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This study aimed to describe the interannual variability of dense shelf water cascading and open ocean convection in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean) based on long-term temperature and current records and its impact on particle fluxes and associated metals. These observations highlight the predominant role of the rare intense events of dense shelf water cascading (1999/2000, 2005/2006, 2012/2013) in the basinward export of particles, which are mainly brought by rivers. Measurements of particulate trace metals in 2012 indicate that the monitored intense cascading event may be responsible for a significant fraction (~15%) of the annual input to the shelf. To this first process is added the effect of somehow more recurrent deep convection events (2005, 2009–2013) that remobilize the deep sediments, receptacle of coastal inputs, and disperse them rapidly at the scale of the northern Mediterranean basin, and gradually over the entire western basin. Coastal and oceanic dense water formations are key physical processes in the Mediterranean margins, whose reduction in intensity and recurrence has already been observed and also anticipate in climate scenarios that will likely change the dispersion pathways of chemical particles in this region.

The Gulf of Lions in the northwestern Mediterranean is one of the few sites around the world ocean exhibiting deep open‐ocean convection. Based on 6 year long (2009–2015) time series from a mooring in the convection region, shipborne measurements from repeated cruises, from 2012 to 2015, and glider measurements, we report evidence of bottom thick nepheloid layer formation, which is coincident with deep sediment resuspension induced by bottom‐reaching convection events. This bottom nepheloid layer, which presents a maximum thickness of more than 2000 m in the center of the convection region, probably results from the action of cyclonic eddies that are formed during the convection period and can persist within their core while they travel through the basin. The residence time of this bottom nepheloid layer appears to be less than a year. In situ measurements of suspended particle size further indicate that the bottom nepheloid layer is primarily composed of aggregates between 100 and 1000 µm in diameter, probably constituted of fine silts. Bottom‐reaching open ocean convection, as well as deep dense shelf water cascading that occurred concurrently some years, lead to recurring deep sediments resuspension episodes. They are key mechanisms that control the concentration and characteristics of the suspended particulate matter in the basin, and in turn affect the bathypelagic biological activity

We present here a unique oceanographic and meteorological data set focus on the deep convection processes. Our results are essentially based on in situ data (mooring, research vessel, glider, and profiling float) collected from a multiplatform and integrated monitoring system (MOOSE: Mediterranean Ocean Observing System on Environment), which monitored continuously the northwestern Mediterranean Sea since 2007, and in particular high-frequency potential temperature, salinity, and current measurements from the mooring LION located within the convection region. From 2009 to 2013, the mixed layer depth reaches the seabed, at a depth of 2330m, in February. Then, the violent vertical mixing of the whole water column lasts between 9 and 12 days setting up the characteristics of the newly formed deep water. Each deep convection winter formed a new warmer and saltier “vintage” of deep water. These sudden inputs of salt and heat in the deep ocean are responsible for trends in salinity (3.3 ± 0.2 × 10−3/yr) and potential temperature (3.2 ± 0.5 × 10−3 C/yr) observed from 2009 to 2013 for the 600–2300 m layer. For the first time, the overlapping of the three “phases” of deep convection can be observed, with secondary vertical mixing events (2–4 days) after the beginning of the restratification phase, and the restratification/spreading phase still active at the beginning of the following deep convection event.

Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, two cosmopolitan coral species of the deep ocean, build reef-like structures that provide ecological niches and nurseries for many species. These cold-water corals (CWCs) are thought to grow slowly making associated communities vulnerable to disturbance. However, in situ growth dynamics remains poorly known. The aim of this study was thus to quantify the growth rates of L. pertusa and M. oculata and their variability in relation to environmental conditions that are expected to influence their physiological functions. Such data can be useful to ground-truth physiological rates and improve the prediction of their sensitivity to global change. As part of a long-term monitoring programme of the Lacaze-Duthiers canyon in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, fragments of the two species were repeatedly sampled and redeployed at 530 m depth, from November 2010 to May 2018. Budding rates and linear extensions of L. pertusa and M. oculata were hence quantified and their inter-annual variability documented. The data were analyzed in relation to in situ monitoring of water temperature, current speed and turbidity. This study presents the longest in situ survey of the growth patterns of L. pertusa and M. oculata. The observations revealed a strong inter-annual variability in growth rates, both for L. pertusa and M. oculata, and suggest an influence of hydrological conditions on the growth dynamics. Particularly, as regard to episodic water plumes events such as NW wind-induced dense water shelf cascades and E-SE storm-induced downwellings in autumn-winter. In this study, three types of responses were observed: (i) high budding rates but low colony linear extension for strong water plume events periods (ii) high budding rates and high linear extension associated to organic matter supply during medium intensity water plume events, and (iii) low budding rates, low linear extension and high mortality due to high sedimentation rates in the absence of water plume event. Lophelia pertusa appears to be more resilient to these hydrological changes. Disturbance of the regional circulation patterns, in addition to longer-term change in water mass properties such as warming, deoxygenation and acidification, are thus important parameters to consider for CWC reef stability. This is particularly important since increased storminess, and decreased cascading/downwelling intensities, are predicted to occur within the next century.

