SUBMARINE SLIDES DURING RELATIVE SEA LEVEL RISE: TWO
EXAMPLES FROM THE EASTERN TYRRHENIAN MARGIN
F. TRINCARDI, A. CATTANEO, A. CORREGGIARI, S. MONGARDI
Istituto di Geologia Marina (CNR), v. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
A. BREDA, A. ASIOLI
Dipartimento di Geologia, Paleontologia e Geofisica, v. Giotto 1, 35137, Padova, and
Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse (CNR), c. Garibaldi 37, 35137, Padova, Italy
Abstract
Two extensive mass-failure deposits originated during the late-Quaternary sea level rise
on the eastern Tyrrhenian margin. The deposits that failed had markedly different
architectures: offshore Cape Licosa, a shelf-margin low-stand wedge failed along its
basal downlap surface; in Paola slope basin, extensive failure on the upper slope
involved a few-m-thick mud drape and older consolidated units. Regardless of their
geometric differences, both failures occurred close to an interval of accelerated lateQuaternary sea-level rise (ca.13.8 cal. kyr BP). This evidence suggests that rapid
drowning of unconsolidated sediment resulted in increased water load; enhanced pore
pressure played a role in favoring failure.
Keywords: Sea-level rise, melt-water pulse, sediment failure, weak layer,
geochronology
1. Introduction
Sea level lowering is commonly invoked as an important predisposing factor or potential
trigger for sediment failure of unconsolidated sediment deposited during previous highstand conditions on continental shelves and slopes (Vail et al., 1977; Coleman et al.,
1983; Mutti, 1985). On Mediterranean margins, a significant portion of the PlioQuaternary stratigraphic record consists of mass-failure deposits including deep-sea fans
(Droz and Bellaiche 1985) and base-of-slope deposits (Farrán and Maldonado 1990;
Nelson et al. 1991). These are clear examples of extensive deep-water mass wasting
deposits originated during the low sea level stand of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).
Despite this compelling evidence, studies from Quaternary continental margins
increasingly document sediment failure during times of relative sea-level rise (Torres et
al., 1995; Lastras et al., 2002); these results hint to a more complex relation between
changing relative sea level and the generation of mass wasting (Ross et al., 1994).
Additional examples of sediment failure during intervals of sea level rise come from two
deposits (the Licosa slide and the Paola Basin mud flow deposit) on the eastern
Tyrrhenian margin (Gallignani, 1982; Trincardi and Field, 1992; Trincardi et al., 1995).
Herein, we review the architecture and age of these deposits to determine if a relation
can be established between sediment failure and precise intervals of increased rates of
sea level rise during the late Quaternary (Fig. 1). This relationship, however, does not
exclude the role of seismicity (Soloviev, 1990) in triggering failure on the tectonicallyactive eastern Tyrrhenian margin.
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2. Methods
This paper is based on the interpretation of 3.5-kHz sub-bottom profiles collected using
a 4-transducer hull-mounted system fired at 0.5-s intervals with a pulse length of 2 ms.
Navigation relied on Loran C and limited D-GPS control to correct the data and shift
them to a WGS84 datum. Fourteen sediment cores were analysed through
sedimentologic description, magnetic-susceptibility scans, grain-size analyses and
micro-paleontological content.
Geo-chronological control comes from
biostratigraphic correlations based on
planktic
foraminifera
ecostratigraphy
(Capotondi et al., 1999; Asioli et al., 1999)
supported by AMS 14C dates and
tephrochronology (Calanchi et al., 1996).
Whole-core magnetic susceptibility logs
allowed precise physical correlations
among coring sites.
Figure 1. Location of Licosa (LS) and Paola Basin
(PB) slides on the eastern Tyrrheninan margin. Both
slides occur on the upper slope and resulted in
3. Results
We reconstruct the key architectural elements of two complex mass-failure deposits on
the eastern Tyrrhenian margin (Fig. 1). By reconstructing geometries and stratigraphic
contexts we expect to improve the definition of the timing and mechanisms of these
failure deposits. The timing of both failures is constrained by the age of the underlying
deposits and overlying sediment drapes. Herein we adopt the event stratigraphy
proposed for the late-Glacial-Interglacial Transition by Bjorck et al. (1998) and
extended to the Mediterranean as proposed by Asioli et al. (1999).
