to take place has resulted in a variety of physical depositional models. As such, the details about the origin and spatial evolution of these admixed sand–mud strata still remain poorly understood. Part of this uncertainty is that many earlier studies, with a few exceptions, have been based on macroscopic observations in drill core or discontinuous outcrops, and therefore interpreted bed continuity is based on similarity of textural or other sedimentological attributes. However, in slope to proximal basin-floor deposits of the Neoproterozoic Windermere Supergroup, and distal basin-floor deposits of the Ordovician Cloridorme Formation, exceptional outcrop exposure permitted individual two-part (bipartite) facies and their associated strata to be continuously traced and lithological changes to be documented along the strike of the outcrop.In both the Windermere and the Cloridorme, the bipartite facies consists of a lower sandy (25–60% matrix) part overlain sharply by a muddier (40–80% matrix), commonly mud-clast-rich upper part, and occurs downflow of muddy sandstone and upflow of sandy mudstone in a hundreds-of-meters long proximal to distal depositional continuum. These strata are then overlain everywhere by a thin- to very thin-bedded, traction-structured sandstone and/or silty mudstone cap. Notably, the interface separating the lower sand-rich part from the upper mud-rich part in the bipartite part of the depositional transect is always planar in the Windermere, but often alternates between planar and irregular in the Cloridorme. The continuum is interpreted to represent deposition downflow of an avulsion node that resulted in erosion of the local mud-rich seafloor and charged the flow with fine-grained sediment, resulting in increased effective fluid viscosity and significant changes in the characteristics, intensity, and transfer of fluid turbulence needed to maintain the particle suspension. Collapse of the suspension and development of overcapacity conditions resulted in rapid particle settling in the now rapidly depleting and negligibly sheared mud-enriched suspension that formed along the margins of the avulsion-wall jet in proximal-basin-floor and slope deposits (Windermere), or at the downflow terminus of the flow in more distal basin-floor deposits (Cloridorme). Additionally, when normalized to the total length of the continuum, the transition from muddy sandstone to bipartite facies and bipartite facies to sandy mudstone are equally proportioned in all examples, suggesting that, once formed, the depleting suspension evolved in a spatially systematic and dimensionally proportionate manner—a consistent depositional evolution difficult to reconcile with two mechanistically different parts to the flow. Moreover, differences in the morphology of the bipartite interface (i.e., planar vs. irregular) is not a primary depositional feature, but instead is interpreted to be a consequence of local postdepositional deformation of a previously continuous planar surface.

Discovery of enigmatic toroidal carbonate concretions on the Rio Grande Rise (Southwestern Atlantic Ocean)

We present enigmatic toroidal carbonate concretions retrieved from 700 m water depth from two sites in the upper plateau of the Rio Grande Rise. The concretions have a diameter of ~15 cm and a central hole of ~5 cm, and were observed on top of loose bioclastic sand over an area of ~30 m2 at 0.5–1.5 m from one another. They consist of brown, porous, bioclastic grainstone, lacking internal structures. Grains consist of sand (< 3% coarse, 30% medium, 35% fine, 25% very fine), composed mainly by planktonic foraminiferal tests, and < 10% lime mud. The observed foraminiferal species indicate initial deposition of the sand in an open ocean setting. Biostratigraphy suggests an age no older than Pleistocene. Petrographic thin sections and SEM reveal that the fossiliferous grainstone contains intraclastic micritic cement and isopachous rim cement made of bladed magnesian calcite. δ18O values range from +1.5 to +3.3‰ (V-PDB) and increase with the degree of cementation, while δ13C ranges from +0.5 to +2.3‰ irrespective of cementation. The cementation of the grainstones is likely to have taken place in the marine phreatic environment. Carbonate precipitation induced by methane oxidation or (subaerial) meteoric diagenesis are ruled out based on both cement fabric and isotopic composition. Plausible causes for the toroidal shape of these structures could be: 1) sediment excavation by organisms, or 2) cementation within biofilms around burrows, followed by selective seafloor erosion. However, unveiling the actual formation mechanisms warrants further investigation.

