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Morphological control of slope instability in contourites: a geotechnical approach

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Abstract

Contourite drifts are sediment bodies formed by the action of bottom currents. They are common features found on continental slopes and are often affected by slope failure. However, processes controlling slope instability in contourite depositional systems are still not well constrained, and it is not clear whether contourites have particular properties that make them more susceptible to slope failure. In this study, we compare sedimentological and geotechnical properties of contouritic and hemipelagic sediments within the Corsica Trough (northern Tyrrhenian Sea) using geophysical data sets and sediment cores in order to get a better understanding of the controlling factors of slope stability. Geomorphological and slope stability analyses reveal that differences in sediment properties have little influence on the location of submarine landslides, in comparison with the morphology of the drifts. Hence, the steep downslope flanks of plastered drift deposits are the most susceptible zones for local failure initiation. Moreover, as erosion is common at the foot of plastered drifts, undercutting is thought to contribute to the development of large-scale failure up to the point that submarine landslides are triggered.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Captain and the crew of the CORFAN, CORFAN 2, SIGOLO, GOLODRILL, PAMELA-PAPRICA, PRISME2 and PRISME3 surveys. We are grateful to Marzia Rovere, Fabio Trincardi, Andrea Gallerani and Patrizia Giordano for the grain size analysis at the CNR-ISMAR laboratories and to the Collège Doctoral International of the Université Européene de Bretagne and the Conseil Régional de Bretagne for having awarded E. Miramontes with a travel grant during her stay at CNR-ISMAR. The thesis of E. Miramontes and the cruise PRISME2-PAPRICA were co-funded by TOTAL and Ifremer as part of the PAMELA (Passive Margins Exploration Laboratories) scientific project. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions that improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IFREMER, Géosciences Marines, 29280, Plouzané, France

    Elda Miramontes, S. Garziglia, N. Sultan, G. Jouet & A. Cattaneo

  2. CNRS, UMR6538, Domaines Océaniques, IUEM-UBO, 29280, Plouzané, France

    Elda Miramontes

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  1. Elda Miramontes
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  2. S. Garziglia
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Correspondence to Elda Miramontes.

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Miramontes, E., Garziglia, S., Sultan, N. et al. Morphological control of slope instability in contourites: a geotechnical approach. Landslides 15, 1085–1095 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-018-0956-6

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