International audience; We describe the impact of an open-ocean convection event on nutrient budgets, carbon budget, elemental stoichiometry, phytoplankton biomass and activity in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea (NWM). In the convective episode examined here we estimated an input of nutrients to the surface layer of 7.0, 8.0 and 0.4×108 mol of silicate, nitrate and phosphate, respectively. These quantities correspond to the annual nutrient input by river discharges and atmospheric depositions in the Gulf of Lion. Such nutrient input is sufficient to sustain new primary production from 46 to 63 g C m−2 y−1, which is the same order of magnitude found in the NWM open waters. Our results together with satellite data analysis, propose new scenarios that explain the origin of the spring phytoplankton bloom occurring in NWM.

The winter of 2012 experienced peculiar atmospheric conditions that triggered a massive formation of dense water on the continental shelf and in the deep basin of the Gulf of Lions. Multiplatforms observations enabled a synoptic view of dense water formation and spreading at basin scale. Five months after its formation, the dense water of coastal origin created a distinct bottom layer up to a few hundreds of meters thick over the central part of the NW Mediterranean basin, which was overlaid by a layer of newly formed deep water produced by open-sea convection. These new observations highlight the role of intense episodes of both dense shelf water cascading and open-sea convection to the progressive modification of the NW Mediterranean deep waters.

Special issue Sediment Dynamics in the Gulf of Lions; the Impact of Extreme Events.-- 10 pages, 5 figures, Shelf-to-canyon suspended sediment transport during major storms was studied at the southwestern end of the Gulf of Lions. Waves, near-bottom currents, temperature and water turbidity were measured on the inner shelf at 28-m water depth and in the Cap de Creus submarine canyon head at 300 m depth from November 2003 to March 2004. Two major storm events producing waves Hs>6 m coming from the E–SE sector took place, the first on 3–4 December 2003 (max Hs: 8.4 m) and the second on 20–22 February 2004 (max Hs: 7 m). During these events, shelf water flowed downcanyon producing strong near-bottom currents on the canyon head due to storm-induced downwelling, which was enhanced by dense shelf water cascading in February 2004. These processes generated different pulses of downcanyon suspended sediment transport. During the peak of both storms, the highest waves and the increasing near-bottom currents resuspended sediment on the canyon head and the adjacent outer shelf causing the first downcanyon sediment transport pulses. The December event ended just after these first pulses, when the induced downwelling finished suddenly due to restoration of shelf water stratification. This event was too short to allow the sediment resuspended on the shallow shelf to reach the canyon head. In contrast, the February event, reinforced by dense shelf water cascading, was long enough to transfer resuspended sediment from shallow shelf areas to the canyon head in two different pulses at the end of the event. The downcanyon transport during these last two pulses was one order of magnitude higher than those during the December event and during the first pulses of the February event and accounted for more than half of the total downcanyon sediment transport during the fall 2003 and winter 2004 period. Major storm events, especially during winter vertical mixing periods, produce major episodes of shelf-to-canyon sediment transport at the southwestern end of the Gulf of Lions. Hydrographic structure and storm duration are important factors controlling off-shelf sediment transport during these events, This study was supported by the EUROSTRATAFORM Project funded by the EU (EVK3-CT-2002-00079, EU Fifth Framework Programme: Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development) and also by the HERMES Project funded by the EU (Contract no.: 511234-2, EU Sixth Framework Programme: Global Change and Ecosystems)

Modern sediment deposits on continental margins form a vast reservoir of particulate matter that is regularly affected by resuspension processes. Resuspension by bottom trawling on shelves with strong fishing activity can modify the scale of natural disturbance by waves and currents. Recent field data show that the impact of bottom trawls on fine sediment resuspension per unit surface is comparable with that of the largest storms. We assessed the impact of both natural and anthropogenic processes on the dispersal of riverborne particles and shelf sediments on the Gulf of Lion shelf. We performed realistic numerical simulations of resuspension and transport forced by currents and waves or by a fleet of bottom trawlers. Simulations were conducted for a 16-month period (January 1998–April 1999) to characterise the seasonal variability. The sediment dynamics takes into account bed armoring, ripple geometry and the cohesive and non-cohesive characteristics of the sediments. Essential but uncertain parameters (clay content, erosion fluxes and critical shear stress for cohesive sediment) were set with existing data. Resuspension by waves and currents was controlled by shear stress, whereas resuspension by trawls was controlled by density and distribution of the bottom trawler fleet. Natural resuspension by waves and currents mostly occurred during short seasonal episodes, and was concentrated on the inner shelf. Trawling-induced resuspension, in contrast, occurred regularly throughout the year and was concentrated on the outer shelf. The total annual erosion by trawls (5.6×106 t y−1, t for metric tonnes) was four orders of magnitude lower than the erosion induced by waves and currents (35.3×109 t y−1). However the net resuspension (erosion/deposition budget) for trawling (0.4×106 t y−1) was only one order of magnitude lower than that for waves and currents (9.2×106 t y−1). Off-shelf export concerned the finest fraction of the sediment (clays and fine silts) and took place primarily at the southwestern end of the Gulf. Off-shelf transport was favoured during the winter 1999 by a very intense episode of dense shelf water cascading. Export of sediment resuspended by trawls (0.4×106 t y−1) was one order of magnitude lower than export associated with natural resuspension (8.5×106 t y−1). Trawling-induced resuspension is thought to represent one-third of the total export of suspended sediment from the shelf. A simulation combining both resuspension processes reveals no significant changes in resuspension and export rates compared with the sum of each individual process, suggesting the absence of interference between both processes.