Sr–Nd isotopes indicating the provenance of siliciclastic sediments and paleoenvironmental changes in the middle Okinawa Trough during the last deglaciation

Sediment provenance and transport, together with the forcing mechanism behind provenance changes in the middle Okinawa Trough over the past 16 kyr, were reconstructed using records of elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions within the chronological framework of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating. Results clearly revealed four notable phases of change in the sediment provenance those are closely related to sea-level fluctuations, the development of the Kuroshio Current (KC), magnitude of tidal bottom stress, and climatic variability of the East Asian monsoon. The sediments of Unit 1 (16–13.8 kyr BP) originated primarily from Changjiang, with a small degree originating from paleo-Huanghe as a result of low-stand sea-level deposition. The sediments of Unit 2 (13.8–11.6 kyr BP) originated from Taiwan the strengthening of because of the KC and the gradual landward retreat of the river mouth; the contribution of Changjiang sediments was reduced. The dominant provenance of Unit 3 (11.6–8.3 kyr BP) changed to seafloor erosion or resuspension and Taiwan sediments with an admixture of Changjiang-derived sediments. After that period, currents, especially the intense KC-dominated deposition, led to dominant sediment supplies from Taiwan during the enhanced KC interval of 8.3–5.4 kyr BP. A prominent decrease in Taiwan-derived particle supply at 5.4–2.8 kyr BP resulted from the suppression of the KC related to the Pulleniatina minimum event. This study suggests that Sr–Nd isotope compositions are useful proxies for understanding the linkage between river sediment source-to-sink processes and paleoenvironmental changes in East Asian marginal regions.

Role of dense shelf water in the development of Antarctic submarine canyon morphology

Increased ocean heat supply to the Antarctic continental shelves is projected to cause accelerated ice sheet loss and contribute significantly to global sea-level rise over coming decades. Changes in temperature or salinity of dense shelf waters around Antarctica, resulting from increased glacial meltwater input, have the potential to significantly impact the location and structure of the global Meridional Overturning Circulation, with seabed irregularities such as submarine canyons, driving these flows toward the abyss. Submarine canyons also influence the location of intruding warm water currents by acting as preferential routes for rising Circumpolar Deep Water. These global changes have implications for large-scale effects to atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The ability for numerical modellers to predict these future behaviours is dependent upon our ability to understand both modern and past oceanic, sedimentological and glaciological processes. This knowledge allows ocean models to better predict the flux and pathways of Circumpolar Deep Water delivery to the shelf, and consequently to ice shelf cavities where melt is concentrated. Here we seek to understand how dense shelf water and other continental slope processes influence submarine canyon morphology by analysing newly collected geophysical and oceanographic data from a region of significant and prolonged dense shelf water export, the Hillary Canyon in the Ross Sea. We find that cascading flows of dense shelf water do not contribute to significant gully incision at the shelf edge during interglacial periods, however, are strong enough to prevent gully infilling and contribute to canyon-levee aggradation down-slope. We find buried paleo-gullies beneath gullies incising the modern seafloor. Paleo-gullies occur as single gullies and in complexes indicating that gully activity was continuous over multiple glacial cycles and formed an important role in the development of the shelf edge and upper slope. Glacial cycles likely drive large-scale shifts in canyon head processes with periods of intense seafloor erosion and significant gully incision likely occurring when ice grounded near to the shelf edge, during glacial and deglacial periods, when sediment-laden subglacial meltwater was released at the shelf edge. We put slope morphology observed at the Hillary Canyon head into global perspective to show that cascading flows of dense shelf water do not exert consistent patterns of erosion on high-latitude continental margins.

Downward shift of gas hydrate stability zone due to seafloor erosion in the eastern Dongsha Island, South China Sea

New acquired and reprocessed three-dimensional (3D) seismic data were used to delineate the distribution and characterization of bottom simulating reflections (BSRs) in the Chaoshan Sag, in the eastern part of Dongsha Island, South China Sea. Three submarine canyons with different scales were interpreted from the 3D seismic data, displaying three stages of canyon development and are related with the variation of BSR. Abundant faults were identified from the coherence and ant-tracing attributions extracted from 3D seismic data, which provide the evidence for fluid migration from deeper sediments to the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). The uplift of Dongsha Island created a large number of faults and leads to the increased seafloor erosion. The erosion caused the cooling of the seafloor sediments and deepening of the base of the gas hydrate stability zone, which is attributed to the presence of paleo-BSR and BSR downward shift in the study area. Hence, methane gas may be released during the BSR resetting and gas hydrate dissociation related with seafloor erosion.