3.1 LICOSA SLIDE
Setting. Offshore Cape Licosa, the growth of a tectonic slope ridge generated a narrow
E-W-trending slope basin in water depths between 250 and 300 m. Along its axis, this
elongated basin shows a slightly shallower sill separating an eastern confined basin from
a western basin connected to a deeply-incised canyon system. On the upper slope,
Licosa slide generated rafted blocks and flow deposits that accumulated in both subbasins (Figs. 2 and 3). The unit that failed consists exclusively of shelf-margin
progradational deposit that accumulated during the Last Glacial Maximum (Trincardi
and Field, 1991). The original internal geometry of these deposits is characterized by
low-angle downlapping reflectors that are truncated at their top by a shelf-wide erosion
surface and converge seaward into a draped unit of plane parallel reflectors (Trincardi
Submarine slides during relative sea-level rise, eastern Tyrrhenian margin
471
and Field, 1992). Sediment cores show that the prograding deposit is composed of finegrained sand in proximal areas and becomes muddy on the upper slope; volcanogenic
material, including large pumice pebbles, is present at several stratigraphic intervals.
The depocentre of the shelf-margin deposit that partially failed is elongated parallel to
the shelf margin indicating the importance of near-shore sediment redistribution at sea
level low stand. On seismic profiles, the downlap surface at the base of the shelf-margin
deposit is affected by short-distance amplitude variations and irregularities that are
consistent with the presence of gas charged sediment accompanied by incipient
deformation (Fig. 3, upper). Licosa slide is about 30 km2 in extent and occupies a
restricted portion of this broader mobilisation area (Fig. 2). Gentle compression above
the basal surface occurs upslope of the slide scar (Trincardi and Field, 1992 and Fig. 3).
Architecture. Licosa slide is composed of distinctive depositional elements above the
basal mobilisation surface (Figs. 2 and 3):
1) Remnant blocks, seaward of the slide scar, are characterized by a very irregular
bathymetry, locally accompanied by diffraction hyperbolae on 3.5-kHz profiles (Fig. 3).
The blocks are in situ on the basal slip plane; no evidence of rotation is observed
because: a) where detectable, plane-parallel reflectors within the blocks parallel the
basal surface and the section below it; b) the block height never exceeds the thickness of
the failed progradational wedge at the slide scar; c) no blocks appear to have been
thrusted thereby generating duplications of section.
Figure 2. Location and internal subdivisions of Licosa slide, affecting a progradational shelf-margin deposit
along its basal downlap surface. The thickness distribution of the shelf-margin deposit exceeds 45 ms in the
depocenter but less than 15 ms in the area affected by failure. Note that evidence of sediment mobilisation on
the basal downlap surface is broader than the extent of the failure itself.
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Trincardi et al.
Figure 3. Seismic profiles illustrating the main elements of Licosa slide. The evidence of mobilization on the
basal downlap surface extends landward, beyond the slide scar. See Fig.2 for patterns on profile location map.
2) Exposed basal surface is at the seafloor in steeper slope areas (comprised between 1Û
and 3ÛZKHUHWKHHQWLUHPRELOLVHGVHFWLRQZDVUHPRYHG)LJVDQGIXUWKHUVHDZDUG
the basal surface plunges beneath the mass-transport deposits that fill the slope basin.
3) Slope basin fill presents two styles. In the eastern basin, extensive slide slabs have
preserved internal stratigraphy and appear only gently folded indicating that
compression occurred against the walls of the slope basin; in the western basin,
translated deposits underwent more intense remolding as indicated by the presence of
acoustically transparent seismic facies. Part of these deposits spilled into a canyon and
moved further downslope to the west.
Age of slide. The downlap surface at the base of the sediment section that failed
represents the base of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Failure occurred after lowstand progradation had ceased, because the slide scar is not filled by similar
progradational deposits. A mud unit of roughly uniform thickness drapes the slide area
(Fig. 4); micro-paleontological determinations indicate that this drape encompasses the
interval since the upper portion of GI1 interstadial (Bijork et al., 1998; Asioli et al.,
1999). Interestingly, in all cores the lower portion of GI1 is reduced or missing at the
base of the post-slide drape; this stratigraphic incompleteness extends to the C2 tephra
Submarine slides during relative sea-level rise, eastern Tyrrhenian margin
473
(Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, ca. 14.3 cal. kyr BP), even though the study area is not far
from the source of this widely reported Mediterranean tephra (Calanchi et al., 1996).
