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Morphology and downslope sediment displacement in a deep-sea valley, the Valencia Valley (Northwestern Mediterranean)

S. O'Connell·B. Alonso·K.A. Kastens·A. Maldonado·A. Malinverno·C.H. Nelson·A. Palanques·William B. F. Ryan
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Abstract

The Valencia Valley is a Quaternary, 200 km long deep-sea valley in the Valencia Trough, Western Mediterranean Sea. A swathmapping survey approximately mid-way along the valley length, where the floor has an average gradient of 1:250 (0.2??), shows valley walls that rise 200 to 350 m above the valley floor, with slopes of 2 to 18??. Sediment forming the walls is undergoing retrogressive, upslope-directed slumping with increasing bedding disruption along steeper walls. The valley exhibits a winding course with steep outer and gentler inner walls around bends, and bedforms on the valley floor. Lateral migration around bends is less than 5 km and the valley is deeply entrenched into Quaternary-bedded sediments. ?? 1985 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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S. O'Connell, B. Alonso, K.A. Kastens, A. Maldonado, A. Malinverno, C.H. Nelson, A. Palanques, William B. F. Ryan. 1985. Morphology and downslope sediment displacement in a deep-sea valley, the Valencia Valley (Northwestern Mediterranean). https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02281632

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