Three types of modern submarine canyons on the tectonically active continental margin offshore southwestern Taiwan

Six submarine canyons are distributed along the active margin off SW Taiwan. Using multi-beam bathymetric data and reflection seismic profiles to determine canyon head locations with respect to shelf edge, five of these canyons were classified into the following three types: 1. river-connected; 2. shelf-indenting; and 3. slope-confined. The remaining canyon was re-interpreted as a sea valley. Type 1 canyon, the Kaoping Canyon, is directly connected to the Kaoping River and supplied with terrestrial sediment. The canyon head segment tends to generate hyperpycnal flows during flooding, causing intense erosion of seafloor across the shelf and slope and forming a major sediment conduit. The Penghu, Kaohsiung and Fangliao canyons are of type 2 and incise into the shelf, forming a V-shaped head segment with abundant slumping features. Without continuous sediment supply from rivers, the canyon head receives sediments mainly from local slope failures on canyon walls and is unable to generate intense erosive sediment flows, resulting in an indentation into the shelf over a short distance. Oceanographic/hydrodynamic measurements close to the canyons are still not available for the region, despite they could shed light on the on-going sediment dynamics in the area. The Shoushan Canyon is a type 3 canyon characterized by limited sediment input from the Kaoping Shelf and weak canyon erosion, especially during sea-level highstands, resulting in a relatively straight canyon course confined to the upper slope. These submarine canyons share common regional tectonics, sea-level changes and climatic conditions. However, they evolved via local processes mainly controlled by sediment input directly related to head location, resulting in distinct morphologies and sizes. These canyons have remained active during the present-day sea-level highstand. Frequent earthquake and flooding events are the major triggering factors for sediment failures and generation of subsequent turbidity currents, resulting in substantial incision into the canyon. The results of the present study indicate that the SW Taiwan margin is characterized by canyons of type 1 and type 2 (n = 4) with only one type 3 canyon. This represents large percentages of type 1 and type 2 canyons compared to other regions of the world. Narrow shelf and abundant sediment supply are the two main controls for the presence of river-connecting and shelf-incising canyons on the active Taiwan margin.

Ichnology of the Middle Jurassic hiatus concretions from Poland: implications for their formation, exhumation, and palaeoenvironment

In the present study, the Middle Jurassic exhumed carbonate concretions (the so-called hiatus concretions) from the Polish Jura (southern Poland) were studied ichnologically (precursor burrows and their tiering and bioerosion patterns) in order to decipher the palaeoenvironmental conditions leading to their formation and exhumation. The ichnological approach to the concretionary bodies used in this study yielded information on the scale of seafloor erosion and its relative timing compared to the burrow-infilling phase. The bioerosion patterns also provided information on proximal-distal trends and the frequency and strength of currents in the environment below storm wave base, a setting recorded in the monotonous, concretion-bearing siliciclastic sections which is studied here. The significance of the stratigraphic sequence is also briefly discussed based on the horizons containing the hiatus concretions.

Mass wasting on Alpha Ridge in the Arctic Ocean: new insights from multibeam bathymetry and sub-bottom profiler data

Abstract Marine geological and geophysical data from Alpha Ridge in the Arctic Ocean are sparse because of thick perennial sea-ice cover, which prevents access by most surface vessels. Rare seismic data in this area, acquired largely from drifting ice-camps, had shown the hemipelagic drape that covers most of the ridge is highly disrupted within a large (&gt;90 000 km 2 ) south central region. Here, evidence of pronounced seafloor erosion and debris flows infilling seafloor lows was previously interpreted to be the result of a possible bolide impact. In recent years, several icebreaker expeditions have successfully acquired multibeam bathymetry and sub-bottom profiler data in the western segment of this region. Analysis of these data reveals a complex seafloor morphology characterized by ridges and troughs, angular blocks and escarpments as well as seismic facies characterized by hyperbolic seafloor reflections, and convoluted to incoherent and transparent sub-bottom reflectivity. These features are interpreted as evidence of sediment mass movement with varying degrees of lateral transport deformation. At least two episodes of failure are interpreted based on the presence of both buried and surficial mass-transport features. As multiple events are interpreted, seismicity is the most plausible trigger mechanism rather than bolide impact.

