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A new pathway for Deep water exchange between the Natal Valley and Mozambique Basin?

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Abstract

Although global thermohaline circulation pathways are fairly well known, the same cannot be said for local circulation pathways. Within the southwest Indian Ocean specifically there is little consensus regarding the finer point of thermohaline circulation. We present recently collected multibeam bathymetry and PARASOUND data from the northern Natal Valley and Mozambique Ridge, southwest Indian Ocean. These data show the Ariel Graben, a prominent feature in this region, creates a deep saddle across the Mozambique Ridge at ca. 28°S connecting the northern Natal Valley with the Mozambique Basin. Results show a west to east change in bathymetric and echo character across the northern flank of the Ariel Graben. Whereby eroded plastered sediment drifts in the west give way to aggrading plastered sediment drift in the midgraben, terminating in a field of seafloor undulations in the east. In contrast, the southern flank of the Ariel Graben exhibits an overall rugged character with sediments ponding in bathymetric depressions in between rugged sub/outcrop. It is postulated that this change in sea-floor character is the manifestation of deep water flow through the Ariel Graben. Current flow stripping, due to increased curvature of the graben axis, results in preferential deposition of suspended load in an area of limited accommodation space consequently developing an over-steepened plastered drift. These deposited sediments overcome the necessary shear stresses, resulting in soft sediment deformation in the form of down-slope growth faulting (creep) and generation of undulating sea-floor morphology. Contrary to previous views, our works suggests that water flows from west to east across the Mozambique Ridge via the Ariel Graben.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the BMBF (Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung) for funding the scientific projects (contract numbers 03G0183A, 03G0730A). The crews of RV Sonne (AISTEK II) and RV Pelagia (AISTEK III) are acknowledged for their excellent support and expertise in the data acquisition phases. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (Innovation Scholarship) (83799) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DAAD-NRF. Prof. Dr. BW Flemming and Dr. AK Martin are thanked for their welcomed reviews of the initial manuscript. Their input added greatly to the revised manuscript.

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  1. Geological Sciences, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X 54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa

    Errol Wiles, Andrew Green & Mike Watkeys

  2. Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am Alten Hafen 26, Bremerhaven, 27568, Germany

    Wilfried Jokat & Ralf Krocker

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  1. Errol Wiles
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Wiles, E., Green, A., Watkeys, M. et al. A new pathway for Deep water exchange between the Natal Valley and Mozambique Basin?. Geo-Mar Lett 34, 525–540 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-014-0383-1

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