Papers by María Gomez Ballesteros
WB Deception Island (DI) is amongst the most active volcanoes in Antarctica, with >20 explosive e... more WB Deception Island (DI) is amongst the most active volcanoes in Antarctica, with >20 explosive eruptions in the last two centuries 1 (Fig. 1). DI's caldera-forming eruption occurred 3980 ± 125c.y. before present, and it is the largest eruption documented in Antarctica during Holocene 2. Mortality of benthic organisms occurred due to the last eruptions of 1967, 1969, and 1970 3. A submarine volcanic lineament is observed within the caldera, where morphologically wellpreserved cones raise from the seafloor up to >50 m. A multidisciplinary team sampled one of the submerged volcanoes, Stanley Patch (SP), in Port Foster (PF).-Geophysical data to allocated the volcano and characterized its morphology and inner structure (Fig. 2).-A sediment core from the crater (4 cm Ø, 8 cm length) was collected for sedimentological, geochemical and geochronological analysis.-Direct sampling by SCUBA provided several rocks (Fig. 3), and photographs/video images of benthic organisms and landscape (Fig. 4).
32 pages, 10 figures, 1 table[EN] Seamounts are first-order morphological elements on continental... more 32 pages, 10 figures, 1 table[EN] Seamounts are first-order morphological elements on continental margins and in oceanic domains, which have been extensively researched over recent decades in all branches of oceanography. These features favour the development of several geological processes, and their study gives us a better understanding of their geological and morphological domains. The seamounts around Iberia are numerous and provide excellent examples of the geodiversity of these morphological elements. Here we present a compilation of 16 seamounts around the Iberian Peninsula. These seamounts have different origins related to the geodynamic evolution (volcanism, extensional or compressive tectonics, and diapirism) of the domains where they are located. The current configuration of their relief has been influenced by Neogene-Quaternary tectonics. Their positioning controls the current morpho-sedimentary processes in the basins and on the margins, and highlights the fact that dow...
Llave, Estefania ... et. al.-- VIII Simposio sobre el Margen Iberico Atlantico (MIA15), del 21 al... more Llave, Estefania ... et. al.-- VIII Simposio sobre el Margen Iberico Atlantico (MIA15), del 21 al 23 de septiembre de 2015, Malaga.-- 4 pages, 1 figure
Llave, Estefanía ... et. al.-- 38 pages, 9 figures, 1 table[EN] The products of bottom current ci... more Llave, Estefanía ... et. al.-- 38 pages, 9 figures, 1 table[EN] The products of bottom current circulation around the Iberian continental margin are characterised by large erosional and depositional features formed under a variety of geological and oceanographic contexts. The Iberian margins are influenced by several water masses that mainly interact along the upper and middle continental slopes, as well as along the lower slope with the abyssal plains being influenced to a lesser extent. The main depositional features occur along the Ceuta Contourite Depositional System (CDS) within the SW Alboran Sea, in the Gulf of Cadiz (the most studied so far), the western margins of the Portugal/Galician margin, the Ortegal Spur and the Le Danois Bank or “Cachucho”. Moreover, erosional contourite features have also been recently indentified, most notably terraces, abraded surfaces, channels, furrows and moats. The majority of these features are formed under the influence of the Mediterranean water masses, especially by the interaction of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) with the seafloor. The MOW is characterized as relatively warm (13°C) and with a high salinity (~ 36.5), giving it a high density relative to the surrounding water masses, hence constituting an important contribution to the global thermohaline circulation, making it one of the most studied water masses surrounding Iberia. The development of both depositional and erosional contourite features does not only depend on the bottom-current velocity but also on several other important controlling factors, including: 1) local margin morphology affected by recent tectonic activity; 2) multiple sources of sediment supply; 3) water-mass interphases interacting with the seafloor; and 4) glacioeustatic changes, especially during the Quaternary, when the increasing influence of the bottom current has been observed during the cold stages. The main