Figure 4. Physical correlation scheme for Licosa slide (based on magnetic susceptibility logs) with main
biostratigraphic control from cores. The 14C date on a boreal mollusc (P. septemradiatum) close to the basal
downlap surface is consistent with a LGM origin of the progradational wedge (dark gray, below). The post
slide drape (light gray on core correlation scheme) encompasses the last ca. 13,000 cal years BP. Upper and
lower black intervals within Holocene drape denote climatic optimum and sapropel S1, respectively.
3.2 PAOLA BASIN MUD-FLOW DEPOSIT
Setting. A basin-wide (> 600 km2) failure deposit is found on the sea floor of Paola slope
basin (Fig. 5). The deposit is elongated parallel to the regional slope in water depths
between 400 and 700 m. The deposit is 5x109 m3 in volume and appears separated into
two major elements by the depositional relief created by an older overbank wedge. The
mass-failure deposit is composed of fine-grained sediment derived from the failure of a
relatively thin section of late Quaternary deposits over a broad slope region. Although
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Trincardi et al.
difficult to resolve on the steep upper slope, several minor coalescing slide scars are
found along the shelf edge region; the failed section was quite thin but failure affected a
broad area. An acoustically transparent drape covers the slide and adjacent sea floor. On
the slide, where sea-floor topography is irregular, the drape is not resolved on 3.5-kHz
profiles, but can be resolved in cores and dated.
Figure 5. Thickness distribution of Paola Basin slide. Maximum thickness is in the proximal subunit at the
base of the upper slope. Note deposit thickening in the distal subunit in an area of sub-horizontal sea floor.
Submarine slides during relative sea-level rise, eastern Tyrrhenian margin
475
Figure 6. Sesismic profile across the distal portion of Paola Basin slide and adjacent basin floor where cores
were collected to constrain the age of the deposits.
Figure 7. Core correlation scheme through Paola Basin slide and adjacent undeformed basin floor deposits.
Biostratigraphy from Capotondi et al. (1999) and 14C dates from Mongardi (1994) in calibrated years BP.
Timing of slide deposit is within GI-1 (Asioli et al., 1999). Black intervals within Holocene are as in Fig. 4.
Architecture. Three subunits characterize the deposit on 3.5-kHz profiles:
1) The proximal subunit (Figs. 5 and 6) shows hyperbolic returns that correspond to the
abrupt edges of larger blocks. This subunit occupies the base of the slope down to 550600 m water depth, where gradients are between 2Û DQG Û DQG KDV D OLPLWed alongmargin extent. The thickness of this subunit is up to 25 m.
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Trincardi et al.
2) The transitional subunit (Figs. 5 and 6) is widespread but rather thin (less than 4 m)
and occurs where the gradient on the sea floor is typically 1.5Û WKH DFRXVWLF IDFLHV LV
transparent with minor hyperbolae on the irregular top.
3) The distal subunit rests on the sub-horizontal sea floor of the slope basin and shows a
greater thickness (up to about 8 m) compared to the transitional subunit (Figs. 5 and 6).
The distal subunit is transparent on acoustic profiles and rests on turbidite-bearing
plane-parallel beds through an erosional contact (Fig. 6).
Age of slide. Sediment cores reached the mass-failure deposit and older units on the
adjacent basin floor, beneath a uniform mud drape of about 2 m (Fig. 7). The age of the
mass-failure deposit is between 13 and 14 cal. kyr BP. On the basin floor adjacent to the
mass-failure deposit, gravity cores penetrated several turbidite beds deposited during the
Last Glacial Maximum and in the lower part of GI-1. Seismic profiles and core
correlation allow tracing this turbidite-bearing unit under the mass-failure deposit (Fig.
6), constraining its age to be younger than approximately 14 cal. kyr BP. This age
assignment is consistent with the age of the basin wide drape mantling the deposit. This
mud drape contains the tephra layer of the 79 A.D. Plinian eruption of Vesuvius and a
thin turbidite bed of ca 12.9 cal. kyr close to its base (Fig. 7). The recognition of main
planktonic foraminifera ecozones typical of Allerod and younger intervals (Capotondi et
al., 1999) confirms that the drape deposited during the last ca. 13.5 cal. kyr (Tab. 1).
