Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8907954 | Geomorphology | 2018 | 50 Pages |
Abstract
The north-eastern part of the study area is dominated by seamounts with heights ranging from 97 to 152â¯m and auxiliary small cones, reaching heights of 2-10â¯m, on the whole forming a hummocky surface. In this region, fluid seepages are an important expression of the volcanic processes affecting the study area. The western region comprises a flat seafloor covered by Upper Pleistocene-Holocene outer shelf sedimentary deposits; here aligned mounds and pockmarks are predominantly oriented NW-SE or NNW-SSE, running parallel to the main structural trend of the Sicily Channel. The pockmarks have sub-circular planform shapes and U-shaped cross-section and different depths and mean axis lengths. Numerous Mass Transport Deposits (MTDs) are distributed across the study area. Graham Bank is 45â¯km from the coast of Sicily and is intersected by submarine cables. Consequently, the mapped volcanic seamounts, pockmarks and MTDs could pose a significant economic risk to the submarine cables.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
D. Spatola, A. Micallef, A. Sulli, L. Basilone, R. Ferreri, G. Basilone, A. Bonanno, M. Pulizzi, S. Mangano,