@article {Giaconia2015, title = {{Compressional tectonic inversion of the Algero-Balearic basin: Latemost Miocene to present oblique convergence at the Palomares margin (Western Mediterranean)}}, journal = {Tectonics}, volume = {34}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {jul}, pages = {1516{\textendash}1543}, keywords = {10.1002/2015TC003861 and Active tectonics, Abubacer anticline, multichannel seismics, Palomares fault zone, Tectonic inversion, Western Mediterranean}, issn = {02787407}, doi = {10.1002/2015TC003861}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2015TC003861}, author = {Giaconia, Flavio and Booth-Rea, Guillermo and Ranero, C{\'e}sar R and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Calahorrano, Alcinoe and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Vendrell, Montserrat G and Cameselle, Alejandra L and Costa, Sergio and G{\'o}mez de la Pe{\~n}a, Laura and Mart{\'\i}nez-Loriente, Sara and Perea, Hector and Vi{\~n}as, Marina} } @article {LoIacono2014a, title = {{Submarine canyons of north-western Sicily (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea): Variability in morphology, sedimentary processes and evolution on a tectonically active margin}}, journal = {Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography}, volume = {104}, year = {2014}, month = {jun}, pages = {93{\textendash}105}, publisher = {Elsevier Ltd}, abstract = {Swath-bathymetry, mono-channel and multi-channel seismic reflection records acquired during the last two decades on the northern Sicilian margin have unveiled a dense network of submarine canyons within the depth range of 80-2100. m. The canyons display a relevant variability in their geometry, morphology and sedimentary processes. The margin shows a young, tectonically active shelf to slope setting, linking the Sicilian-Maghrebian Thrust Belt to the Tyrrhenian oceanic realm, developed during the Neogene-Quaternary time span. The aim of this study is to highlight the main governing factors that contributed to the evolution and differentiation of the northern Sicilian canyons, mainly focusing on the Gulf of Palermo and on the Gulf of Castellammare. Tectonic control is more evident in the canyons of the Gulf of Palermo, with submarine landslides retrograding on a steep slope and mainly controlling their evolution. Otherwise, canyons, tributaries and gullies mapped in the Gulf of Castellammare developed on a less steep substrate and display sinuous to meandering paths, with a relevant role of coastal/shelf sedimentary inputs and downslope turbidity processes in their formation. Results suggest that, despite the geographically close proximity of the two study areas, the different structural settings of the Castellammare and Palermo Basins are mainly responsible for canyon variability. Data indicate likely on-going uplift and tilting movements along the Sicilian margin, influencing the development of the studied canyons, which have probably been more active during the Quaternary glacial maxima than they are in the present day. {\textcopyright} 2013 Elsevier Ltd.}, keywords = {landslides, Seismic data, Sicily, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Submarine canyons, swath-bathymetry, tectonics}, issn = {09670645}, doi = {10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.06.018}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84901673777\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Sulli, Attilio and Agate, Mauro} } @inbook {LoIacono2014b, title = {{Submarine Mass Movements Along a Sediment Starved Margin: The Menorca Channel (Balearic Islands {\textendash} Western Mediterranean)}}, booktitle = {Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences}, year = {2014}, month = {mar}, pages = {329{\textendash}338}, publisher = {Springer International}, organization = {Springer International}, abstract = {The Malta-Sicily Escarpment (MSE) is a steep carbonate escarpment that appears to have largely remained isolated from inputs of fluvial and littoral sediments since the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Mass movement activity has so far only been inferred from sediment cores at the base of the MSE. In this study we use geophysical and sedimentological data acquired from the upper MSE and outer Malta Plateau to: (i) map and characterise the dominant forms of mass movements, and (ii) determine the nature and origin of these mass movements, and their role in the evolution of the MSE. We document 67 mass movement scars across 370 km2 of seafloor. Slope instability entailed translational slides, spreads and debris flows that mobilised Plio-Pleistocene outer shelf hemipelagic/pelagic sediments or carbonate sequences across the upper continental slope. Slope failure events are caused by loss of support associated with the formation of channels, gullies, canyon heads and fault-related escarpments. Mass movements play a key role in eroding the seafloor and transferring material to the lower MSE. In particular, they control the extent of headward and lateral extension of submarine canyons, facilitate tributary development, remove material from the continental shelf and slope, and feed sediment and drive its transport across the submarine canyon system.