Table 1. Samples calibration of AMS 14C ages in cores PB91-1, -2, and -8 according to Stuiver and Reimer
(1993). Regional mean value of delta R for the Tyrrhenian Sea cames from “The marine reservoir correction
database” compiled by Paula Reimer available online at: http://depts.washington.edu/qil/marine/.
*Calibrated age is given as: 1sigma maximum cal. age (cal. age intercepts) minimum cal. age.
Depth in core
CAMS
calibrated age
14
Core
C Radiocarbon AMS age
lab n.
(cm)
yrs BP*
PB91-1 12134
186-188
10190±70
12894(12720)12419
PB91-2 12136
144-145
10180±60
11287(10946)10835
PB91-2 12132
173-175
11340±90
12971(12888)12659
PB91-2 12133
247-249
13240±70
15530(15338)14409
PB91-2 12135
403-405
17050±90
20004(19672)19353
PB91-8 12137
62-64
7270±60
7736(7669)7618
PB91-8 12127
93-94
9490±70
10295(10260)9869
PB91-8 12128
203-205
15510±80
18187(17900)17630
PB91-8 12129
403-405
27210±260
PB91-8 12130
540-542
34770±660
-
delta R
45±21
45±21
45±21
45±21
45±21
45±21
-
4. Discussion and conclusion
Licosa and Paola basin mass-failure deposits are rather different in style, location
relative to the shelf edge, and extent of down-slope translation. However, regardless of
their architectural differences, both deposits formed during the late-Quaternary relative
sea level rise and reinforce the evidence for sediment failure during rising sea levels.
The sediment draping both failures shows an incomplete basal portion of the Late
Glacial-Interglacial Transition (lower part of GI-1). Based on the timing of the onset of
the post-slide drapes, failure occurred close to melt-water pulse 1A (mwp1A), the
Submarine slides during relative sea-level rise, eastern Tyrrhenian margin
477
interval of maximum rate of relative sea level rise during the last Termination
(Fairbanks, 1989; Bard et al., 1996; Fig. 8). The precise timing of this interval of peak
melt water production has been constrained to be close to 13.8 cal. kyr BP (Bard et al.,
1996). Recent estimates of the rate of sea level rise during mwp1A are in the order of 20
m in 500 years (Clark et al., 1996). This evidence suggests that rapid loading by
drowning of unconsolidated sediment played a role in generating failure. This view is
consistent with the evidence that, in both areas, failure coincides with a marked change
in sedimentation style. Such change reflects a substantial landward shift of sediment
entry points and decrease in sediment accumulation rates, both consistent with the
draped stile of post-failure deposition. If refined dating becomes available, an increasing
number of failure events in the Mediterranean may show a relation between the timing
of sediment failure and the timing of increased rate in relative sea-level rise during melt
water pulses: mwp1A (e.g., this study) or mwp1B (e.g., BIG’95 debris flow; Lastras et
al., 2002).
We speculate that both Licosa and Paola failures formed in response to the following
combination of predisposing factors and triggers: 1) during the LGM, rapid deposition
on the upper slope resulted in the formation of a potentially unstable sediment section
resting on a well defined basal surface; 2) when sea level rise reached peak rates
(mwp1A), the hydrostatic load increased the pore pressure within the recently-deposited
sediments; 3) failure occurred in response to this increase of hydrostatic load and/or in
response to cyclic loading imparted by earthquake shocks, which are common and large
on the tectonically-active eastern Tyrrhenian margin.
Figure 8. Geochronology of Licosa and Paola
Basin slides relative to the timing of increased
melt-water production (mwp1A) and enhanced
late-Quaternary relative sea-level rise. Similarly,
BIG’95 (from Lastras et al., 2002), appears
associated to mwp1B. Timing of mwp1A and 1B is
from Bard et al. (1996), and Clark et al. (1996).
5. Acknowledgements
Data for this paper were re-interpreted within the Italian GNDT project on geologic
risks in offshore areas. We thank Franco Ricci Lucchi, Marco Roveri and Rob
Wheatcroft for their thorough reviews and stimulating comments. This is IGM
contribution n 1305.
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