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Ocean Circulation Over North Atlantic Underwater Features in the Path of the Mediterranean Outflow Water: The Ormonde and Formigas Seamounts, and the Gazul Mud Volcano

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Ocean Circulation Over North Atlantic Underwater Features in the Path of the Mediterranean Outflow Water: The Ormonde and Formigas Seamounts, and the Gazul Mud Volcano

DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00702

Type: Publication

Year: 2019

Citations: 12

AZORES DEEP-SEA RESEARCH
Publication Open access December 2019

Ocean Circulation Over North Atlantic Underwater Features in the Path of the Mediterranean Outflow Water: The Ormonde and Formigas Seamounts, and the Gazul Mud Volcano

Frontiers in Marine Science

10.3389/fmars.2019.00702
Open DOI
Total authors
14
Involved team members
3
Citations
12
References
57

Citations by year

6 years
2025
3
2024
1
2023
1
2022
2
2021
4
2020
1

Related to this work

ATLAS MedWaves 2016

Abstract

Seamounts constitute an obstacle to the ocean circulation, modifying it. As a result, a variety of hydrodynamical processes and phenomena may take place over seamounts, among others, flow intensification, current deflection, upwelling, Taylor caps, and internal waves. These oceanographic effects may turn seamounts into very productive ecosystems with high species diversity, and in some cases, are densely populated by benthic organisms, such corals, gorgonians, and sponges. In this study, we describe the oceanographic conditions over seamounts and other underwater features in the path of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW), where populations of benthic suspensions feeders have been observed. Using CTD, LADPC and biochemical measurements carried out in the Ormonde and Formigas seamounts and the Gazul mud volcano (Northeast Atlantic), we show that Taylor caps were not observed in any of the sampled features. However, we point out that the relatively high values of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency in the MOW halocline, in conjunction with the slope of the seamount flanks, set up conditions for the breakout of internal waves and amplification of the currents. This may enhance the vertical mixing, resuspending the organic material deposited on the seafloor and, therefore, increasing the food availability for the communities dominated by benthic suspension feeders. Thus, we hypothesize that internal waves could be improving the conditions for benthic suspension feeders to grow on the slope of seamounts.

Authors

3 involved team members
Á
Ángela Mosquera Giménez
0000-0001-5509-7493

Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

P
Pedro Vélez-Belchí
0000-0003-2404-5679

Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

J
Jesús Rivera
0000-0002-9766-7105

Servicios Centrales, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

+1 more

S
Safo Piñeiro
0000-0003-0142-2398

Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

N
Noelia Fajar
0000-0001-9560-4381

Centro Oceanográfico de a Coruña, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

+1 more

V
Verónica Caínzos
0000-0003-2666-1862

IOCAG, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Instituto de Oceanografiìa y Cambio Global, ULPGC, Unidad Asociada ULPGC-CSIC, Spain

R
Rosa Balbín
0000-0001-5231-1300

Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

J
Juan Antonio Jiménez Aparicio
0000-0003-3270-5542

Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

+1 more

J
Jordi Blasco-Ferre

Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Centro OKEANOS, Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, Portugal

+2 more

P
Patricia Puerta
0000-0003-4413-4601

Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

+1 more

C
Covadonga Orejas
0000-0002-2580-1002

Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain

+1 more

Record details

Type
article
Language
EN
Volume
6
ISSN
2296-7745

Keywords

Seamount Oceanography Benthic zone Geology Internal wave Upwelling Water mass Ocean current Volcano Paleontology

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Governo dos Açores
Oceano Azul
Eurofleets
FCT
FCT Investigador
Governo dos Açores
Portugal 2020
Rolex
RP
RP Ciência
União Europeia

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