}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8\_29 ).}, url = {http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/362811/}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Urgeles, Roger and Polizzi, S. and Griny{\'o}, J. and Druet, M. and Agate, M. and Gili, J.M. and Acosta, J.} } @booklet {Ranero2014, title = {{The Western Mediterranean Pairs of Basin and Arc Systems}}, year = {2014}, month = {feb}, publisher = {Sociedad Geol{\'o}gica de Espa{\~n}a}, abstract = {Ranero, C{\'e}sar R. ... et. al.{\textendash} VIII Congreso Geol{\'o}gico de Espa{\~n}a, 2012, Oviedo}, isbn = {http://hdl.handle.net/10261/92021}, url = {http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/92021}, author = {Ranero, Cesar R. and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Sallares, Valenti and Garcia, Xavier and Gallart Muset, Josep and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Martinez-Loriente, S. and Moreno, Ximena and Prada, Manel and Perea, Hector and Zitellini, N.} } @article {Martinez-Loriente2013, title = {{Active deformation in old oceanic lithosphere and significance for earthquake hazard: Seismic imaging of the Coral Patch Ridge area and neighboring abyssal plains (SW Iberian Margin)}}, journal = {Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems}, volume = {14}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {jul}, pages = {2206{\textendash}2231}, abstract = {Recently acquired high-resolution multichannel seismic profiles together with bathymetric and sub-bottom profiler data from the external part of the Gulf of Cadiz (Iberia-Africa plate boundary) reveal active deformation involving old (Mesozoic) oceanic lithosphere. This area is located 180 km offshore the SW Iberian Peninsula and embraces the prominent NE-SW trending Coral Patch Ridge, and part of the surrounding deep Horseshoe and Seine abyssal plains. E-W trending dextral strike-slip faults showing surface deformation of flower-like structures predominate in the Horseshoe Abyssal Plain, whereas NE-SW trending compressive structures prevail in the Coral Patch Ridge and Seine Hills. Although the Coral Patch Ridge region is characterized by subdued seismic activity, the area is not free from seismic hazard. Most of the newly mapped faults correspond to active blind thrusts and strike-slip faults that are able to generate large magnitude earthquakes (Mw 7.2-8.4). This may represent a significant earthquake and tsunami hazard that has been overlooked so far. Key Points New active structures have been mapped in the Coral Patch Ridge area The newly mapped faults are able to generate large magnitude earthquakes (Mw>7) These new structures may represent a significant earthquake and tsunami hazard {\textcopyright}2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.}, keywords = {blind thrusts, fault-bend folds, Iberia-Africa boundary, multichannel seismics, seismic hazard assessment, strike-slip faults}, issn = {15252027}, doi = {10.1002/ggge.20173}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84883575301\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Mart{\'\i}nez-Loriente, Sara and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Sallares, Valenti and Connors, Christopher and Perea, Hector and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Klaeschen, Dirk and Terrinha, Pedro and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juan Jos{\'e} and Zitellini, Nevio} } @booklet {Bartolome2013, title = {{Seismic imaging of active faults in the Southern Alboran Sea (SE Iberian Margin): First results of the 2010 EVENT-DEEP cruise}}, year = {2013}, month = {sep}, abstract = {Primera Reuni{\'o}n Ib{\'e}rica sobre Fallas Activas y Paleosismolog{\'\i}a. Sig{\"u}enza (Guadalajara, Espa{\~n}a) 27, 28 y 29 de Octubre de 2010.