Turbidite, debrite, and hybrid event beds in submarine lobe deposits of the Palaeocene to middle Eocene Kapit and Pelagus members, Belaga Formation, Sarawak, Malaysia

Turbiditic flysch units of the Rajang Group form a large crescentic belt of deformed strata in central Borneo. Unfortunately, our understanding of its bed type characteristics and depositional setting is very poor. Here, we present a detailed bed type analysis of the Palaeocene to middle Eocene Kapit and Pelagus members of the Belaga Formation, based on detailed investigations of recent road‐cut exposures around Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Five bed types are identified from the studied sections, representing deposition from turbidity currents, debris flows, and flows that show turbulent and laminar characteristics. The Belaga Formation deposits are divided into four bed type associations based on bed type assemblages, bed geometry, degree of bed amalgamation, vertical grain size, and bed thickness trends, for example, lobe axis, lobe off‐axis, lobe fringe, and slump. Hybrid event beds (HEBs) are not restricted only to the lobe fringe but are also a common element of the lobe axis sub‐environment in the Belaga Formation system. Their common occurrence in a proximal location in the lobes is probably due to enhanced seafloor erosion and rapid deceleration due to loss of confinement at the channel lobe transition further up‐dip. Evidence such as bidirectional ripple cross‐lamination in thin‐bedded turbidites and variable palaeocurrent orientations suggest a complex depositional topography, which also suppressed flow turbulence and promoted deposition of hybrid event beds in proximal locations through deflection and deceleration of incoming flows by confining counter slopes. Similar bed type assemblages within the slump and lobe deposits indicate a local origin for the slumps. Localized failures can form on low gradient slopes developed in tectonically active basins with complex topography.

Seismic stratigraphy and structural characteristics of the northeastern continental margin of Korea in the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

The northeastern continental margin of Korea in the East Sea (Japan Sea) is a narrow sedimentary apron 20–30 km wide, 50–1300 m below sea level, with an average gradient of less than 2°. The present study focuses on seismic stratigraphy of the sedimentary section and the underlying basement structure of the margin based primarily on multi-channel seismic reflection profiles. Major accumulation of sediment is centred in a graben depocenter in the northern part of study area, where more than 2 km of sediments have been deposited. This graben widens towards north and is flanked by two major basement bounding faults. The sedimentary succession of the margin can be divided into six seismic stratigraphic units based on reflection character, onlapping, and erosional truncation. The lowermost seismic unit (SU1) is characterized by parallel-to subparallel-reflections with varying amplitudes and is interpreted to be representing shallow-to non-marine sediments that were deposited during the active extensional phase of margin development. The presence of erosional channels in the uppermost section of SU1 further suggests a lowstand period after the deposition of SU1. Unconformably overlying the SU1 is a few hundred metres of SU2 that is characterized by continuous, high-amplitude reflections. Continuous seismic reflections within SU2 are indicative of sea level rise immediately following the lowstand period. The overlying seismic unit sets include SU3, SU4, and SU5 with well-stratified seismic reflections. The consistent reflection pattern and high continuity of the reflections within these units are indicative of relatively stable depositional environments within the margin. Hemipelagic sediments and turbidites are probably the main components of these units. The youngest seismic unit SU6 comprises well-stratified seismic reflections in the upper slope and chaotic-to transparent-seismic reflections in the lower slope. The sedimentary units characterized by well-stratified seismic reflections are typical for hemipelagic slope sediments while chaotic seismic reflections are diagnostic features for mass-transport sediments (MTDs; i.e., slides/slumps, debris-flow deposits). The preferential occurrence of MTDs adjacent to the major faults suggests that they may be due to earthquakes associated with tectonic activity. Seismic reflection data from the margin reveal the coexistence of four structural styles including the basement-involved normal faults, reverse faults, reactivated normal faults, and anticline folds. The basement-bounding normal faults are associated with the initial extension of the continental margin while the others are postulated as resulting from contractional tectonism of the eastward movement of the Amur Plate that began in the early Pliocene. The prominent seafloor erosion over the folded/inverted blocks further suggests that inversion continues today.

Origin of buried, bottom current-related comet marks and associated submarine bedforms from a Paleogene continental margin, southeastern Brazil

