Shallow water sea-floor morphologies around Asinara Island (NW Sardinia,Italy) |
| |
| Institution: | 1. US Geological Survey, Lake Erie Biological Station, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870, USA;2. Cornell Biological Field Station, 900 Shackelton Point Road, Bridgeport, NY 13030, USA;3. US Geological Survey, Lake Superior Biological Station, 2800 Lake Shore Drive East, Ashland, WI 54806-2427, USA;4. US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2807, USA;5. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Ontario Management Unit, 41 Hatchery Lane, RR #4, Picton, Ontario K0K 2T0, Canada;6. Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA;7. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 1190 High Street, Fairport Harbor, OH 44077, USA;8. SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station, 5838 State Hwy 80, Cooperstown, NY 13326, USA;9. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1 Passmore Street, Port Dover, Ontario N0A 1N0, Canada;10. Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources, 214 Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | Side scan sonar, high-resolution seismic and multibeam data collected off the coast of Asinara Island in the northernmost part of Sardinia have revealed the occurrence of four distinct acoustical patterns that can be related to four main sea-bed types. The four facies represent fine sand (Type A), medium to coarse sand (Type B), patchy sand cover between basement outcrops (Type C) and a predominantly sandy sea-floor colonized by the seagrass Posidonia Oceanica (Type P). The distribution of the sea-bed types indicates that the study area is characterized by a rather complex morphological setting. A remarkable physiographic difference exists between the eastern and western sector of the island, with the latter being affected by strong, westerly winds, mainly the so-called “Mistral”. The wave climate in this area is dominated by wind waves, which can reach a maximum height of 8 m during winter storms. Sediments are mobilized at water depths greater than 30 m from the sea surface during these energetic oceanographic regimes. We infer that dune fields and sand ribbons are deposited by strong offshore flows along the sea-bed resulting as a consequence of wave- and wind-induced onshore water transport. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
