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High resolution and multichannel seismic profiles depict the Pliocene to Recent evolution of the mud diapirism in the West Alboran Basin (WAB) and its relationship with the Miocene diapir province that occupies the WAB depocentre. During the early to middle Miocene period of basin extension (16 to 9 Ma), normal faulting triggered the diapirism from mobile overpressured shale containing olistostromes. Plio-Quaternary diapirism evolved as a second main stage of diapiric activity and developed throughout the subsequent contractive tectonic evolution of the basin (9 Ma to Holocene). Mud volcanoes, discovered to the south of the WAB, developed on the flank of Recent diapirs as a consequence of the rise of fluidized sediments through diapiric bodies and/or through fractures connecting with deeper diapirs. During the Pliocene to Recent, some diapirs stopped ascending, leading to the production of collapse structures on their tops due to lateral subsurface mud migration and/or fluid escape. Other cylindrical shaped diapirs continued rising and produced mud volcanoes on the sea floor. All the studied volcanoes seem to be currently inactive. Two major pulses of diapiric rise have been distinguished during the Pliocene to Recent contractive evolution of the basin.

Please cite this article as: Talukder, A.R., Bialas, J., Klaeschen, D., Buerk, D., Brueckmann, W., Reston, T., Breitzke, M., High-resolution, deep tow, multichannel seismic and sidescan sonar survey of the submarine mounds and associated BSR off Nicaragua pacific margin, Marine Geology (2007Geology ( ), doi: 10.1016Geology ( /j.margeo.2007 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T show that the BSR in many cases continues but rises beneath the mounds. This is consistent 79 with the advection of deep warm fluids and thus increased heat flow through the mounds. The 80 occurrence of mud mounds seems to be controlled by the locations of faults. 81