Morphological and sedimentary patterns of current-controlled sediment bodies and superimposed bedforms based on high-resolution seismic data from the continental shelf near the Strait of Gibraltar

A previously unknown field of large -scale sedimentary bodies on the continental shelf o ff the Cape Trafalgar near the Strait of Gibraltar has bee n mapped and studied with particular emphasis on th e relationship between large-scale sediment bodies and th e superimposed bedforms. This study is based on a g rid of 975 km of high-resolution seismic profiles collecte d at water depths ranging between 15 and 60 m. High variability of large-scale sedimentary bodies is attrib uted to the complex interaction of hydrodynamic age nts. The most prominent sedimentary features indicate southw est ard and southward sediment transport patterns. Relationships between superimposed bedforms (mostly ver large dunes) and underlying sediment bodies vary across the study area. Most superimposed bedforms o ccur ver the complex mosaic of sediment banks and sheets, suggesting that several high-energy current s with different directions interact in the area, m aking it hydrodynamically highly complex.

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