objective of this special volume contribution is to provide a review and description of the regional along-slope processes and their sedimentary impact around the Iberian margin. Despite the numerous examples of bottom current processes recorded, there remains a number of challenges to understanding CDSs around the Iberian margin including: 1) evidencing their important scientific implications (stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeoceanography and palaeoclimatology); assessing their geological hazard and their economic potential (for mineral and energy resources); and 3) using them to create conceptual models for CDS formation. There is a lack of complete knowledge about the different oceanographic processes that may drive bottom currents, and there is also the need to document the great variety of contourite features (processes and products) and facies models, along with their evolution over time and space. Therefore advances, both in new technologies and integrated studies (Geology, Physical Oceanography and Benthic/planktonic Biology), are anticipated[ES] En la evolución reciente de los márgenes continentales ibéricos se han registrado numerosos, y cada vez más frecuentes, ejemplos de procesos sedimentarios generados por la interacción de las corrientes con el fondo. Los productos de la circulación de las corrientes de fondo comprenden tanto rasgos contorníticos erosivos como deposicionales, de dimensiones variables dependiendo de los diferentes contextos geológicos y oceanográficos. En Iberia las masas de agua más relevantes interactúan principalmente a lo largo de los taludes continentales superior y medio y, en menor intensidad también en el talud inferior y llanuras abisales. Estas masas de agua han desarrollado depósitos contorníticos (monticulares separados, laminares, adosados, confinados y asociados a canales),así como rasgos contorníticos de origen erosivo, siendo los más destacables las terrazas, las superficies de abrasión, los canales, los surcos y las fosas contorníticas, en los márgenes del SW del Mar de Alborán, del Golfo de Cádiz (el más estudiado hasta la fecha), de Portugal, de Galicia, de Cabo Ortegal, y del Banco de Le Danois o “Cachucho”. Estos rasgos morfológicos se generar mayoritariamente bajo la influencia de las masas de agua Mediterráneas y en concreto por la corriente Mediterránea de salida (MOW). La MOW se caracteriza por ser relativamente caliente (13°) y por su alta salinidad (~36.5 ‰), que le confieren una alta densidad con respecto a las masas de agua circundantes, y considerándose una contribución importante a la circulación termohalina global. Es por ello que es una de las masas de agua, que rodean Iberia, más estudiadas hasta la actualidad. El desarrollo de estos rasgos contorníticos no sólo depende de la velocidad de la corriente, sino además de otros factores de control como: 1) la morfología del margen, afectada por la actividad tectónica reciente, 2) las posibles y múltiples fuentes de aporte de sedimento, 3) la interacción de la interfase entre distintas masas de agua con el…
GEO-TEMAS, 2008
Ga onmiddellijk naar paginanavigatie. As of July 1st 2010, only records submitted with full text ... more Ga onmiddellijk naar paginanavigatie. As of July 1st 2010, only records submitted with full text will be accepted in the academic bibliography. more info. Error: You do not have the rights to download this document. Paginanavigatie. ...
espanolEn la evolucion reciente de los margenes continentales ibericos se han registrado numeroso... more espanolEn la evolucion reciente de los margenes continentales ibericos se han registrado numerosos, y cada vez mas frecuentes, ejemplos de procesos sedimentarios generados por la interaccion de las corrientes con el fondo. Los productos de la circulacion de las corrientes de fondo comprenden tanto rasgos contorniticos erosivos como deposicionales, de dimensiones variables dependiendo de los diferentes contextos geologicos y oceanograficos. En Iberia las masas de agua mas relevantes interactuan principalmente a lo largo de los taludes continentales superior y medio y, en menor intensidad tambien en el talud inferior y llanuras abisales. Estas masas de agua han desarrollado depositos contorniticos (monticulares separados, laminares, adosados, confinados y asociados a canales),asi como rasgos contorniticos de origen erosivo, siendo los mas destacables las terrazas, las superficies de abrasion, los canales, los surcos y las fosas contorniticas, en los margenes del SW del Mar de Alboran,...
