Reconstruction of the formation history of the Darwin Mounds, N Rockall Trough: How the dynamics of a sandy contourite affected cold-water coral growth

Victorero, Lissette; Blamart, Dominique; Pons‐Branchu, Edwige; Mavrogordato, Mark; Huvenne, Veerle A.I.

doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2015.12.001

Cited by 26 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Coral mound development can last from a few thousand up to millions of years (Kano et al, 2007;Frank et al, 2011;Victorero et al, 2016). Over this time, paleo-climatic fluctuations such as glacialinterglacial cycles occurred, involving drastic changes in relative sea-level (RSL), seawater temperature and many other environmental variables, including surface productivity and water oxygenation (Dorschel et al, 2005;Roberts et al, 2006;Thierens et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacio-eustatic variations and sapropel events as main controls on the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene evolution of the Cabliers Coral Mound Province (W Mediterranean)

Corbera

Iacono

Standish

et al. 2021

Quaternary Science Reviews

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacio-eustatic variations and sapropel events as main controls on the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene evolution of the Cabliers Coral Mound Province (W Mediterranean)

Corbera

Iacono

Standish

et al. 2021

Quaternary Science Reviews

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“…The three dimensional framework developed by the coral skeleton creates frictional drag, slowing the current causing the deposition of suspended particles (Wheeler et al, 2005). Continued deposition of sediments coupled with growth of CWC generates positive topographic features on the seabed called CWC mounds (De Mol et al, 2007;Victorero et al, 2016;Wheeler et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights on coral mound development from groundtruthed high-resolution ROV-mounted multibeam imaging

Huvenne

Vertino

et al. 2018

Marine Geology

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Currents play a vital role in sustaining and developing deep water benthic habitats by mobilising food and nutrients to otherwise relatively barren parts of the seabed. Where sediment supply is significant, it can have a major influence on the development and morphology of these habitats. This study examines a segment of the Belgica Mound Province, NE Atlantic to better constrain the processes affecting a small-sized cold water coral (CWC) mound habitat and conversely, the hydrodynamic influence of CWC mounds on their own morphological development and surroundings. Here, we utilise ROV-mounted multibeam, ROV-video data, and sediment samples to investigate current processes, mound morphology, density and development. Detailed mapping shows that the area may have the highest density of coral mounds recorded so far, with three distinct mound types defined based on size, morphology and the presence and degree of distinct scour features. A residual current of 36-40 cm s −1 is estimated while large scour features suggest low-frequency, high-magnitude events. These 3 mound types are i) smaller mounds with no scour; ii) mounds with scour in one to two distinct directions and; iii) larger mounds with mound encircling scour. The differing mound types likely had a staggered initiation where younger mounds preferentially developed near clusters of pre-existing mounds. Given the high density of these small CWC mounds, we support the hypothesis that over time, this clustering may eventually lead to these mounds coalescing into larger coral mound features.

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“…U-series dating of fossil CWC fragments retrieved from carbonate mounds have been used to investigate the late-Quaternary spatial and temporal distribution of CWC in the North Atlantic (Dorschel et al, 2005;Douarin et al, 2013;Frank et al, 2009Frank et al, , 2011Lopez Correa et al, 2012;Lutringer, 2003;Victorero et al, 2016). At high latitudes, between 508N and 708N, interglacial climates were favorable for continuous CWC growth and carbonate mound development, while no CWC from glacial periods have been discovered and dated in this region until present (Douarin et al, 2013;Frank et al, 2009Frank et al, , 2011Schr€ oder-Ritzau et al, 2005;Van der Land et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imprint of Holocene Climate Variability on Cold‐Water Coral Reef Growth at the SW Rockall Trough Margin, NE Atlantic

Bonneau

Colin

Pons‐Branchu

et al. 2018

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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U‐Th ages and temperatures derived from Li/Mg have been measured on coral fragments of Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata collected from two sediment cores, which were taken from cold‐water coral (CWC) mounds at 700–790m water depth at the SW Rockall Trough margin. Our data, combined with previous published data, have allowed us to first estimate the occurrence of CWC at the SW Rockall Trough margin during the Holocene and, second, to better constrain the environmental conditions driving variability in CWC growth. CWC abundance is marked by a pronounced increase in the mid‐Holocene (∼6 ka) and is modulated by millennial‐scale variability throughout the late‐Holocene. The mid‐Holocene proliferation of CWC coincides with lowest IRD abundances and a major reorganization of the circulation at thermocline depth in the Rockall Trough, marked by the progressive replacement of the fresh‐cold Sub‐Arctic Intermediate Water (SAIW) by the saltier and nutrient‐rich Eastern North Atlantic Water (ENAW). This event must have established a modern‐like winter mixed layer and thermocline structure, generating suitable conditions for enhanced surface productivity, downslope transport of food particles, bottom current acceleration at mound depth and thus CWC growth. Several short time intervals of decreased CWC occurrences closely match prominent increases in North Atlantic drift ice and storminess in Northern Europe. We, therefore, propose that high detrital supply and/or changes in the vertical density gradient associated with millennial‐scale ice‐rafted detritus (IRD) events are the likely controlling factors for CWC growth and subsequent mound formation on the SW Rockall Trough margin.

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Reconstruction of the formation history of the Darwin Mounds, N Rockall Trough: How the dynamics of a sandy contourite affected cold-water coral growth

Abstract: International audienc

Cited by 26 publications

References 46 publications

Glacio-eustatic variations and sapropel events as main controls on the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene evolution of the Cabliers Coral Mound Province (W Mediterranean)

Glacio-eustatic variations and sapropel events as main controls on the Middle Pleistocene-Holocene evolution of the Cabliers Coral Mound Province (W Mediterranean)

New insights on coral mound development from groundtruthed high-resolution ROV-mounted multibeam imaging

Imprint of Holocene Climate Variability on Cold‐Water Coral Reef Growth at the SW Rockall Trough Margin, NE Atlantic

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