Search results for "Seabed"

δ18O values of coexisting brachiopods and fish: Temperature differences and estimates of paleo–water depths

1998

To estimate vertical thermal gradients and paleo–water depths to marine platforms we present a new method based on the difference between δ 18 O values of contemporaneous brachiopod carbonate and fish phosphate. Present-day marine fauna of well-known ecology from the surface to the sea floor record isotopic temperatures that agree with measured temperatures. We predict distributions of isotopic data that result from sampling strategy, basin morphology, and fauna ecology and discuss limitations. Application of the method to the Jurassic Paris-London basin gives vertical thermal variations of up to 14 °C associated with depths varying from a few meters to 170 ± 30 m. The estimated depths are …

Geochemical survey of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), a natural laboratory for the study of ocean acidification

2013

Abstract Shallow submarine gas vents in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), emit around 3.6t CO2 per day providing a natural laboratory for the study of biogeochemical processes related to seabed CO2 leaks and ocean acidification. The main physico-chemical parameters (T, pH and Eh) were measured at more than 70 stations with 40 seawater samples were collected for chemical analyses. The main gas vent area had high concentrations of dissolved hydrothermal gases, low pH and negative redox values all of which returned to normal seawater values at distances of about 400 m from the main vents. Much of the bay around the vents is corrosive to calcium carbonate; the north shore has a gradient in s…

Two-Dimensional Numerical Modelling of a Moored Floating Body under Sloping Seabed Conditions

2020

A coupled floating body-mooring line model is developed by combining a boundary element model for a two-dimensional floating body and a catenary mooring line model. The boundary element model is formulated in the time domain by a continuous Rankine source, and a reflection potential is introduced to account for the wave reflection due to sloping seabed. This newly developed model is validated by comparisons against available data. Then, dynamic response analyses are performed for the moored body in various seabed conditions. Compared with a flat seabed, a sloping seabed causes unsymmetrical mooring line configuration and generates noticeable effects in the motion responses of the floating b…

Detection and mapping of Posidonia oceanica dead matte by high-resolution acoustic imaging

2009

A high-resolution echosounder was used to acquire seismo-acoustic records of P. oceanica dead matte patches in the Gulf of Palermo. Seismo-acoustic profiling enabled detection of dead matte structures that are invisible to visual inspection, being hidden by variable layers of sandy sediment. The thickness of the dead matte measured reaches a maximum of 2.2 m. The mean volume of the matte per unit area of seabed surface (MEIx) varies from 0.2 to 2.2 m 3 /m 2 , with an average value of 1.6 m 3 /m 2 and a total volume estimated at 73,000 m 3 . From literature data and from the volume of dead matte calculated in the present work we estimated that total carbon accumulated in the matte is about 2…

Use of Hydroacoustic Methods for the Identification of Potential Seabed Habitats for Small Pelagic Fish Schools in the Strait of Sicily

2011

Discriminating between Posidonia oceanica meadows and sand substratum using multibeam sonar

2010

Abstract Di Maida, G., Tomasello, A., Luzzu, F., Scannavino, A., Pirrotta, M., Orestano, C., and Calvo, S. 2011. Discriminating between Posidonia oceanica meadows and sand substratum using multibeam sonar. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 12–19. High-resolution, multibeam sonar (MBS) (455 kHz) was used to identify two typologies of seabed 8 m deep: Posidonia oceanica meadow and sandy substratum. The results showed that the heterogeneity of the architecture of the P. oceanica canopy and the relatively simple morphology of a sandy substratum can be detected easily by statistical indices such as standard deviation or range-of-beam depth. Based on these indices, an automated classification…

Structure and biodiversity of a Maltese maerl bed : new insight into the associated assemblage 24 years after the first investigation

2022

Maerl beds are biogenic benthic habitats distributed worldwide and known to sustain high productivity and biodiversity levels. In the Mediterranean, the number of studies that have been carried out is limited, and little is known on its real distribution, mostly due to the difficulties of exploring such habitats — Due to the high transparency of Mediterranean waters, maerl can be found at depths of over 50 m making mandatory the use of benthic grabs and ROVs. The last published data from Maltese waters were taken two decades ago. In this present study, we provide new insights on this poorly known habitat, in particular regarding the north western bank, designated as a NATURA 2000 protected …

Microstructure and phase composition of bronze Montefortino helmets discovered Mediterranean seabed to explain an unusual corrosion

2021

AbstractTwo Monterfortino helmets, recovered in the Mediterranean seabed, show unusual features with respect to the more common helmets of the same period and found in underwater environments. Hence, they were investigated by a multi-analytical approach, which allowed us to identify the compounds constituting the helmets and to make some considerations about their metallurgy, although all the metal was converted to degradation products. The helmets, originally made in bronze, have maintained their original shape because of copper sulphides formation. The observed differences in composition between the two helmets were attributed to the position modification, of one of them, into the seabed …

Mise en évidence d’une dynamique de fleuves de glace durant la glaciation ordovicienne par l’enregistrement géomorphologique

2007

On Contemporary Ice streams the most important factor controlling polar ice-sheet sheet stability and ice flowing occurs in ice streams. On Pleistocene Ice Sheet, Ice stream can be located using several geomorphologic criteria predict from known characteristic of contemporary ice streams, these criteria defining the conceptual Ice Stream land system model. But nowadays, during fossil glaciations, ice streams characterization is still poorly documented and only few studies illustrate fast ice velocity. In this work, we characterize geomorphological markers of ice stream activity in order to define the Ordovician ice stream glacial landsystem. The study area is located in Sahara from Niger to…

Acoustic and optical variations during rapid downward motion episodes in the deep north-western Mediterranean Sea

2011

An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was moored at the deep-sea site of the ANTARES neutrino telescope near Toulon, France, thus providing a unique opportunity to compare high-resolution acoustic and optical observations between 70 and 170 m above the sea bed at 2475 m. The ADCP measured downward vertical currents of magnitudes up to 0.03 m s-1 in late winter and early spring 2006. In the same period, observations were made of enhanced levels of acoustic reflection, interpreted as suspended particles including zooplankton, by a factor of about 10 and of horizontal currents reaching 0.35 m s-1. These observations coincided with high light levels detected by the telescope, interpreted …