Particle size distribution and size-specific settling velocity are critical parameters for understanding the transport of fine sediment on continental margins. In this study, observed floc size versus settling velocity, volume distributions of particles 2 μm–1 cm in diameter, and calculated effective densities for all particle sizes provided estimates of the mass distribution in suspension, which is used to apportion mass among component particles, microflocs, and macroflocs. Measurements were made during relatively quiescent environmental conditions. Observations of size distributions based on mass demonstrate an increase in the component particle fraction through time. The increase in the percentage of component particles in suspension had implications on water column properties, as small changes in the component particle fraction affected water column optical transmission in a way that was not as easily detected by changes in the volume concentration distribution or total mass concentration. Flocs larger than 133 μm in diameter only comprised one quarter to one third of the mass in suspension. This finding may explain why suspension bulk clearance rates are often an order of magnitude lower than those predicted by other methods.

Evidences of temperature-controlled dense water cascading off the Gulf of Lion shelf, in the northwestern Mediterranean, and several Aegean shelves in the northeastern Mediterranean are reported. Together with the Adiatic shelf, already listed by Ivanov, Shapiro, Huthnance, Aleynik, & Golovin (2004), these zones represent the major coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea where dense water is produced.

Hydrological and current meter data were gathered during the High Frequency Flux Experiment that took place in the Gulf of Lions from March to May 1997, within a 20×40-km experimental box over the shelf edge and the continental slope offshore of Marseille. The data set has been supplemented and jointly analysed with sea surface temperature images to characterise flow variability with a particular regard on the mesoscale effects associated to the regional circulation. The current meter observations showed a southwestward flow characteristic of the Northern Current. It is strongest near the shelf break, constrained to flow along topography near the bottom but much less polarised over the upper and mid-slope. Mesoscale variability shows up as fluctuations around 3.5- and 7-day periods at 250- and 650-m depth, and around 7-day periods at 1230-m depth. The Northern Current, as observed on satellite images, forms a 30-km-wide stream with meanders displaying length scales longer than 60 km. These meanders are observed to embrace smaller structures, which are responsible for the intense mesoscale activity recorded in current meter data. Both the hydrological observations and current meter data down to 650-m depth match the superficial structures. Two major flow patterns are observed during the experiment: (i) the core of the Northern current flows south of the experimental site during March and early April, with transitory eddies moving over the experimental site; (ii) following the traverse of a westward-propagating large meander on mid-April, the Northern Current remains over the experimental site. We provide evidence that the synoptic current variability observed in the upper layer may be related to baroclinic instability. A distinct near-bottom current variability is also documented on the mid-slope. Bottom trapped topographic waves are proposed as the mechanism which produces the along-slope deep flow variability.

There are multiple processes at different scales that produce turbulent mixing and sediment lift off in the ocean bottom. Basic aspects of buoyancy and stratification in turbulent flows are used to investigate the lift off of sediments and we describe here some of the innovative techniques used in the laboratory. The present paper describes some of the work that our group has performed within the European Land Ocean Interaction Studies (ELOISE). Further, in a fully detailed paper, a presentation of all the experimental work as well as their results will be submitted. We present in this paper two laboratory experiments with the results of sediment lift off under sheared and zero-mean flow turbulence. We compare actual seabed sediments extracted from the Gulf of Lyon. Comparison is made between the boundary Reynolds stress derived from turbulent r.m.s. velocity, u 0 ; in the zero-mean flow turbulence, and from the friction velocity, u� (Shields critical parameter) in the shear-induced turbulence flow at the sediment laden bottom boundary layer. There is an increase in the sediment lift-off as boundary Reynolds stress increases, whereas there are important differences between zero-mean and shear-dominated boundary flows. Lower boundary Reynolds stresses are required in zero-mean flows to lift off a sediment bed of equal characteristics than in shear-induced flows, indicating the dominant role of r.m.s. velocity fluctuations at the sediment bed. r 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

The goal of the Arabian Sea section of the TARA oceans expedition was to study Large Particulate Matter (LPM > 100 μm) distributions and possible impact of associated midwater biological processes on vertical carbon export through the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) of this region. We found that spatial patterns in LPM distribution resulted from the timing and location of surface phytoplankton bloom, lateral transport, microbial processes in the core of the OMZ, and zooplankton activity at the lower oxycline. Indeed, satellite-derived net primary production maps showed that the northern stations of the transect were under the influence of a previous major bloom event while, the most southern stations were in a more oligotrophic situation. Lagrangian simulations of particle transport showed that deep particles of the northern stations could originate from the surface bloom while the southern stations could be considered as driven by 1-D vertical processes. In the first 200 m of the OMZ core, minima in nitrate concentrations and the Intermediate Nepheloid Layer (INL) coincided with high concentrations of 100 μm < LPM < 200 μm. These particles could correspond to colonies of bacteria or detritus produced by anaerobic microbial activity. However, the calculated carbon flux through this layer was not affected. Vertical profiles of carbon flux indicate low flux attenuation in the OMZ, with a Martin model b exponent value of 0.22. At the lower oxycline, a deep nepheloid layer was associated to an increase of carbon flux and an increase in mesozooplankton abundance. Zooplankton feeding on un-mineralized sinking particles in the OMZ is proposed as a mechanism for the observed deep particle aggregation. These results suggest that OMZ may be regions of enhanced carbon flux to the deep sea relative to non-OMZ regions.

