Carbonate mounds: From paradox to World Heritage

Henriet, Jean‐Pierre; Hamoumi, Naima; Silva, Anne‐Christine Da; Foubert, Anneleen; Lauridsen, Bodil W.; Rüggeberg, Andres; Rooij, David Van

doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.008

Cited by 33 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 159 publications

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“…Azooxanthellate scleractinian corals, thriving in cold, deep, dark waters, form abundant banks along continental margins and seamounts, at mid-depths from the high latitudes to the low latitudes of both hemispheres (e.g., Freiwald, 2003;Roberts et al, 2006;White and Dorschel, 2010). These mounds coincide with pycnoclines where food particles accumulate and can form nepheloid layers (e.g., Mienis et al, 2006;Roberts et al, 2006;Wheeler et al, 2007;Eisele et al, 2011;Henriet et al, 2014). Consequently, the pycnoclines are the preferential locations for suspensionfeeding metazoans to grow and where they preferentially produce buildups.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reef building and carbonate production modes in the west-central Tethys during the Cenozoic

Pomar

Baceta

Hallock

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

154

167

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Please cite this article as: Pomar, L., Baceta, J.I., Hallock, P., Mateu-Vicens, G., Basso, D., Reef building and carbonate production modes in the west-central Tethys during the Cenozoic, Marine and Petroleum Geology (2017), ABSTRACTChanging components, rock textures, lithofacies, platform types and architecture throughout time are unique characteristics of carbonate rocks. Characterizing these attributes has been approached by 1) building reference models for specific Phanerozoic intervals, 2) recognizing the climatic impact in modulating carbonate production, and 3) analyzing the influence of changing bio-geochemical conditions. The reference-model approach is mostly based on biological evolution, the climaticimpact approach emphasizes temperature, and the bio-geochemical approach considers the changes in Mg/Ca ratios and Ca ++ concentrations in the oceans. To date, however, an analysis integrating all of these factors is still missing. The analysis presented here includes all these factors but also CO 2 , which is fundamental for both photosynthesis and CaCO 3 precipitation.Here we analyze the waxing and waning of Cenozoic reef limestones from the central Tethys region through several steps: 1) on the basis of rock volume, rock textures, associated sediments and light-dependent skeletal components, as records of light penetration and wave energy (depth); 2) on global environmental conditions (δ 13 C, δ 18 O, pCO 2 , temperature); and 3) on the basis of functionality, nutritional requirements and available resources.Through the Cenozoic, water motion, whether induced by surface or internal waves or by currents, increased as the thermal gradients strengthened, both with depth and with latitude. Active water motion is essential for plankton catchers such as corals, but less so for many larger benthic foraminifers (LBF). Pycnoclines in the meso-oligophotic zone would then favor the benthic plankton catchers such as corals, but would be detrimental for many LBF. Warm temperatures favored LBF. The Eocene LBF families predominated during lowering of atmospheric pCO 2 by using respiratory CO 2 to enhance the symbiont production of photosynthates under oligotrophic conditions and limited turbulence, whereas the Miocene families had to adapt to a progressive increase in turbulence. The eurythermal coralline red algae, however, became preponderant producers in the mesophotic zone during times when the δ 13 C was relatively high. This explains two apparent paradoxes: 1) corals thrive best when the Earth's high latitudes cool, and 2) the dominance of corals and LBF is inversely correlated, despite they both require tropical conditions and have similar trophic strategies (mixotrophy).

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Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reef building and carbonate production modes in the west-central Tethys during the Cenozoic

Pomar

Baceta

Hallock

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

154

167

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Carbonate mounds constitute outstanding submarine geomorphological features that exhibit semi-circular to elongated morphologies (i.e., carbonate ridges) extending laterally up to tens of kilometres and varying in height from a few metres to hundreds of metres 1 . These features are regarded as giant mounds when their heights exceed 150 m above the surrounding seafloor 2 . Carbonate mounds have been found at depths of up to 1300 m but are most common in the 500–1300 m water depth interval 2–4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Alpha Crucis Carbonate Ridge (ACCR): Discovery of a giant ring-shaped carbonate complex on the SW Atlantic margin

