Document of bibliographic reference 201179

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Book chapters

BibLvlCode

AMS

Title

The Ceuta Drift, Alboran Sea, southwestern Mediterranean

Abstract

The Ceuta Drift is an elongated-terrace feature (up to 100 km long, 28 km wide, 400 m relief, and 700 ms thick) located in the southwestern Alboran Sea, close to the Gibraltar Strait. It extends between 200 and 700 m water depth, parallel to the Moroccan slope. The drift stratigraphy is defined by the vertical stacking of at least five seismic units bounded by discontinuities: onlap and downlap surfaces at the bottom, and erosive surfaces at the top. Sedimentologically, the most recent deposits are defined by the vertical succesion, from bottom to top, of contouritic sandy muds, muds, and silty clays. The Ceuta Drift began to develop during the early Quaternary, when the pre-existing sea-floor morphology favoured the formation of an offshoot current system from the Mediterranean water masses. The action of this current together with sea-level changes have controlled the growth pattern of this drift.

Bibliographic citation

Ercilla, G.; Baraza, J.; Alonso, B.; Estrada, R.; Casas, D.; Farran, M. (2002). The Ceuta Drift, Alboran Sea, southwestern Mediterranean, in: Stow, D.A.V. et al. Deep-water contourite systems: Modern drifts and ancient series, seismic and sedimentary characteristics. Geological Society Memoir, 22: pp. 155-170. https://dx.doi.org/10.1144/GSL.MEM.2002.022.01.12

Topic

Marine