{\textendash} 4 pages, 4 figures}, isbn = {isbn: 978-84-693-6088-0}, url = {http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/82462}, author = {Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Martinez-Loriente, S. and Moreno, Ximena and Perea, Hector and Masana, E. and Team, EVENT-DEEP} } @book {LoIacono2012b, title = {{The habitats of the Cap de Creus continental shelf and Cap de Creus Canyon, northwestern Mediterranean}}, series = {Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat. GeoHab Atlas of seafloor geomorphic features and benthic habitats}, year = {2012}, pages = {457{\textendash}469}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Continental shelves and submarine canyons represent peculiar environments that are geologically heterogenous on a small spatial scale (form hundreds to tens of meters) and therefore play a central role in increasing the ecosystem biodiversity. The Cap de Creus continental shelf and Cap de Creus canyon are located in the southernmost sector of the Gulf of Lions, in the northwestern Mediterranean. The Cap de Creus continental shelf contains sandy and muddy sediments and an abrupt morphology, with rocky outcrops, relict bioherms, erosive features, and planar bedforms. The Cap de Creus canyon breaches the shelf at a depth of 110 m and denotes a marked difference in the morphology between the northern and the southern flank, reflecting a different depositional regime. The most common substrates correspond to coarse and medium sands (28\%) and silty sediments (40\%). The most common megabenthic assemblages of the shelf correspond to the communities of "offshore detritic" (31.95\%) and "coastal terrigenous muds" (36.99\%), mostly dominated by sea pens, alcyonaceans, and ceriantharians. The northern flank of the Cap de Creus canyon is predominantly depositional, whereas the southern flank is erosional. Rocky outcrops provide the substratum for cold-water coral (CWC) communities{\textquoteright} development, in which the white coral Madrepora oculata is the most abundant species. {\textcopyright} 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Continental shelf, Geomorphology, Habitat mapping, Northwestern Mediterranean, Submarine Canyon, swath bathymetry}, isbn = {9780123851406}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-385140-6.00032-3}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84883461551\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Orejas, Covadonga and Gori, Andrea and Gili, Josep Maria and Requena, Susana and Puig, Pere and Rib{\'o}, Marta} } @inbook {LoIacono2012, title = {{The habitats of the Chella Bank. Eastern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean)}}, booktitle = {Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat: GeoHAB Atlas of Seafloor Geomorphic Features and Benthic Habitats.}, year = {2012}, pages = {681{\textendash}690}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {This chapter provides the first characterization of the geomorphic features and benthic habitats of the Chella Bank, a flat-topped volcanic peak situated in the Eastern Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean. The Chella Bank, also named "Seco de los Olivos," occurs along the upper slope of the Almeria Margin, showing a subcircular shape and covering a surface area of 100 km2 within a depth range of 70-700 m. High-resolution swath bathymetric mapping reveals three main large-scale morphological features on Chella Bank: the flat subhorizontal top and two main ridges, located to the west and to the east of the bank-top. Video tracks acquired in the area showed the occurrence of macrobenthic communities such as gorgonian assemblages (Callogorgia verticillata, Viminella flagellum), small patches of living cold-water corals (Madrepora oculata), and sponges (Fakelia ventilabrum). An automatic classification of multibeam data has been tested on the area as a predictive habitat mapping method, using backscatter characteristics (intensity, texture), and depth measurements as surrogate descriptors of the habitats recognized on the Chella Bank. The Chella Bank is one of the study areas of the LIFE-INDEMARES Project, which aims to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the marine biodiversity in the Spanish seas. {\textcopyright} 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Alboran Sea, Geomorphology, Habitat mapping, Seamounts, swath bathymetry, Western Mediterranean}, isbn = {9780123851406}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-385140-6.00049-9}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84884425529\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Gr{\`a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia G. and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Coiras, Enrique and Jose Da{\~n}obeitia, Juan and Acosta, Juan} } @article {Coiras2011, title = {{Automatic Segmentation of Multi-Beam Data for Predictive Mapping of Benthic Habitats on the Chella Seamount (North-Eastern Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)}}, journal = {IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing}, volume = {4}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {dec}, pages = {809{\textendash}813}, abstract = {A reliable and objective classification method has been produced for the differentiation of benthic habitats in the seamount regions of the North-Eastern Alboran Sea. Acoustic backscatter and depth measurements from multi-beam data are automatically fused and then classified using video transects of known cold-water coral ecosystems as ground-truth. Results of the classification reveal the locations of potentially similar habitats in the region, and could be used as a base map for the planning of future scientific campaigns in the area. {\textcopyright} 2008 IEEE.}, keywords = {Acoustic imaging, automatic classification, benthic habitats, data fusion, marine geology}, issn = {1939-1404}, doi = {10.1109/JSTARS.2011.2123874}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-83655198294\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Coiras, Enrique and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juanjo and Sanz, Jos{\'e} Luis} } @article {LoIacono2011, title = {{Submarine canyon morphologies in the Gulf of Palermo (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) and possible implications for geo-hazard}}, journal = {Marine Geophysical Research}, volume = {32}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {mar}, pages = {127{\textendash}138}, abstract = {The continental shelf and the upper slope of the Gulf of Palermo (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) in the depth interval ranging from 50 to 1,500 m were mapped for the first time with Multi Beam echosounder and high resolution seismic. Seven submarine canyons are confined to the upper slope or indent the shelf-edge and enter the Palermo intraslope basin at a depth of around 1,300 m. The canyons evolved through concurrent top-down turbiditic processes and bottom-up retrogressive mass failures. Most of the mass failure features of the area are related to canyon-shaping processes and only few of them are not confined to the upper slope. In general, these features probably do not represent a significant tsunami hazard along the coast. The geological element that controls the evolution of the canyons and induces sediment instability corresponds to the steep slope gradient, especially in the western sector of the Gulf, where the steepest canyons are located. The structural features mapped in the Palermo offshore contributed to the regulation of mass failure processes in the area, with direct faults and antiform structures coinciding with some of the canyon heads. Furthermore, the occurrence of pockmarks and highs that probably consist of authigenic carbonates above faulted and folded strata suggests a local relationship between structural control, fluid escape processes and mass failure. This paper presents a valuable high-resolution morphologic dataset of the Gulf of Palermo, which constitutes a reliable base for evaluating the geo-hazard potential related to slope failure in the area. {\textcopyright} 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.}, keywords = {Geo-hazard, Mass failure processes, Southern Mediterranean, Submarine canyons, Swath mapping}, issn = {0025-3235}, doi = {10.1007/s11001-011-9118-0}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79961169577\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Sulli, Attilio and Agate, Mauro and Lo Presti, Valeria and Pepe, Fabrizio and Catalano, Raimondo} } @booklet {Gracia2010a, title = {{Characterizing active faults and associated mass transport deposits in the South Iberian Margin (Alboran Sea and Gulf of Cadiz): On-fault and off-fault paleoseismic evidence}}, journal = {Res{\'u}menes de la 1{\textordfeminine} Reuni{\'o}n Ib{\'e}rica sobre Fallas Activas y Paleosismolog{\'\i}a}, year = {2010}, month = {sep}, pages = {163{\textendash}166}, abstract = {Gr{\`a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia ... et al.{\textendash} Primera Reuni{\'o}n Ib{\'e}rica sobre Fallas Activas y Paleosismolog{\'\i}a. Sig{\"u}enza (Guadalajara, Espa{\~n}a) 27, 28 y 29 de Octubre de 2010.