Maly

Schattner

Lobo

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Recently acquired bathymetric and high-resolution seismic data from the upper slope of Santos Basin, southern Brazilian margin, reveal a major geomorphological feature in the SW Atlantic that is interpreted as a carbonate ridge - the Alpha Crucis Carbonate Ridge (ACCR). The ACCR is the first megastructure of this type described on the SW Atlantic margin. The ~17 × 11-km-wide ring-shaped ACCR features tens of >100-m-high steep-sided carbonate mounds protruding from the surrounding seabed and flanked by elongated depressions. Comet-like marks downstream of the mound structures indicate that the area is presently influenced by the northward flow of the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC), a branch of the Subtropical Gyre that transports Antarctic Intermediate Water. Abundant carbonate sands and gravels cover the mounds and are overlain by a biologically significant community of living and dead ramified corals and associated invertebrates. The IWBC acts as a hydrodynamic factor that is responsible for both shaping the bottom and transporting coral larvae. We contend that the ACCR was formed by upward fluid flow along active sub-surface faults and fractures that formed by lateral extension generated by the ascending movement of salt diapirs at depth. The ACCR provides an important modern and accessible analogue for a seabed carbonate build-up related to sub-surface hydrocarbon systems.

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“…These data show extensively distributed and well/moderated sorted sand deposits (Expedition 339 Scientists, 2012;Stow et al, 2013b;Hernández-Molina et al, 2013) that can potentially serve as reservoirs units, as well as muddy contourites that may function as hydrocarbon seals or source rocks and/or unconventional reservoirs (Viana, 2008;Shanmugam, 2012aShanmugam, , 2013aShanmugam, , 2013bBrackenridge et al, 2013;Stow et al, 2013b). The frequent association of both sandy and muddy contourite deposits with cold-water coral mounds (Huvenne et al, 2009;Van Rooij et al, 2011;Somoza et al, 2014;Sánchez et al, 2014), which may function as unconventional reservoirs (Henriet et al, 2014) further demonstrate the potential for plays in these settings. As the climate warms due to the usage of these fossil fuels, we must also consider the role of deep-water circulation as a climate modulator.…”

Section: Applied Researchmentioning

confidence: 95%

Oceanographic processes and morphosedimentary products along the Iberian margins: A new multidisciplinary approach

et al. 2016

Self Cite

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Our understanding of bottom-currents and associated oceanographic processes (e.g., overflows, barotropic tidal currents) including intermittent processes (e.g., vertical eddies, deep sea storms, horizontal vortices, internal waves and tsunamis) is rapidly evolving. Many deep-water processes remain poorly understood due to limited direct observations, but can generate significant depositional and erosional features on both short and long term time scales. This paper represents a review work, which describes for the first time these oceanographic processes and examines their potential role in the sedimentary features along the Iberian continental margins. This review explores the implications of the studied processes, given their secondary role relative to other factors such as mass-transport and turbiditic processes, and highlights three major results: a) contourite depositional and erosional features are ubiquitous along the margins, indicating that bottom currents and associated oceanographic processes control the physiography and sedimentation; b) the position of interfaces between major water masses and their vertical and spatial variation in time specifically appears to exert primary control in determining major morphologic changes along the slope gradient, including the contourite terraces development; and c) contourites deposits exhibit greater variation than the established facies model suggests. Therefore, a consistent facies model however faces substantial challenges in terms of the wide range of oceanographic processes that can influence in their development. An integrated interpretation of these oceanographic processes requires an understanding of contourites, seafloor features, their spatial and temporal evolution, and the near-bottom flows that form them. This approach will synthesize oceanographic data, seafloor morphology, sediments and seismic images to improve our knowledge of permanent and intermittent processes around Iberia, and evaluate

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Carbonate mounds: From paradox to World Heritage

Cited by 33 publications

References 159 publications

Reef building and carbonate production modes in the west-central Tethys during the Cenozoic

Reef building and carbonate production modes in the west-central Tethys during the Cenozoic

The Alpha Crucis Carbonate Ridge (ACCR): Discovery of a giant ring-shaped carbonate complex on the SW Atlantic margin

Oceanographic processes and morphosedimentary products along the Iberian margins: A new multidisciplinary approach

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