Gulf of Cádiz

Coordinates: 36°50′N 7°10′W / 36.833°N 7.167°W / 36.833; -7.167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gulf of Cádiz
Map showing the Gulf of Cádiz.
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates36°50′N 7°10′W / 36.833°N 7.167°W / 36.833; -7.167
Basin countriesSpain
Average depth200 to 4,000 m (660 to 13,120 ft)
A satellite image of the Gulf of Cádiz.
Map showing the Gulf of Cádiz and surrounding area.

The Gulf of Cádiz (

Tinto, and the Guadalete, reach the ocean
here.

The Gulf of Cádiz is located in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean between 34°N and 37°15′N and 6°W to 9°45′W.

Strait of Gibraltar.[1]

Geology

The geological history of the Gulf of Cádiz is intimately related to

plate tectonic interaction between Southern Eurasia and North Africa and is driven by two major mechanisms:[2]

  • subduction associated with the westward emplacement of the Gibraltar Arc and formation of the Gulf of Cádiz accretionary wedge.[3] The current activity of the subduction is unclear, with some advocating ongoing active subduction.[2] Others suggest that subduction is inactive and that a new plate boundary has recently formed along a series of prominent WNW–ESE trending lineaments acting as a dextral strike-slip (transform) plate boundary.[4]
  • oblique lithosphere collision between
    Iberia and Nubia. Oblique convergence between Africa (Nubia) and Iberia (Eurasia) occurs here at about 4 mm (0.16 in) per year in a NW–SE direction.[5][6] Some have suggested this may also be causing active thrusting in the Gulf of Cádiz.[2][7]
Tectonic map of the Gulf of Cádiz region

It is now well established that the whole area is under compressive deformation and that mud volcanism and processes associated with the escape of hydrocarbon-rich fluids sustain a broad diversity of chemosynthetic assemblages.[1] The accretionary wedge formed by subduction represents an extensive area which encompasses over forty mud volcanoes (a type of cold seep), at depths ranging from 200 to 4,000 m (660 to 13,120 ft) (confirmed by coring), and active methane seepage has been documented on several locations.[1][8]

Biota

The occurrence of chemosymbiotic biota in the extensive mud volcano fields of the Gulf of Cádiz was first reported in 2003.

Idas sp.; Lucinidae: Lucinoma asapheus; Thyasiridae: Thyasira vulcolutre, Spinaxinus sentosus; Vesicomyidae: Isorropodon perplexum, Isorropodon megadesmus, Callogonia cyrili, Christineconcha regab, Laubiericoncha chuni and Pliocardia sp.[1] There is high degree of endemism within chemosymbiotic bivalve assemblages.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^
    PMID 21976991
    .
  2. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2012.08.038
    .
  3. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1071:efasbg>2.0.co;2
    .
  4. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.005
    .
  5. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2006.08.004
    .
  6. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.05.048
    .
  7. doi:10.1130/G33107.1
    .
  8. ^
    doi:10.1016/s0025-3227(02)00685-0
    .
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