{\textendash} 4 pages, 1 figure}, isbn = {isbn: 978-84-693-6088-0}, url = {http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/82464}, author = {Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Bartolom{\'e}, Rafael and Lo Iacono, Claudio and Moreno, Ximena and Martinez-Loriente, S. and Perea, H and Masana, E and Pall{\`a}s, R and S., Diez and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juan Jos{\'e} and Terrinha, P and Zitellini, N} } @article {LoIacono2010, title = {{Large-scale bedforms along a tideless outer shelf setting in the western Mediterranean}}, journal = {Continental Shelf Research}, volume = {30}, number = {17}, year = {2010}, month = {oct}, pages = {1802{\textendash}1813}, abstract = {High-resolution multibeam swath-bathymetry and sediment samples were collected across the outer shelf region of the Columbretes Islands (southern Ebro continental shelf, western Mediterranean Sea). Bathymetric data from the submerged part of the Columbretes volcanic system revealed the presence of three main relict sand bodies along the outer shelf, at 80-116. m depth range, above which asymmetric and slightly asymmetric large and very large 2D and 3D subaqueous dunes were observed. These bed features were recognized, mapped and quantified with the aim of evaluating their potential formation mechanisms in relation to the local hydrodynamic and morphologic settings of the area. Dunes range from 150 to 760. m in wavelength and from tens of centimeters to 3. m in height, and are among the longest ever recognized in an outer shelf region. These bedforms are mostly composed of medium-sized sandy sediments, presumably coming from the degraded relict sand bodies on top of which they have developed, mixed with fine fractions from the recent draping holocenic sediments. The orientation of the dunes is SSW, progressively turning W towards the southernmost sector of the area, following the trend of the shelf-edge. Contemporary hydrodynamic measurements at the Ebro continental shelf-edge show that recorded currents are insufficient to form the observed bedforms and that stronger currents are required for sediment mobilization and dune formation. Based on their morphology and orientation, it is proposed that these bedforms are produced by the action of the southward-flowing Liguro-Proven{\c c}al-Catalan (LPC) geostrophic current. The LPC probably reaches high near-bottom currents during energetic hydrodynamic events through interactions with the seafloor morphology of the study area. Subaqueous dunes are expected to be basically inactive features with respect to present-day processes, although they can be reactivated during high-energy events. The small $Δ$h/${\l}ambda$ ratio measured in the dune fields of the Columbretes shelf revealed that the dune heights fall below the values predicted by the Flemming (1988) global equation, as observed in other outer shelf settings also dominated by unidirectional flows. This may suggest a different morphodynamic character of large dunes formed on outer shelves in a micro-tidal regime. {\textcopyright} 2010 Elsevier Ltd.}, keywords = {Continental shelf, Geomorphology, Subaqueous dunes, Swath mapping, Western Mediterranean}, issn = {02784343}, doi = {10.1016/j.csr.2010.08.005}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77957596289\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Guill{\'e}n, Jorge and Puig, Pere and Rib{\'o}, Marta and Ballesteros, Maria and Palanques, Albert and l{\'\i} Farr{\'a}n, Marcel and Acosta, Juan} } @booklet {LoIacono2010a, title = {{Very high-resolution seismo-acoustics in the study of seagrasses. The case of posidonia oceanica (Mediterranean sea)}}, year = {2010}, month = {mar}, publisher = {SARTI (Technological Development Centre of Remote Acquisition and Data processing Systems)}, abstract = {The study of active structures offshore requires very-high resolution seismic imaging in order to observe the most recent layers below sea floor. In the other hand, high penetration methods are necessary to observe deeper reflections for understanding the evolution of the structure throughout the time. The aim of our study is to establish the seismic potential of the offshore segment of the Carboneras Fault, Eastern Betics, based on multiscale seismic imaging. Three different scale methods have been acquired and are compared here: very-high-resolution sub-bottom profiler TOPAS, very-high-resolution single-channel seismic (Sparker) and high-resolution multi-channel seismic. From seismic profiles, faulted Quaternary layers suggest that the Carboneras Fault is active. Sediment coring and dating analysis are used to consider ages for key reflectors observed in TOPAS profiles, and a change in the vertical slip-rate through the Quaternary is inferred.