Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea
Abstract Submarine landslides can destroy seafloor infrastructures and generate devastating tsunamis. In spite of decades of research into the functioning of submarine landslides there are still numerous open questions, in particular how different phases of sliding influence each other. Here, we re‐...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010469 |
| _version_ | 1797637974477766656 |
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| author | Thore F. Sager Morelia Urlaub Pauline Kaminski Cord Papenberg Galderic Lastras Miquel Canals Christian Berndt |
| author_facet | Thore F. Sager Morelia Urlaub Pauline Kaminski Cord Papenberg Galderic Lastras Miquel Canals Christian Berndt |
| author_sort | Thore F. Sager |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Submarine landslides can destroy seafloor infrastructures and generate devastating tsunamis. In spite of decades of research into the functioning of submarine landslides there are still numerous open questions, in particular how different phases of sliding influence each other. Here, we re‐analyze Ana Slide—a relatively small (<1 km3) landslide offshore the Balearic Islands, which is unique in the published literature because it is completely imaged by high‐resolution 3D reflection seismic data. Ana Slide comprises three domains: (a) a source area that is almost completely evacuated with evidence of headscarp retrogression, (b) an adjacent downslope translational domain representing a by‐pass zone for the material that was mobilized in the source area, and (c) the deposit formed by the mobilized material, which accumulated downslope in a sink area and deformed slope sediment. Isochron maps show deep chaotic seismic units underneath the thickest deposits. We infer that the rapid deposition of the landslide material deformed the underlying sediments. A thin stratified sediment unit between three lobes suggests that Ana Slide evolved in two failure stages separated by several tens of thousands of years. This illustrates the problem of over‐estimating the volume of mobilized material and under‐estimating the complexity even of relatively simple slope failures without high‐quality 3D reflection seismic data. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:56:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3fd20eb0a35469b8e45b8aed7e9aa1a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:56:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3fd20eb0a35469b8e45b8aed7e9aa1a2023-11-03T17:00:48ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272022-11-012311n/an/a10.1029/2022GC010469Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean SeaThore F. Sager0Morelia Urlaub1Pauline Kaminski2Cord Papenberg3Galderic Lastras4Miquel Canals5Christian Berndt6GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Kiel GermanyGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Kiel GermanyInstitute of Geotechnical Engineering & Construction Management Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) Hamburg GermanyGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Kiel GermanyDepartment of Earth and Ocean Dynamics CRG Marine Geoscience University of Barcelona Barcelona SpainDepartment of Earth and Ocean Dynamics CRG Marine Geoscience University of Barcelona Barcelona SpainGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Kiel GermanyAbstract Submarine landslides can destroy seafloor infrastructures and generate devastating tsunamis. In spite of decades of research into the functioning of submarine landslides there are still numerous open questions, in particular how different phases of sliding influence each other. Here, we re‐analyze Ana Slide—a relatively small (<1 km3) landslide offshore the Balearic Islands, which is unique in the published literature because it is completely imaged by high‐resolution 3D reflection seismic data. Ana Slide comprises three domains: (a) a source area that is almost completely evacuated with evidence of headscarp retrogression, (b) an adjacent downslope translational domain representing a by‐pass zone for the material that was mobilized in the source area, and (c) the deposit formed by the mobilized material, which accumulated downslope in a sink area and deformed slope sediment. Isochron maps show deep chaotic seismic units underneath the thickest deposits. We infer that the rapid deposition of the landslide material deformed the underlying sediments. A thin stratified sediment unit between three lobes suggests that Ana Slide evolved in two failure stages separated by several tens of thousands of years. This illustrates the problem of over‐estimating the volume of mobilized material and under‐estimating the complexity even of relatively simple slope failures without high‐quality 3D reflection seismic data.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010469submarine landslidekinematic analysissubstrate deformation processesMediterranean Seaemplacement mechanism |
| spellingShingle | Thore F. Sager Morelia Urlaub Pauline Kaminski Cord Papenberg Galderic Lastras Miquel Canals Christian Berndt Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems submarine landslide kinematic analysis substrate deformation processes Mediterranean Sea emplacement mechanism |
| title | Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea |
| title_full | Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea |
| title_fullStr | Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea |
| title_short | Development and Emplacement of Ana Slide, Eivissa Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea |
| title_sort | development and emplacement of ana slide eivissa channel western mediterranean sea |
| topic | submarine landslide kinematic analysis substrate deformation processes Mediterranean Sea emplacement mechanism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010469 |
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