The water turbidity measured with optical methods (transmittance and backscattering) is usually expressed as beam attenuation coefficient (BAC) or formazin turbidity units (FTU). The transformation of these units to volumetric suspended sediment concentration (SSC) units is not straightforward, and accurate calibrations are required in order to obtain valuable information on suspended sediment distributions and fluxes. In this paper, data from field calibrations between BAC, FTU and SSC are presented and "best-fit" calibration curves are shown. These calibrations represent an "average" from different marine environments of the western Mediterranean (from estuary to continental slope). However, the general curves can only be applied for descriptive or semi-quantitative purposes. Comparison of turbidity measurements using the same sensor with different calibration ranges shows the advantage of simultaneously combining two instruments calibrated in different ranges when significant changes in suspended sediment concentrations are expected, Data used in this paper were collected during the projects: FANS (MAS3-CT95-0037), CONCENTRA (AMB92-0251-C02-01), FLUXALB (MAR96-1781-CO2-01), IMPACT (CEE. REF. 95/52), METRO-MED (MAS3-CT96-0049), PNEC and CAÑONES (MAR1999-1060-C03-01)

A one year study of downward particle fluxes conducted in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea is presented. Two mooring lines equipped with sediment traps and current meters were deployed at around 1000 m depth on the northeastern continental slope of the Gulf of Lions, one inside the Grand-Rhone canyon and the other outside on the adjacent open slope. Mean total mass fluxes increased slightly with trap depth inside the canyon, a feature quite typical of fluxes in continental margin environments. The near-bottom trap inside the canyon collected more material than its counterpart deployed at equivalent depth on the open slope, indicating a preferential transport of material within the canyon. Major biogeochemical constituents (organic and inorganic carbon, opal, and siliciclastic residue) revealed a marked difference in particle composition between the sub-surface (80 m) and deeper traps, suggesting the existence of at least two sources of material. The two shallower traps showed a clear biological signal: flux peaks were related to periods of surface biological production, especially perceptible in summer and autumn. The particulate matter trapped at deeper levels in the canyon and on the open slope was characterized by a more stable composition with a major lithogenic contribution, originating from sedimentary material most probably resuspended on the upper- or mid-slope. The seasonal variability was dominated by the summer/winter alternation; the latter period was characterized by a weak stratification of the water column and an enhanced current variability favoring vertical exchanges. The present results are compared with those obtained previously in the Lacaze-Duthiers canyon on the southwestern side of the Gulf of Lions. The comparison shows strong differences between the NE entrance and the SW exit of the gulf, with respect to the general along-slope circulation of water masses, both in terms of intensity of particulate fluxes and transport processes.

Martín, Jacobo ...et al. -- 19 pages, 12 figures, Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC) is known as a preferential conduit for particulate matter leaving the Gulf of Lion continental shelf towards the slope and the basin, particularly in winter when storms and dense shelf water cascading coalesce to enhance the seaward export of shelf waters. During the CASCADE (CAscading, Storm, Convection, Advection and Downwelling Events) cruise in March 2011, deployments of recording instruments within the canyon and vertical profiling of the water column properties were conducted to study with high spatial-temporal resolution the impact of such processes on particulate matter fluxes. In the context of the mild and wet 2010–2011 winter, no remarkable dense shelf water formation was observed. On the other hand, the experimental setup allowed for the study of the impact of E-SE storms on the hydrographical structure and the particulate matter fluxes in the CCC. The most remarkable feature in terms of sediment transport was a period of dominant E-SE winds from 12 to 16 March, including two moderate storms (maximum significant wave heights = 4.1–4.6 m). During this period, a plume of freshened, relatively cold and turbid water flowed at high speeds along the southern flank of the CCC in an approximate depth range of 150–350 m. The density of this water mass was lighter than the ambient water in the canyon, indicating that it did not cascade off-shelf and that it merely downwelled into the canyon forced by the strong cyclonic circulation induced over the shelf during the storms and by the subsequent accumulation of seawater along the coast. Suspended sediment load in this turbid intrusion recorded along the southern canyon flank oscillated between 10 and 50 mg L−1, and maximum currents speeds reached values up to 90 cm s−1. A rough estimation of 105 tons of sediment was transported through the canyon along its southern wall during a 3-day-long period of storm-induced downwelling. Following the veering of the wind direction (from SE to NW) on 16 March, downwelling ceased, currents inside the canyon reversed from down- to up-canyon, and the turbid shelf plume was evacuated from the canyon, most probably flowing along the southern canyon flank and being entrained by the general SW circulation after leaving the canyon confinement. This study highlights that remarkable sediment transport occurs in the CCC, and particularly along its southern flank, even during mild and wet winters, in absence of cascading and under limited external forcing. The sediment transport associated with eastern storms like the ones described in this paper tends to enter the canyon by its downstream flank, partially affecting the canyon head region. Sediment transport during these events is not constrained near the seafloor but distributed in a depth range of 200–300 m above the bottom. Our paper broadens the understanding of the complex set of atmosphere-driven sediment transport processes acting in this highly dynamic area of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, We are grateful to the crew and officials of R/V l’Atalante and to all the scientific and technical staff involved in the CASCADE cruise. This work was funded by the HERMIONE Project (FP7-ENV-2008-1-226354) under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme, the French programme MERMEX under the MISTRALS framework, the GRACCIE-CONSOLIDER project (CSD2007-00067) and the Spanish project DOS MARES (CTM2010-21810-C03-01). University of Barcelona researchers benefitted from grant 2009 SGR 1305 by Generalitat de Catalunya to excellence research groups. L. Houpert acknowledges the support of the Direction Générale de l’Armement (supervisor: Elisabeth Gibert-Brunet). J. Martín was funded through a JAE-DOC contract within the programme “Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios”, granted by Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) and co-financed by the European Social Fund. We thank the constructive comments of two reviewers who helped to improve the manuscript

Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC) is known as a preferential conduit for particulate matter leaving the Gulf of Lion continental shelf towards the slope and the deep basin, particularly in winter when storms and dense shelf water cascading coalesce to enhance the seaward export of shelf waters. During the CASCADE (CAscading, Storm, Convection, Advection and Downwelling Events) cruise in March 2011, deployments of recording instruments within the canyon and vertical profiling of the water column properties were conducted to study with high spatial-temporal resolution the impact of such processes on particulate matter fluxes. In the context of a mild and wet 2010–2011 winter, no remarkable dense shelf water formation was observed. On the other hand, the experimental setup allowed to study the impact of E-SE storms on the hydrographical structure and the particulate matter fluxes in the CCC. The most remarkable feature in terms of sediment transport was a period of dominant E-SE winds from 12 to 16 March, including two moderate storms of significant wave heights = 4–4.5 m. During this period, a plume of freshened, relatively cold and turbid water flowed at high speeds along the southern flank of CCC in an approximate depth range of 150–350 m. The density of this water mass only reached ~ 28.78 kg m−3, indicating that it did not cascade into the canyon and that merely downwelled into it forced by the accumulation of seawater along the coast during the storms and by the subsequent strong cyclonic circulation induced over the shelf. Suspended sediment load in this turbid intrusion was comparable at three heights above bottom where turbidimeters were installed (10, 75 and 115 m above bottom) on the southern canyon flank and oscillated between 10 and 50 mg L−1. Current speeds were also comparable in the depth range profiled by ADCPs (40 to 150 mab) and reached values up to 90 cm s−1 during the peak of the strongest storm (13 March, Hs = 4.5 m). Sediment transport at 75 mab on the southern canyon flank was estimated at 1–1.5 t m−2 for the entire deployment while very close to the bottom (5 m above) in the canyon head it was less than 0.6 t m−2 during the same period. We provide a rough estimation of 105 t of sediment transported through the canyon along its southern wall during a 3 day-long period of storm-induced downwelling. Following the veering of the wind direction (from SE to NW) on 16 March, downwelling ceased, currents inside the canyon reversed from down to up-canyon, and the turbid shelf plume was evacuated from the canyon, most probably flowing along the southern canyon flank and being entrained by the general SW circulation after leaving the canyon confinement. This study highlights that remarkable sediment transport occurs in the CCC, and particularly along its southern flank, even during mild and wet winters, in absence of cascading and under limited external forcing. The sediment transport associated to eastern storms like the ones described in this paper tends to enter the canyon by its downstream flank, partially affecting the canyon head region. Sediment transport during these events is not constrained near the seafloor but distributed in a depth range of 200–300 m above the bottom. Our paper broadens the understanding of the complex set of atmosphere-driven sediment transport processes acting in this highly dynamic area of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

Submarine canyons of several regions of the world are preferential conduits for Dense Shelf Water Cascading (DSWC), which quickly modify physical and chemical conditions while transporting large amounts of material towards the adjacent deep margin. Observations conducted during the last 15 yr in the Cap de Creus Canyon (Gulf of Lion, NW Mediterranean Sea) reported several intense events of DSWC. Their effects on the deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are almost unknown. To investigate the effects of these episodic events we analysed changes in the meiofaunal biodiversity inside and outside the canyon. Sediment samples were collected at depths varying from ca. 1000 to > 2100 m in May 2004 (before a major event), April 2005 (during a major cascading event) and in October 2005, August 2006 April 2008 and April 2009. We report here that the late winter-early spring 2005 cascading led to a reduction of the organic matter contents in canyon floor sediments down to 1800 m depth, whereas surface sediments at about 2200 m depth showed an increase. Our findings suggest that the nutritional material removed from the shallower continental shelf open slope and canyon was transported to the deep margin. During the cascading event the meiofaunal abundance and biodiversity in the studied deep-sea sediments dropped down by a factor of 5 to 10. Benthic assemblages in the impacted seafloor recovered to pre-cascading conditions after only six months from the cessation of the cascading. Since the present climate change is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of these episodic events, we anticipate that they will increasingly impact biodiversity and functioning of the benthic bathyal ecosystems, which may eventually challenge their resilience.