Comunicacion presentada al V Simposio Internacional de ciencias del Mar celebrado en alicante ent... more Comunicacion presentada al V Simposio Internacional de ciencias del Mar celebrado en alicante entre el 20 y el 22 de julio de 2016.
espanolLos montes submarinos son rasgos morfologicos singulares, cuyo estudio tiene gran relevanc... more espanolLos montes submarinos son rasgos morfologicos singulares, cuyo estudio tiene gran relevancia desde el punto de vista de las distintas ramas de la oceanografia. Su presencia favorece el desarrollo de diferentes procesos geologicos y proporciona un mejor conocimiento de los dominios geologicos y morfologicos en los que se encuentran. En el entorno de Iberia, los montes submarinos tienen una amplia representacion y tipologia. En este trabajo, se presenta una recopilacion geologica de 15 montes submarinos (ocho en el Mar Mediterraneo y siete en el Oceano Atlantico) de los margenes continentales de Iberia y en el dominio Oceanico Atlantico, utilizandose levantamientos batimetricos y geofisicos. El origen de estos montes es muy diferente y esta relacionado con la evolucion geodinamica del dominio geologico en el que aparecen (volcanismo, tectonica extensional o compresional y diapirismo). La configuracion actual del relieve ha sido controlada por la actividad tectonica en el Neogen...
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2019
3D reconstruction and virtual reality (VR) technology provide many opportunities for the document... more 3D reconstruction and virtual reality (VR) technology provide many opportunities for the documentation and dissemination of underwater cultural heritage. Advances in the development of underwater exploration technology have allowed for the first time to accurately reconstruct a complete 3D model of the cargo Río Miera in the Cantabrian Sea. Sunk on December 6, 1951 after a strong collision, the cargo ship Río Miera rests on a sandy bottom about 40 meters deep, very close to the Cantabrian coast. Located in an area of strong currents is a classic objective of the region for the most experienced divers. The survey was carried out this summer in R/V Ramón Margalef of the IEO, acquiring acoustic data with multibeam echo sounders and hundreds of images acquired by a remotely piloted underwater vehicle. The campaign is part of the PhotoMARE project-Underwater Photogrammetry for MArine Renewable Energy. This work describes the workflow regarding the survey, images and acoustic data acquisition, data processing, optic 3D point cloud color enhancement and acoustic and optic dataset merging procedure to obtain a complete 3D model of wreck Río Miera in Cantabrian Sea. Through this project, Spanish Institute of Oceanography-IEO have advancedcombining acoustic and image methods-in the generation of 3D models of archaeological sites and submerged structures.
Continental Shelf Research, 2019
Located in the Cantabrian Sea (NE Atlantic), 30 nm off the Asturian coast, "El Cachucho" was the ... more Located in the Cantabrian Sea (NE Atlantic), 30 nm off the Asturian coast, "El Cachucho" was the first offshore Marine Protected Area (MPA) to be declared in Spain. The area includes Le Danois Bank and its intraslope basin. It joined the OSPAR Network of MPAs in 2009 and, thereafter, was included in the Natura 2000 Network in 2011. The main reason for its declaration as MPA was the presence of the 1170 Reefs habitat included in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. In 2018, the MPAs Master Management Plan was under revision and its design criteria were subjected to evaluation. We used Marxan decision support tool to evaluate the MPA's management design criteria. This tool selects the most important conservation features, while minimizing the socioeconomic cost. First, the 1170 Reefs habitat was defined as the main environmental value. Specifically, we took into account the six large sized target species that are more representative of this habitat in the area: the sponges Asconema setubalense, Geodia cf. barretti and Phakellia robusta, the anthipatarian Leiopathes glaberrima, and the gorgonians Placogorgia sp. and Callogorgia verticillata. A spatial distribution map was produced for each species using Generalized Additive Models (GAM). We also considered the presence of spawning stocks of fish species which are present in the area as an important conservation value. Their spatial distribution was modeled through Maxent software. Additionally, for the socioeconomic cost, fishing effort of the different fisheries operating in the area was estimated linking VMS/Logbook data before and after the MPA was declared. The first results obtained with the Marxan tool were presented in public consultation, in the context of the LIFE + INTEMARES Project, to help in decision making within the new Management Plan. Thus, to improve the management measures aimed at the conservation of the environmental values of the MPA, an enlargement of the protected area to the West was proposed, and a more reasonable use of the buffer area to fishermen than that defined in the former Management Plan was suggested. Involving all stakeholders in the development of the management plan for this MPA is a decisive step for the creation and consolidation of an important network of MPAs in Spain.
