Role of sea-level forced sedimentary processes on the distribution of organic carbon-rich marine sediments: A review of the Late Quaternary sapropels in the Mediterranean Sea

2009 ◽  
Vol 273 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 249-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Capozzi ◽  
Alessandra Negri
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Marine Sediments ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Sedimentary Processes ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals The Use of Submerged Speleothems for Sea Level Studies in the Mediterranean Sea: A New Perspective Using Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA)

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Antonioli ◽  
Stefano Furlani ◽  
Paolo Montagna ◽  
Paolo Stocchi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Isostatic Adjustment ◽  
Regional Sea Level ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
New Perspective

The investigation of submerged speleothems for sea level studies has made significant contributions to the understanding of the global and regional sea level variations during the Middle and Late Quaternary. This has especially been the case for the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 300 submerged speleothems sampled in 32 caves have been analysed so far. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the results obtained from the study of submerged speleothems since 1978. The studied speleothems cover the last 1.4 Myr and are mainly focused on Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1, 2, 3, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.5. The results reveal that submerged speleothems represent extraordinary archives providing accurate information on former sea level changes. New results from a stalagmite collected at Palinuro (Campania, Italy) and characterized by marine overgrowth are also reported. The measured elevations of speleothems are affected by the local response to glacial and hydro-isostatic adjustment (GIA), and thus might significantly deviate from the global eustatic signal. A comparison of the ages and altitude values of the Mediterranean speleothems and flowstone from the Bahamas with local GIA provides a new scenario for MIS 5 and 7 sea level reconstructions.

scholarly journals Submerged Speleothems and Sea Level Reconstructions: A Global Overview and New Results from the Mediterranean Sea

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1663
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Antonioli ◽  
Stefano Furlani ◽  
Paolo Montagna ◽  
Paolo Stocchi ◽  
Lucio Calcagnile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Cave Deposits ◽  
Regional Sea Level ◽  
Sea Level Variations ◽  
The Mediterranean

This study presents a global overview of the submerged speleothems used to reconstruct paleo sea levels and reports new results from two stalactites collected in the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal cave deposits significantly contributed to the understanding of global and regional sea-level variations during the Middle and Late Quaternary. The studied speleothems cover the last 1.4 Myr and focused mainly on Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1, 2, 3, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.5. The results indicate that submerged speleothems represent extraordinary archives that can provide detailed information on former sea-level changes. The two stalactites collected in the central Mediterranean Sea, at Favignana and Ustica islands (Sicily, Italy), are both characterized by continental, phreatic or marine layers. The U-Th and 14C ages of the new speleothems provide results of great interest for relative sea-level changes over the last 1000 years.

A Near-Uniform Basin-Wide Sea Level Fluctuation of the Mediterranean Sea

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 338-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ichiro Fukumori ◽  
Dimitris Menemenlis ◽  
Tong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Level Fluctuation ◽  
Strait Of Gibraltar ◽  
Sea Level Fluctuation ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract A new basin-wide oscillation of the Mediterranean Sea is identified and analyzed using sea level observations from the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon satellite altimeter and a numerical ocean circulation model. More than 50% of the large-scale, nontidal, and non-pressure-driven variance of sea level can be attributed to this oscillation, which is nearly uniform in phase and amplitude across the entire basin. The oscillation has periods ranging from 10 days to several years and has a magnitude as large as 10 cm. The model suggests that the fluctuations are driven by winds at the Strait of Gibraltar and its neighboring region, including the Alboran Sea and a part of the Atlantic Ocean immediately to the west of the strait. Winds in this region force a net mass flux through the Strait of Gibraltar to which the Mediterranean Sea adjusts almost uniformly across its entire basin with depth-independent pressure perturbations. The wind-driven response can be explained in part by wind setup; a near-stationary balance is established between the along-strait wind in this forcing region and the sea level difference between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The amplitude of this basin-wide wind-driven sea level fluctuation is inversely proportional to the setup region’s depth but is insensitive to its width including that of Gibraltar Strait. The wind-driven fluctuation is coherent with atmospheric pressure over the basin and contributes to the apparent deviation of the Mediterranean Sea from an inverse barometer response.

scholarly journals The role of tephra in enhancing organic carbon preservation in marine sediments

2019 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 480-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Longman ◽  
Martin R. Palmer ◽  
Thomas M. Gernon ◽  
Hayley R. Manners
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Marine Sediments

scholarly journals The effect of cyclones crossing the Mediterranean region on sea level anomalies at the Mediterranean Sea coast

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Lionello ◽  
Dario Conte ◽  
Marco Reale
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Residual Water ◽  
Positive Anomaly ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Sea Level Anomalies ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Large positive and negative sea level anomalies at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea are linked to intensity and position of cyclones moving along the Mediterranean storm track, with dynamics involving different factors. This analysis is based on a model hindcast and considers nine coastal stations, which are representative of sea level anomalies with different magnitude and characteristics. When a shallow water fetch is present, the wind around the cyclone center is the main cause of sea level positive and negative anomalies, depending on its onshore or offshore direction. The inverse barometer effect produces a positive anomaly at the coast near the cyclone pressure minimum and a negative anomaly at the opposite side of the Mediterranean Sea, because a cross-basin mean sea level pressure gradient is associated to the presence of a cyclone. Further, at some stations, negative sea level anomalies are reinforced by a residual water mass redistribution within the basin, which is associated with a transient response to the atmospheric pressure forcing. Though the link between presence of a cyclone in the Mediterranean has comparable importance for positive and negative anomalies, the relation between cyclone position and intensity is stronger for the magnitude of positive events. Area of cyclogenesis, track of the central minimum and position at the time of the event differ depending on the location where the sea level anomaly occurs and on its sign. The western Mediterranean is the main cyclogenesis area for both positive and negative anomalies, overall. Atlantic cyclones mainly produce positive sea level anomalies in the western basin. At the easternmost stations, positive anomalies are caused by Cyclogenesis in the Eastern Mediterranean. North Africa cyclogeneses are a major source of positive anomalies at the central African coast and negative anomalies at the eastern Mediterranean and North Aegean coast.

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