Caracterización sedimentológica y mineralógica de un campo de pockmarks en margen continental de Murcia (SE Península Ibérica)
- C. López-Rodríguez 1
- M. Sayago-Gil 1
- N. López-González 1
- F. Martínez-Ruiz 2
- L.M. Fernández-Salas 1
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1
Instituto Español de Oceanografía
info
- 2 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra
ISSN: 1576-5172
Year of publication: 2021
Issue Title: X Congreso Geológico de España
Issue: 18
Pages: 758
Type: Article
More publications in: Geotemas (Madrid)
Abstract
Pockmarks constitute submarine sedimentary structures related to fluid emissions to the seafloor. A large pockmark field develops at the upper slope of the continental margin of Murcia (SE Iberian Peninsula). They are promoted by active emis- sion of mud-rich fluids, mainly through faults located in the Mazarrón escarpment (Acosta et al., 2013, among others). To investigate the recent activity and the provenance of such emissions, acoustic data (multibeam echosounder and TOPAS) and core sediments taken with box corer were acquired outside and inside of a selected pockmark. Acoustic data have allowed the identification of pockmark morphology as depressions of semicircular shape. Sedimentological results indicate an abundance of mud over sand (ca. 90% and 10%, respectively) and lack of gravels. The two sediment cores show analogous bulk mineral composition, dominated by clay together with calcite and quartz, and minor amounts of pyrite and dolomite. Further investigations will allow constraining diagenetic conditions for fluid generation, mechanisms of fluid migration and mud-rich fluid discharge activity within this pockmark field.