}, keywords = {{\`A}rees tem{\`a}tiques de la UPC::Enginyeria electr{\`o}nica, Holocene, Mediterranean Sea, Non linear seismo-acoustics, Seagrasses}, url = {http://upcommons.upc.edu//handle/2099/8613}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juan Jos{\'e}} } @article {LoIacono2008b, title = {{Environmental conditions for gravelly and pebbly dunes and sorted bedforms on a moderate-energy inner shelf (Marettimo Island, Italy, western Mediterranean)}}, journal = {Continental Shelf Research}, volume = {28}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {feb}, pages = {245{\textendash}256}, abstract = {Side scan sonar records, sediment textural characteristics, and in-situ field observations were used to study gravelly and pebbly dunes and sorted bedforms on the inner shelf of Marettimo Island, along the northwestern Sicilian shelf. The dunes are composed of coarse sands, gravels and pebbles (D50: 2-16 mm), displaying a symmetrical shape with a wavelength in the range of 1-2.5 m and a height of 0.15-0.30 m. The bedforms are distributed in a patchy pattern in a depth range of 10-50 m, and are described for the first time on a Mediterranean inner shelf. Sorted bedforms are linear morphological features developed almost perpendicular to the coast in the eastern sector of the island between 15 and 50 m water depth. Bottom shear stresses required for sediment entrainment and the generation of the shallower dunes can be reached during strong storms (Hs=5-6 m; Tp=9-11 s), which are not common in the Mediterranean Sea. However, wave storm events recorded in the study area during the last 17 years are not able to generate the coarsest and deeper dunes, suggesting that the stirring mechanism for dune formation is associated with severe storms that have a recurrence interval of more than 17 years. The long-term stability of the coarse bedforms is supported by the permanence of sorted bedforms without significant morphological changes for long periods (>13 years). Therefore, it is shown that processes forming coarse bedforms can occur in tideless and moderate-energy settings like those of the Mediterranean continental shelves, although the morphological features are probably less dynamic and remain unaltered for longer periods than on higher-energy shelves. {\textcopyright} 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Gravel dunes, Inner shelf, Italy, Marettimo Island, Mediterranean Sea, Sorted bedforms}, issn = {02784343}, doi = {10.1016/j.csr.2007.08.005}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-37849005401\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Guill{\'e}n, Jorge} } @article {LoIacono2008, title = {{Seafloor characterization and backscatter variability of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin (Alboran Sea, SW Mediterranean) based on high-resolution acoustic data}}, journal = {Marine Geology}, volume = {250}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {apr}, pages = {1{\textendash}18}, abstract = {An acoustic study of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin (eastern Alboran Sea, SW Mediterranean) was carried out by means of an integrated dataset, comprising deep-towed TOBI sidescan sonar, swath-bathymetry, TOPAS high-resolution seismics and sediment gravity cores. The Almer{\'\i}a Margin is a complex system dominated by volcanic and tectonic features shaped by recent sedimentary processes, in which a regional hemipelagic sedimentation is intercalated by sporadic gravitative events. The aim of this work is twofold. The first objective is to recognize the sedimentary and tectonic features that shape the Almeria Margin. The main morpho-sedimentary and morpho-structural elements observed are: the Almer{\'\i}a canyon/channel Turbidite System, the Dal{\'\i}as Tributary Valley System, landslides, active faults and folds and volcanic banks. The second aim is to explore and quantify the surface and subsurface seafloor parameters that characterize the backscatter of the study area. Sedimentary, geomorphological and biological elements that play a role in the acoustic signature of the Almer{\'\i}a Margin were detected. Nevertheless, it should be noted that seafloor acoustic backscatter is also affected by geometrical and instrumental factors. Despite the wide variability of the environments studied, a low average acoustic backscatter reflects a diffused draping of hemipelagic sedimentation in the area. Higher backscatter values were observed at the top of some volcanic banks, along the Almer{\'\i}a canyon, and in the shallower sector of the Dal{\'\i}as tributary valley system. The influence of subseafloor properties in the acoustic signature of the area was revealed by backscatter-grain size correlations, which were carried