Seabed morphology and bottom water masses related to benthic habitats at the Cristóbal Colón diapir (NW of the Guadalquivir ridge, Gulf of Cádiz)

The seabed morphology and the sub-superficial characteristics of the Cristóbal Colón diapir located on the continental slope of the Gulf of Cadiz have been analysed from data obtained in the framework of the LIFE+INDEMARES/CHICA project. The aim of this study is to recognize the morphological featur...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Palomino, Desirée, Vázquez, Juan Tomás, Rueda, José Luis, Fernández-Salas, L. M., López-González, Nieves, Díaz-del-Río-Español, Víctor
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/320470
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/320470
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga
Medio Marino
carbonate mounds
Contourite drifts
benthic habitats
hydrodynamics
Gulf of Cádiz
Descripción
Sumario:The seabed morphology and the sub-superficial characteristics of the Cristóbal Colón diapir located on the continental slope of the Gulf of Cadiz have been analysed from data obtained in the framework of the LIFE+INDEMARES/CHICA project. The aim of this study is to recognize the morphological features and the geological processes generated by the bottom water masses and their influence on the habitats and associated benthic communities. The NACW affects the generation of morphological features on the summit, revealing that different oceanographic conditions favoured the carbonate mound growth in the past. The interface between the NACW and the MOW sweeps the bottom from the SE to the NW and the presence of benthic communities dominated by filter feeders on the contouritic drift indicates that this current is strong enough to favour the availability of nutrients and organic particles and to develop both the contouritic deposits on the SE flank and the moats on the N and W flanks.