Morphology, distribution and origin of recent submarine landslides of the Ligurian Margin (North-western Mediterranean): some insights into geohazard assessment

Type Article
Date 2011-03
Language English
Author(s) Migeon Sebastien1, Cattaneo AntonioORCID2, Hassoun Virginie1, Larroque Christophe3, Corradi Nicola4, Fanucci Francesco5, Dano Alexandre1, de Lepinay Bernard Mercier3, Sage Francoise1, Gorini Christian6
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis, UMR GeoAzur, OCA, CNRS, F-06235 Port De La Darse, Villefrance Mer, France
2 : IFREMER, GM LES, F-29280 Plouzane, France
3 : Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis, UMR GeoAzur, OCA, CNRS, F-06560 Valbonne, France
4 : Univ Genoa, I-16100 Genoa, Italy
5 : Univ Trieste, Dige, Italy
6 : Univ Paris 06, UMR iSTeP, F-75252 Paris 05, France
Source Marine Geophysical Research (0025-3235) (Springer), 2011-03 , Vol. 32 , N. 1-2 , P. 225-243
DOI 10.1007/s11001-011-9123-3
WOS© Times Cited 46
Keyword(s) Ligurian Sea, Submarine landslides, Seafloor morphology, Seismic-reflection profiles, Side-scan sonar
Abstract Based on new multibeam bathymetric data, seismic-reflection profiles and side-scan sonar images, a great number of submarine failures of various types and sizes was identified along the northern margin of the Ligurian Basin and characterized with 3 distinct end-members concerning their location on the margin, sedimentary processes and possible triggering mechanisms. They include superficial landslides mainly located in the vicinity of the main mountain-supplied rivers and on the inner walls of canyons (typically smaller that 10(8) m(3) in volume: Type 1), deep scars 100-500 m high along the base of the continental slope (Type 2), and large-scale scars and Mass Transport Deposits (MTDs) affecting the upper part of the slope (Type 3 failures). The MTDs are located in different environmental contexts of the margin, including the deep Var Sedimentary Ridge (VSR) and the upper part of the continental slope in the Gulf of Genova (Finale Slide and Portofino Slide), with volumes of missing sediment reaching up to 1.5 x 10(9) m(3). High sedimentation rates related to hyperpycnal flows, faults and earthquake activity, together with sea-level fluctuations are the main factors invoked to explain the distribution and sizes of these different failure types.
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Migeon Sebastien, Cattaneo Antonio, Hassoun Virginie, Larroque Christophe, Corradi Nicola, Fanucci Francesco, Dano Alexandre, de Lepinay Bernard Mercier, Sage Francoise, Gorini Christian (2011). Morphology, distribution and origin of recent submarine landslides of the Ligurian Margin (North-western Mediterranean): some insights into geohazard assessment. Marine Geophysical Research, 32(1-2), 225-243. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-011-9123-3 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00043/15387/