Boletín Geológico y Minero
The Iberian continental margins are mainly passive margins. Nevertheless, the northern sector of ... more The Iberian continental margins are mainly passive margins. Nevertheless, the northern sector of the margin was active during some stages of its geological evolution. The southern sector is considered as a transformed margin, which defines the boundary between the Iberian and African plates. This margin was also an active margin in the past. The different types, origins and intensities of the endogenic processes that have affected the Iberian continental margins have led to the development of various tectonic and volcanic morphologies. The North Atlantic rifting allowed the development of large marginal platforms in the Cantabrian and Galician margins the North-Atlantic Ocean spreading. The reactivation of Variscan faults during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic controlled the strike of some of the largest canyons in the Iberian margins. The Gulf of Cadiz margin is characterized by the development of morphologies related to salt tectonic, fluid seepage, thrust fronts and strike-slip fault l...
The complex Avilés Canyon System (ACS) is located in the western area of the Cantabrian Sea (Bay ... more The complex Avilés Canyon System (ACS) is located in the western area of the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay, NE Atlantic), whose study is currently being carried out by the INDEMARES (LIFE+) project. The aim of this project is to provide the necessary information to establish a network of representative Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the purpose of biodiversity conservation on Spanish waters. For the effective design of MPAs, one of the main objectives of this project is identifying and charting the habitats and the biological communities that inhabit them. Three major submarine canyons are present in the area: Avilés, El Corbiro and La Gaviera canyons, together with a large rocky outcrops and a marginal shelf. Its structural complexity, in combination with a high gradient of environmental variables (from 150 to 4800 m depth) and the existence of a strong hydrodynamic activity produce a high diversity of habitats and biological communities. Also, due to the high productivity of th...
La zona central de la Cuenca de Alborán se caracteriza por presentar los elementos fisiográficos ... more La zona central de la Cuenca de Alborán se caracteriza por presentar los elementos fisiográficos más importantes de Alborán, como son las dorsales de Alborán y Adra que limitan la depresión del Canal de Alborán. Estos elementos morfoestructurales son el resultado de la convergencia de las placas Africana y Euroasiática. El análisis de datos batimétricos y de perfiles de sísmica con diferentes grados de resolución, ha permitido establecer dos fases de deformación recientes: una de carácter transcurrente de salto normal y otra posterior compresiva que produce una inversión tectónica. Esta última fase sería el resultado de la colisión del Bloque tectónico de la Dorsal de Alborán con el de Adra al consumirse el espacio del curso medio del Canal de Alborán.
VII Congreso Geologico de Espana, 14-18 Julio 2008, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.-- 4 pages, 3 figures
Tectonophysics, 2014
Hispaniola block Beata ridge Muertos thrust belt Island arc Collisional tectonics Oblique converg... more Hispaniola block Beata ridge Muertos thrust belt Island arc Collisional tectonics Oblique convergence between the Caribbean plate's interior and the inactive Greater Antilles island arc has resulted in the collision and impingement of the thickened crust of the Beata ridge into southern Hispaniola Island. Deformation resulting from this convergence changes from a low-angle southward-verging thrust south of eastern Hispaniola, to collision and uplift in south-central Hispaniola, and to left-lateral transpression along the Southern peninsula of Haiti in western Hispaniola. Using new swath bathymetry and a dense seismic reflection grid, we mapped the morphological, structural and sedimentological elements of offshore southern Hispaniola. We have identified four morphotectonic provinces: the Dominican sub-basin, the Muertos margin, the Beata ridge and the Haiti sub-basin. The lower slope of the Muertos margin is occupied by the active Muertos thrust belt, which includes several active out-of-sequence thrust faults that, were they to rupture along their entire length, could generate large-magnitude earthquakes. The interaction of the thrust belt with the Beata ridge yields a huge recess and the imbricate system disappears. The upper slope of the Muertos margin shows thick slope deposits where the extensional tectonics and slumping processes predominate. The northern Beata ridge consists of an asymmetrically uplifted and faulted block of oceanic crust. Our results suggest that the shallower structure and morphology of the northern Beata ridge can be mainly explained by a mechanism of extensional unloading from the Upper Cretaceous onward that is still active residually along the summit of the ridge. The tectonic models for the northern Beata ridge involving active reverse strike-slip faults and transpression caused by the oblique convergence between the Beata ridge and the island arc are not supported by the structural interpretation. The eastern Bahoruco slope an old normal fault that acts as a passive tear fault accommodating the sharp along-strike transition from low-angle thrusting to collision and uplifting.
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Papers by María Gomez Ballesteros