Bottom current-related bedforms, such as depositional and erosive features, are useful indicators of oceanographic circulation and sedimentary balance conditions in both modern and ancient marine environments. The Eocene-Oligocene transition in northern Santos Basin is seismically expressed as a prominent, high-amplitude reflector (horizon H8.1) that truncates Eocene prograding clinoforms and records a major transgression in the basin associated to global and local environmental changes. This surface is punctuated by circular depressions, elongated depressions, mounds and conic features, which, based on seismic interpretation, are associated with the escape of gas on the paleoseafloor. Elongated negative features with a head and an erosive tail (comet marks) are associated with the erosive action of bottom currents that, when encounters an obstacle or bottom irregularity such as pockmarks, create a downflow, linear furrow (tail). The occurrence of carbonate mounds and mud volcanoes may affect the erosive power of the flow by deflecting and/or focusing undercurrents. In the study area, parallel to subparallel comet marks occur abundantly on the former outer shelf and upper slope, being up to 1.2km long, 200m wide, and 30m deep. These dimensions allow the classification of such bedforms as giant comet marks, which form as a result of erosion of the irregular sea floor by currents as fast as 0.6ms−1. The strong alignment of the comet tails indicates paleocurrents to the NE on the Oligocene outer shelf and upper slope. Conditions for comet mark formation include the development of pockmarks due to gas seeps, reworking of pockmarks by vigorous and long-lived bottom currents and low sediment supply during the Eocene-Oligocene transition, a period marked by the opening of the Drake Pass and the establishment of undercurrents through the connection of the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Bottom-current related bedforms on H8.1 in Santos Basin may thus be related to such paleoenvironmental changes. Although no pre-Quaternary comet marks have been reported before, their identification and mapping through 3D seismic data is a unique opportunity to assess paleoenvironmental conditions and paleo-circulation on continental margins.

Risks of reef erosion.

Oceans Coral reefs serve as natural barriers that protect coastal regions from storms and erosion, but climate change, ocean acidification, and other stressors from human activities are increasingly causing coral reefs to degrade. Yates et al. report evidence of seafloor erosion in five coral reef ecosystems in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean. Comparison with historical data shows that over the past few decades, seafloor elevation has decreased by 0.09 to 0.8 m at the study sites—far more than expected on the basis of model predictions. Together with sea level rise from climate change, the seafloor erosion at these sites results in deeper water and puts coastal populations at increased risk. Biogeosciences 14 , 1739 (2017).

The role of gravitational collapse in controlling the evolution of crestal fault systems (Espírito Santo Basin, SE Brazil) – Reply

A high-quality 3D seismic volume from offshore Espirito Santo Basin (SE Brazil) is used to assess the importance of gravitational collapse to the formation of crestal faults above salt structures. A crestal fault system is imaged in detail using seismic attributes such as curvature and variance, which are later complemented by analyses of throw vs. distance (T-D) and throw vs. depth (T-Z). In the study area, crestal faults comprise closely spaced arrays and are bounded by large listric faults, herein called border faults. Two episodes of growth are identified in two opposite-dipping fault families separated by a transverse accommodation zone. Statistical analyses for eighty-four (84) faults show that fault spacing is < 250 m, with border faults showing the larger throw values. Fault throw varies between 8 ms and 80 ms two-way time for crestal faults, and 60–80 ms two-way time for border faults. Fault length varies between ∼410 m and 1750 m, with border faults ranging from 1250 m to 1750 m. This work shows that border faults accommodated most of the strain associated with salt growth and collapse. The growth history of crestal faults favours an isolated fault propagation model with fault segment linkage being associated with the lateral propagation of discrete fault segments. Importantly, two episodes of fault growth are identified as synchronous to two phases of seafloor erosion, rendering local unconformities as competent markers of fault reactivation at a local scale. This paper has crucial implications for the understanding of fault growth as a means to assess drilling risk and oil and gas migration on continental margins. As a corollary, this work demonstrates that: 1) a certain degree of spatial organisation occurs in crestal fault systems; 2) transverse accommodation zones can form regions in which fault propagation is enhanced and regional dips of faults change in 4D.

Bottom-trawling along submarine canyons impacts deep sedimentary regimes

Many studies highlight that fish trawling activities cause seafloor erosion, but the assessment of the remobilization of surface sediments and its relocation is still not well documented. These impacts were examined along the flanks and axes of three headless submarine canyons incised on the Barcelona continental margin, where trawling fleets have been operating for decades. Trawled grounds along canyon flanks presented eroded and highly reworked surface sediments resulting from the passage of heavy trawling gear. Sedimentation rates on the upper canyon axes tripled and quadrupled its natural (i.e. pre-industrialization) values after a substantial increase in total horsepower of the operating trawling fleets between 1960 s and 1970 s. These impacts affected the upper canyon reaches next to fishing grounds, where sediment resuspended by trawling can be transported towards the canyon axes. This study highlights that bottom trawling has the capacity to alter natural sedimentary environments by promoting sediment-starved canyon flanks, and by enhancing sedimentation rates along the contiguous axes, independently of canyons’ morphology. Considering the global mechanisation and offshore expansion of bottom trawling fisheries since the mid-20th century, these sedimentary alterations may occur in many trawled canyons worldwide, with further ecological impacts on the trophic status of these non-resilient benthic communities.