15 pages, 14 figures, An array of mooring lines deployed between 300 and 1900 m depth along the Lacaze-Duthiers and Cap de Creus canyons and in the adjacent southern open slope was used to study the water and sediment transport on the western Gulf of Lions margin during the 2006 intense cascading period. Deep-reaching cascading pulses occurred in early January, in late January and from early March to mid-April. Dense water and sediment transport to the deep environments occurred not only through submarine canyons, but also along the southern open slope. During the deep cascading pulses, temporary upper and mid-canyon and open slope deposits were an important source of sediment to the deep margin. Significant sediment transport events at the canyon head only occurred in early January because of higher sediment availability on the shelf after the stratified and calm season, and in late February because of the interaction of dense shelf water cascading with a strong E–SE storm. During the January deep cascading pulses, increases in suspended sediment concentration within the canyon were greater and earlier at 1000 m depth than at 300 m depth, whereas during the March–April deep cascading pulses sediment concentration only increased below 300 m depth, indicating resuspension and redistribution of sediments previously deposited at upper and mid-canyon depths. Deeper than 1000 m depth, net fluxes show that most of the suspended sediment left the canyon and flowed along the southern open slope towards the Catalan margin, whereas a small part flowed down-canyon and was exported basinward. Additionally, on the mid- and lower-continental slope there was an increase in the near-bottom currents induced by deep open-sea convection processes and the propagation of eddies. This, combined with the arrival of deep cascading pulses, also generated moderate suspended sediment transport events in the deeper slope regions, We thank all participants, UTM technicians and crews of R/V Garcia del Cid and R/V Universitatis, for their help and dedication during the cruises. The research projects HERMES (GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1), HERMIONE (FP7-ENV-2008-1-226354), DOS MARES (CTM2007-66316-C02-01/MAR) and GRACCIE-CONSOLIDER (CSD2007-00067) supported this research. A.S.V., C.P., A.C. and M.C. belong to CRG on Marine Geosciences, supported by Grant 2009 SGR 1305 of the Generalitat de Catalunya. A.P., P.P. and J.M. belong to CRG on Littoral and Oceanic Processes, supported by Grant 2009 SGR 899 of the Generalitat de Catalunya. J.M was partially funded through a JAE-Doc contract granted by CSIC and co-financed by CEE

Hydrographic and nephelometric data were gathered in the vicinity of the Grand-Rhoˆne canyon on the Golfe du Lion continental margin. These are used to describe the hydrographic structures and the suspended matter distribution. The results highlight the influence of wind-forced processes and current-canyon interaction on the dynamics in the canyon. These processes control the shelf-slope suspended matter exchanges, which are characterized by cross-canyon advection and near-bottom transfer along the axis of the canyon.

15 páginas, 8 figuras, 3 tablas., Settling particles were collected using sediment traps deployed along three transects in the Lacaze-Duthiers and Cap de Creus canyons and the adjacent southern open slope from October 2005 to October 2006. The settling material was analyzed to obtain total mass fluxes and main constituent contents (organic matter, opal, calcium carbonate, and siliciclastics). Cascades of dense shelf water from the continental shelf edge to the lower continental slope occurred from January to March 2006. They were traced through strong negative near-bottom temperature anomalies and increased current speeds, and generated two intense pulses of mass fluxes in January and March 2006. This oceanographic phenomenon appeared as the major physical forcing of settling particles at almost all stations, and caused both high seasonal variability in mass fluxes and important qualitative changes in settling material. Fluxes during the dense shelf water cascading (DSWC) event ranged from 90.1 g m−2 d−1 at the middle Cap de Creus canyon (1000 m) to 3.2 g m−2 d−1 at the canyon mouth (1900 m). Fractions of organic matter, opal and calcium carbonate components increased seaward, thus diminishing the siliciclastic fraction. Temporal variability of the major components was larger in the canyon mouth and open slope sites, due to the mixed impact of dense shelf water cascading processes and the pelagic biological production. Results indicate that the cascading event remobilized and homogenized large amounts of material down canyon and southwardly along the continental slope contributing to a better understanding of the off-shelf particle transport and the internal dynamics of DSWC events., This research has been supported by HERMES (GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1), SESAME (GOCE-036949), HERMIONE (FP7-ENV-2008-1-226354), and GRACCIE (CSD2007-00067, Consolider-Ingenio Program) research projects, a Generalitat de Catalunya “Grups de Recerca Consolidats” grant (2009 SGR-1305) and a FP7 Marie Curie Reintegration Grant (PERG04-GA-2008-239175). C. Pasqual is supported by an F.P.U. grant from the Spanish government.

A hydrographic survey, comprising 85 stations with measurements of temperature, salinity and turbidity, was performed in the semi-enclosed margin of the Sporades Basin (northwestern Aegean Sea) in June 1987. The data have been used to investigate the shelf-slope suspended matter exchanges in relation to the hydrology. The circulation, derived from hydrographic data, produces complex eddy patterns. The suspended matter distribution, determined from light scattering measurements, indicate a relationship between the suspended matter and the density-related flow field. Transport of suspended matter, supplied by rivers, is traced through the bottom nepheloid layer, mostly over the inner shelf and along the western coastline. There is however some evidence of transfer of suspended matter from the shelf towards the upper slope. The mid-depth nepheloid layer along the slope is thought to relate to advection of terrigenous material by topographically-controlled currents, and its seaward extension is inhibited by a strong anticyclonic circulation in the deep basin.

