Author:
López-Pérez A. E.,Rubio B.,Rey D.,Plaza-Morlote M.
Abstract
AbstractSurficial sediments on the seafloor from passive continental margins can provide insight into recent Late Quaternary sedimentary dynamics acting over offshore sedimentary systems. This work focuses on the study of some particular ferruginous tubular structures resembling bioforms (FTB) located in the distal Galician Continental Margin (NW Iberian Margin) at water depths between ~ 1550 and ~ 2200 m. The characterisation of these structures made it possible to study in depth their formation environment and subsequent sedimentary evolution during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. The FTB consist of goethite with a framboidal texture. They were interpreted as formed by an initial pyrite precipitation in reducing microenvironments conditioned by the activity of sediment-dwelling organisms during the early diagenesis. This is followed by the oxidation of pyrite by a combination of hydrothermal fluids and erosional processes, which triggers the formation of the framboidal oxyhydroxides. The data allowed obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the environmental context and the significance of these ferruginous tubules, as there are no previous studies in the scientific literature that describe these structures in a source-to-sink sedimentary system.
Funder
ministerio de economía y competitividad
ministerio de ciencia e innovación
consellería de cultura, educación e ordenación universitaria, xunta de galicia
Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia
Universidade de Vigo
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous),Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology,Environmental Science (miscellaneous),Oceanography