Geomorphology of the western Ionian Sea between Sicily and Calabria, Italy

Goswami, Rajasmita; Mitchell, Neil C.; Argnani, Andrea; Brocklehurst, Simon H.

doi:10.1007/s00367-014-0374-2

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…If the flows are debris flows, the potential to hydroplane suggests that perhaps they can be un‐erosive or less erosive (Mitchell, ). Slope over steepening in places has lead to failure of the inter‐channel ridges at the bottom slope, resulting in scours and secondary chutes (Goswami et al ., ). In contrast, relative finer sediment loads from bigger catchments lead to slower deposition from underflows, which in turn lead to more sediment deposited on the lower slope, producing a gentle, concave‐upward profile (Kneller, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Additionally, tidal currents are stronger in the north than in the south (Ryan & Heezen, ; Goswami et al ., and references therein). Tidal currents can transport and divert the sediment‐laden hypopycnal plumes at river outlets along the shelf so that sediment fallout (settling from the plumes) occurs away from their underflows (hyperpycnal plumes) (Wright, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Entrainment of particles in the steep upper slope (from previous underflows or fallout from hypopycnal flows) adds to the density of underflows, accelerating them in the upper slope (Parker et al ., ), further accentuating this tendency. Morphological analysis of these channels suggested that these channels might originate from hyperpycnal outflows from the adjacent rivers eroding the channels downslope and forming inter‐channel ridges of turbidites that were later reworked by bottom currents (Goswami et al ., ; their channels S2 and S3). These channels are similar to La Jolla and Monterey Monterey canyons, offshore California, where canyons are dominated by erosional and bypassing flows (Normark et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ASTER digital elevation model (DEM) at 28 m resolution is available for the Peloritani and Aspromonte orogens of Sicily and Calabria respectively (Hayakawa et al ., ). Swath bathymetry data at 25 m resolution data cover the offshore part of the study area (as used in the paper by Goswami et al ., ). We merged these data sets to pursue a complete topographic analysis of the study area without any issues with projection and registration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…According to Goswami et al . (), the marine basin has also changed significantly from a depositional basin to an active erosional domain since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Estimates of the sediment budget over both long‐ and short‐time scales (Antonioli et al ., ; Cyr et al ., ; Goswami et al ., ) allow us to evaluate how sediment transport to the coastlines has varied over time under differing tectonic and eustatic influences on surface process systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking subaerial erosion with submarine geomorphology in the western Ionian Sea (south of the Messina Strait), Italy

et al. 2016

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Sediment supplied by continental sources is commonly suspected to have exerted a strong influence on the development of canyons and other morphological features on the continental slopes, but rarely is the sediment supply known sufficiently quantitatively to test this link. Here, we outline an area where offshore morphology, in the western Ionian Sea, may be linked to estimated sediment fluxes produced by subaerial erosion in NE Sicily and SW Calabria. Shelves in this area are narrow (<1 km), and the bathymetry shows that rivers and adjacent submarine channels are almost directly connected with each other. Integrated topographic analyses were performed on a merged digital elevation model (DEM) of ASTER data for subaerial topography and multibeam sonar data for submarine bathymetry. Spatial variations in sediment fluxes from onshore erosion were assessed using a variety of methods, namely: long-term sediment flux from Pleistocene uplift rates, decadal sediment flux from landslide occurrences and published long-term exhumation rates from 10 Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations. Submarine channels associated with rivers delivering larger sediment fluxes have broad channels, high relief and smooth concave-upward longitudinal profiles. Conversely, submarine channels that lie offshore small-flux rivers have straight longitudinal profiles, low relief and steep gradients. Where river catchments supply a greater sediment flux offshore, shelves tend to be wider (ca. 400 m) and submarine channels have gentler gradients. In contrast, where catchments supply less sediment flux, shelves are narrow (250-300 m) and offshore channel gradients are steeper. The variation of submarine morphology with tectonic uplift rate was also studied, but we find that, unlike onshore terrains where tectonics is commonly an important factor influencing channel morphology, in the submarine landscapes, sediment flux appears to dominate here.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%