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Mass Wasting Along Atlantic Continental Margins: A Comparison Between NW-Africa and the de la Plata River Region (Northern Argentina and Uruguay)

Mass Wasting Along Atlantic Continental Margins: A Comparison Between NW-Africa and the de la Plata River Region (Northern Argentina and Uruguay)
Mass Wasting Along Atlantic Continental Margins: A Comparison Between NW-Africa and the de la Plata River Region (Northern Argentina and Uruguay)
The passive continental margins of the Atlantic Ocean are characterized by thick sedimentary successions, which might become unstable resulting in landslides of various sizes. The type of mass-wasting differs between individual margin sections but the reasons for these differences are not well understood. The NW-African continental margin is characterized by several large-scale but infrequent landslides, while the continental margin in the de la Plata River region (northern Argentina and Uruguay) shows widespread small-scale mass transport deposits. These different styles of mass wasting can be explained by different oceanographic and sedimentary settings. The margin off Northwest Africa is characterized by high primary productivity caused by oceanic upwelling as well as locally focused aeolian input resulting in relatively high sedimentation rates. This setting leads to sediment instabilities arising primarily from underconsolidation of deposited sediments and widespread weak layers. In contrast, the modern ocean margin off Uruguay and northern Argentina is characterized by strong contour currents and a high amount of fluvial sediment resulting in widespread contouritic deposits. These contourites are potentially unstable leading to smaller but more frequent landslides.
978-3-319-00971-1
37
459-469
Springer
Krastel, S.
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Lehr, J.
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Winkelmann, D.
32550104-cb58-4b5b-be1f-a0e8f47a96fc
Shwenck, T.
d11344b2-ff01-4ea1-9b86-bff195bcd3dc
Preu, B.
f5198f3a-b5ee-43af-b359-d795b89ce294
Strasser, M.
033e84f4-fa33-4400-b890-fee38030f764
Wynn, R.B.
72ccd765-9240-45f8-9951-4552b497475a
Georgiopoulou, A.
cd508a3f-54d1-4334-ba9b-936e8fd42336
Hanebuth, T.J.J.
3b68adf4-1a68-4439-8c4a-6f18cbaa34f1
Krastel, S.
Behrmann, J-H.
Volker, D.
Stipp, M.
Berndt, C.
Urgeles, R.
Chaytor, J.
Huhn, K.
Strasser, M.
Harbitz, C.B.
Krastel, S.
3f5620f7-1f0d-4429-9a50-5f72663edd4d
Lehr, J.
7e6b0e5a-7755-4a61-8423-64063ac7441c
Winkelmann, D.
32550104-cb58-4b5b-be1f-a0e8f47a96fc
Shwenck, T.
d11344b2-ff01-4ea1-9b86-bff195bcd3dc
Preu, B.
f5198f3a-b5ee-43af-b359-d795b89ce294
Strasser, M.
033e84f4-fa33-4400-b890-fee38030f764
Wynn, R.B.
72ccd765-9240-45f8-9951-4552b497475a
Georgiopoulou, A.
cd508a3f-54d1-4334-ba9b-936e8fd42336
Hanebuth, T.J.J.
3b68adf4-1a68-4439-8c4a-6f18cbaa34f1
Krastel, S.
Behrmann, J-H.
Volker, D.
Stipp, M.
Berndt, C.
Urgeles, R.
Chaytor, J.
Huhn, K.
Strasser, M.
Harbitz, C.B.

Krastel, S., Lehr, J., Winkelmann, D., Shwenck, T., Preu, B., Strasser, M., Wynn, R.B., Georgiopoulou, A. and Hanebuth, T.J.J. (2014) Mass Wasting Along Atlantic Continental Margins: A Comparison Between NW-Africa and the de la Plata River Region (Northern Argentina and Uruguay). In, Krastel, S., Behrmann, J-H., Volker, D., Stipp, M., Berndt, C., Urgeles, R., Chaytor, J., Huhn, K., Strasser, M. and Harbitz, C.B. (eds.) Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences: 6th International Symposium. (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, 37) Cham,Switzerland. Springer, pp. 459-469. (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_41).

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

The passive continental margins of the Atlantic Ocean are characterized by thick sedimentary successions, which might become unstable resulting in landslides of various sizes. The type of mass-wasting differs between individual margin sections but the reasons for these differences are not well understood. The NW-African continental margin is characterized by several large-scale but infrequent landslides, while the continental margin in the de la Plata River region (northern Argentina and Uruguay) shows widespread small-scale mass transport deposits. These different styles of mass wasting can be explained by different oceanographic and sedimentary settings. The margin off Northwest Africa is characterized by high primary productivity caused by oceanic upwelling as well as locally focused aeolian input resulting in relatively high sedimentation rates. This setting leads to sediment instabilities arising primarily from underconsolidation of deposited sediments and widespread weak layers. In contrast, the modern ocean margin off Uruguay and northern Argentina is characterized by strong contour currents and a high amount of fluvial sediment resulting in widespread contouritic deposits. These contourites are potentially unstable leading to smaller but more frequent landslides.

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Published date: 2014
Organisations: Marine Geoscience

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Local EPrints ID: 362857
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362857
ISBN: 978-3-319-00971-1
PURE UUID: 5c41c34b-ac2e-4e17-b3c4-7531a2f33b1a

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Date deposited: 07 Mar 2014 09:49
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:14

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Contributors

Author: S. Krastel
Author: J. Lehr
Author: D. Winkelmann
Author: T. Shwenck
Author: B. Preu
Author: M. Strasser
Author: R.B. Wynn
Author: A. Georgiopoulou
Author: T.J.J. Hanebuth
Editor: S. Krastel
Editor: J-H. Behrmann
Editor: D. Volker
Editor: M. Stipp
Editor: C. Berndt
Editor: R. Urgeles
Editor: J. Chaytor
Editor: K. Huhn
Editor: M. Strasser
Editor: C.B. Harbitz

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