Herein we characterize the eastern Gulf of Cadiz, proximal to the Strait of Gibraltar, using a multidisciplinary approach that combines oceanographic, morphosedimentary and stratigraphic studies. Two terraces (upper and lower) were identified along the middle slope. They comprise of several associated morphologic elements, including two large erosive channels, which determine a new and more detailed understanding of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) pathway and its deceleration upon exiting the Strait of Gibraltar. There is evidence for along-slope circulation, and an additional secondary circulation oblique to the main flow. The present upper core of the MOW flows along the upper terrace and the present lower core along the lower terrace. However, the lower terrace shows larger and better-defined erosive features on the seafloor than does the upper terrace, which we attribute to a denser, deeper and faster MOW circulation that prevailed during past cold-climate times. Development of the present features was not established until the Late Pliocene-Early Quaternary, when the MOW enhanced, coeval with global cooling, a sea-level fall and an increase in Thermohaline Circulation (THC)

2nd Deep-Water Circulation Congress: The Contourite Log-book, 10-12 September 2014, Ghent, Belgium.-- Hernández-Molina, Francisco J. ... et. al.-- 2 pages, 1 figure

This research was supported through the projects CTM 2008-06399-C04/MAR and CTM 2012-39599-C03

Peer Reviewed