out for different depth intervals in sediment cores collected in the Almer{\'\i}a Turbidite System. A poor relationship was found between backscatter and superficial silty sediments of the area, whereas a higher correlation resulted in the upper 50~cm. The presence of subsurface turbidites in the cores associated with the higher backscatter values suggests volume interface scattering of these sandy layers as a controlling factor of the acoustic signature obtained in the Almer{\'\i}a Margin. On the other hand, in rough settings such as the ones observed in the Dal{\'\i}as Tributary Valley System, topographic relief of up to 1-1.5~m strongly interacted with the TOBI acoustic pulse. This suggests that large-scale roughness is an additional parameter that characterizes the acoustic strength of the area. Extremely high reflective patches distributed along some of the volcanic banks (Chella and Pollux Banks) for depths ranging from 230 to 470~m coincide with areas where carbonate cold water coral mounds develop. In the TOBI images, coral facies reach the maximum value of acoustic backscatter, which is probably related to the rough morphology of coral ecosystems. The position of coral mounds in the banks suggests that the occurrence of strong bottom currents and reduced sedimentary inputs are environmental factors that favour their settling and development in the Almer{\'\i}a Margin. {\textcopyright} 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {backscatter, coral mounds, deep-towed sidescan sonar TOBI, high-resolution seismics, Mediterranean Sea, South Iberian Margin, swath-bathymetry}, issn = {00253227}, doi = {10.1016/j.margeo.2007.11.004}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-41349119993\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Diez, Susana and Bozzano, Graziella and Moreno, Ximena and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juanjo and Alonso, Bel{\'e}n} } @article {LoIacono2008a, title = {{Very high-resolution seismo-acoustic imaging of seagrass meadows (Mediterranean Sea): Implications for carbon sink estimates}}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters}, volume = {35}, number = {18}, year = {2008}, month = {sep}, pages = {L18601}, abstract = {Posidonia oceanica is a widespread coastal Mediterranean seagrass which accumulates in its subsurface large quantities of organic material derived from its roots, rhizomes and leaf sheaths embedded in sandy sediments. These organic deposits may be up to several meters thick as they accumulate over thousands of years forming the matte, whose high content in organic carbon plays a major role in the global ocean carbon cycle. In this study, very high-resolution seismo-acoustic methods were applied to image the subsurface features of a P. oceanica seagrass meadow at Portlligat (Cadaqu{\'e}s, Girona, Spain), in the NW-Mediterranean Sea. Our findings yield fresh insights into the settling of the P. oceanica meadow in the study area, and define with unprecedented detail the potential volume occupied by the matte. A strong reflector, located from 4.3 to 11.7 m depth, was recognized in several seismo-acoustic profiles as the substratum on which P. oceanica first settled in the study area. A 3D bathymetric model of this substratum allowed us to reconstruct the Portlligat palaeo-environment prior to the settling of P. oceanica, which corresponded to a shallow coastal setting protected from the open sea. A core drilled in the meadow at Portlligat revealed the presence of a 6 in thick dense matte composed of medium to coarse, sandy sediments mixed with plant debris and bioclasts. Radiocarbon datings revealed a constant accretion rate of the matte of about 1.1 m/kyr. Gravelly bioclastic deposits observed at the base of the core correspond to the base of the matte and gave a date of 5616 {\textpm} 46 Cal yr BP. For the first time, very high-resolution marine geophysical techniques allowed us to accurately define the volume occupied by P. oceanica matte, which in the study area reaches up to almost 220,000 {\textpm} 17,400 M3. This result is an important step forward in our efforts to estimate the size of the carbon sink represented by P. oceanica meadows along the Mediterranean coasts significantly contributing to the biosphere carbon cycle. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1029/2008GL034773}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-57849159443\&partnerID=tZOtx3y1}, author = {Lo Iacono, Claudio and Mateo, Miguel Angel and Gr{\'a}cia, Eul{\`a}lia and Guasch, Lluis and Carbonell, Ram{\'o}n and Serrano, Laura and Serrano, Oscar and Da{\~n}obeitia, Juanjo} }