13 pages, 9 figures, We present a 1-yr (2005-2006) record of organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and their isotopic ratios (δ13Coc and δ15N) in sinking particles from the western Gulf of Lions. Maximum OC and TN fluxes recorded in January 2006 and March-April 2006 were associated with negative near-bottom temperature anomalies. This reveals large inputs of resuspended organic matter from the shelf basinwards to depths > 1500 m by dense shelf-water cascading. The first pulse of organic matter had low δ13Coc (-25.5%0) and N: C (0.08) and high δ15N (6.6%0) values, indicative of the arrival of organic matter of terrestrial origin. In contrast, the second pulse had high δ13Coc (-21.9%0) and N: C (0.15) and extremely low δ15N (0.0%0) values, indicative of the transfer of organic matter with higher marine contribution. Though downslope export of organic matter from the adjacent shelf predominated, particles escaping from surface waters remained an important source of organic matter during low-energy and low-flux periods and especially during summer conditions, with significant contribution of N2 fixation to organic matter export. Overall, our results suggest the export of organic matter from different sources to the deep Mediterranean basin, which in turn might alter within a couple of months the quality of the sedimentary organic matter deposited on the sea floor and thus the dynamics of the deep ecosystems. © 2009, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc, This research has been supported by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (re. MEIF-CT-2006-024068) to A. Sanchez-Vidal, the research projects Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas (ref. GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1), Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem Changes (ref. GOCE-036949), Estudio Integrado de Cañones y Taludes Profundos del Mediterráneo Occidental: un hábitat esencial (ref. CTM2007-66316-C02-01/MAR), Multidisciplinary Research Consortium on Gradual and Abrupt Climate Changes, and Their Impacts on the Environment (ref. CSD2007-00067, Consolider Ingenio 2010 Program), and a Generalitat de Catalunya ‘‘Grups de Recerca Consolidats’’ grant (2005 SGR-00152)

Dense shelf water cascading in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea during winter 2005, which was shown to cause large erosion in the canyons and to influence deep benthic ecosystem, was investigated using numerical modeling validated with temperature and current observations. Intense dense water formation took place on the Gulf of Lion and Catalan shelves. Dense shelf water was transferred to the deep basin through three pathways. The Cap de Creus canyon in the western Gulf of Lion already identified as a huge pathway was shown to export about 1000 km3 of dense water during two months. The Palamos and Blanes canyons located on the Catalan margin were shown to be important pathways for water formed locally and for water transiting from the Gulf of Lion. After the cascading period, dense shelf water was transported mostly toward the Balearic Sea.

5 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables.-- Supporting information http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2007GL032825/suppinfo, During winter 2005–2006, particle fluxes and near-bottom currents were measured in and around the Lacaze-Duthiers and Cap de Creus submarine canyons (western Gulf of Lion). Current anomalies show the occurrence of a major dense shelf water cascading event down to the slope, the latest recorded up to date in the area. Concomitant increased total mass fluxes highlight the ability of cascading waters to transport large amounts of coarse sediment and organic matter, which is predominantly of terrestrial origin. In addition, results reveal that the current regime and associated grain size sorting is the responsible for a geochemical gradient of settling organic particles along the slope, This research has been supported by a Marie Curie individual Fellowship (MEIF-CT-2006-024068) to A. Sánchez Vidal, a FPU fellowship to C. Pasqual, an by the HERMES (GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1), SESAME (GOCE-036949) and PROMETEO (CTM2007-66316-C02-01/MAR) research projects

Special issue Sediment Dynamics in the Gulf of Lions; the Impact of Extreme Events.-- 17 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables Previous work in the Gulf of Lions (western Mediterranean Sea) has suggested that significant amounts of sediment escape through the western part of this tectonically passive margin, despite it being far removed from the primary sediment source (the Rhone River, not, vert, similar160 km to the NE). The primary mechanism behind this export is hypothesized to be the interaction of a regional, southwestward sediment-transport path with a canyon deeply incising the southwestern part of the shelf, Cap de Creus Canyon. To understand the pattern of off-shelf sediment export from the western Gulf of Lions, and more specifically, the role of Cap de Creus Canyon in this transport, box cores were collected within the canyon and on the adjacent shelf during five cruises from November 2003 to April 2005. Geochronology (210Pb-derived accumulation rates), grain-size distributions, and sedimentary structures (X-radiography) were analyzed to assess temporal and spatial sedimentation patterns. Results indicate two mid-shelf depocenters (30–90 m water depth) in the northern and southern portions of the study area, separated by a zone of bypassing due to current acceleration around a headland (Cap Bear). Estimates of a sediment budget indicate that not, vert, similar6–8% of the sediment input to the Gulf is sequestered on the shelf region. Within the Cap de Creus Canyon, there is a significant spatial asymmetry in both grain size and accumulation rates. The northern flank is a modern depocenter of fine-grained sediments, while the southern flank is primarily non-depositional for mud and includes locations of apparent erosion. This suggests the influence of multiple oceanographic processes supplying sediment to the canyon: advection of nepheloid layers from the northern rim that provide a relatively continuous sediment supply (over decadal timescales), and episodic strong currents affecting the southern rim, which can scour sediment from the southern flank. The mid-depth thalweg has an ephemeral mud layer, overlying sand and consolidated mud. The mud layer appears to be flushed down canyon periodically. The canyon head contains coarse material, suggesting reworked sands may be entering. The 100-year sediment budget, based on accumulation rates for the fine-grained fraction in the upper canyon, indicates that not, vert, similar1% of the total sediment input to the Gulf is accumulating in upper Cap de Creus Canyon. However, this number may significantly underestimate the total sediment entering the canyon because water-column measurements show that sediment is likely moving through the upper canyon during major dense-water cascading events from the shelf and being deposited deeper in the canyon system. The ephemeral mud layer also indicates rapid deposition and frequent flushing of sediment through the upper canyon. Overall, this study shows that Cap de Creus Canyon is an active conduit of sediment past the shelf break, despite its location distal to the primary sediment source to the Gulf We would like to thank the Office of Naval Research for funding this work (award numbers N00014-04-1-0082, N00014-99-1-0028 and N00014-04-1-0379)

A general hydrographic and nephelometric survey of the Gulf of Lions margin was undertaken, under autumn conditions. The distribution of suspended material along the margin during this experiment is controlled, at least in part, by the following factors: (a) the hydrography of the shelf-slope waters, i.e. the nepheloid layers follow the isopyenals; and (b) the cyclonic circulation of the water masses (the Liguro-Provencal Current and, in particular the proximity and depth of the Levantine Intermediate Water circulation). On the northeastern part of the margin along the slope, the seaward extension of the nepheloid layers is sharply bounded and is concentrated in canyon heads by the general water circulation. In the southwestern part, the decreasing depth of the major flow of the general circulation and its increased distance seaward from the upper slope allow the seaward and downward expansion of the nepheloid structures. The suspended material extending offshore is swept away and diluted by the general circulation. The stepwise increase toward the southwest, in suspended particulate contents in the slope waters between the northeastern and southwestern ends of the Gulf of Lions, is assumed to be due mainly to inputs from the shelf through the canyons. The Marseille canyon, at the northeastern part of the Gulf of Lions margin, is influenced less by the Rhoˆne and other rivers of the shelf. The influence of the Rhoˆne is seen first at the longitude of the Rhoˆne's canyons. In the southwestern part of the Gulf, the Bourcart and Lacaze-Duthiers canyons are areas through which the suspended material, originating from the whole shelf, passes.

Special issue EUROSTRATAFORM VOL. 1: Source to Sink Sedimentation on the European Margin.-- 14 pages, 8 figures, The importance of short-term processes, such as floods and storms, on sediment delivery and reworking on the Têt inner shelf was investigated. The Têt inner shelf is a small, event-dominated system located in the south-western part of the Gulf of Lions. The expected sedimentary scenario in this environment is that fluvial sediment should be deposited on the prodelta and later dispersed around the shelf and slope by wave and current reworking during storms. This paper investigates differences in inner shelf sediment dynamics between storm events occurring during usual river discharges and those occurring during river floods. Waves, current velocities, near-bottom water turbidity, bottom sediment grain-size and sea-floor erosion/accretion were concurrently measured at 28-m water depth on the Têt inner shelf from November 2003 to March 2004. Two major storms took place on 4 December 2003 and 21 February 2004, and two moderate storms occurred on 8 December 2003 and 14 March 2004. The two major storms displayed similar wave characteristics: maximum significant wave height (Hs)>7 m, peak period (Tp)>12 s and wave direction around 90°. The main environmental differences during the two major storm events correspond to the amount of sediment discharged from the Têt River. About 2 × 104 t of sediment was delivered by the river during the 4 December flood (wet storm) and less than 5 × 102 t during the 21 February storm (dry storm). Sediment dynamics were quite similar during the storm events: resuspension caused by waves and sediment advection towards the southeast due to near-bottom shelf currents were the dominant sedimentary processes. The result was a bottom sediment erosion of several centimetres at the study site during both the wet and dry events. The main differences between the wet and dry events arose after the storm. Immediately after the peak of the wet storm, sediment supplied by the Têt River (and probably from other rivers) was deposited around the river mouth. A few days later, during a moderate storm, this unconsolidated sediment was resuspended, transported offshore and deposited on the inner shelf. In contrast, a moderate storm which occurred some days after the dry February storm caused bottom erosion on the inner shelf, because no fresh sediment was available on the shallower area. The results from this study indicate that the Têt inner shelf at 28-m water depth is mainly a bypass zone for sediment that is transported S-SE towards the middle-outer shelf and slope, although ephemeral sediment deposits may be favoured by the sediment supplied from flood events. Sediment transport across the shelf, from the river to the slope, follows a complex, multi-step pattern that needs to be addressed using a multi-event approach., This study was supported by the EUROSTRATAFORMProject funded by the EU (EVK3-CT-2002–00079), within EU Fifth Framework Programme:Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development

The radionuclides dispersion from the low-level waste drums dumped in the North Atlantic NEA site has been assessed by three independent box models developed in UK, in USA and in France within the international “Co-ordinated Research and Environmental Surveillance Programme”.

International audience; he IGUANES cruise took place in May 2013 on the R/V L'Atalante along the Demerara passive transform margin off French Guiana and Surinam. Seismic, multibeam and chirp acquisitions were made. Piston cores were collected for pore geochemistry and sedimentology. A mooring was deployed on the sea-bottom for 10 months (temperature, salinity, turbidity and current measurements). This new dataset highlights the lateral variability of the 350 km-long Guiana–Surinam transform margin due to the presence of a releasing bend between two transform segments. The adjacent Demerara Plateau is affected by a 350 km-long giant slide complex. This complex initiated in Cretaceous times and was regularly reactivated until recent times. Since the Miocene, contourite processes seem to be active due to the onset of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) bottom current. A main NADW water vein flows towards SE, eroding slide headscarps and allowing the deposition of contourite drifts. Numerous depressions looking like comet tails or comet scours record this flow. Some of those were interpreted before the cruise as active pockmarks. Pore geochemistry and core analysis do not show any evidence of present-day gas seepage.