Incised-valley morphologies and sedimentary-fills within the inner shelf of the northern Bay of Biscay

Eric Chaumillon (1) , Jean-Noël Proust (2) , David D. Menier (3) , Nicolas Weber (4)

1 CLDG - Centre littoral de géophysique
2 GR - Géosciences Rennes
3 LEMEL - Laboratoire d'Etude et Modélisation des Environnements littoraux
4 EPSHOM - EPSHOM. Section Géodésie-Géophysique - Bureau des Ouvrages et des Produits

This study is a first synthesis focused on incised-valleys located within the inner shelf of the Bay of Biscay. It is based on previously published results obtained during recent seismic surveys and coring campaigns. The morphology of the valleys appears to be strongly controlled by tectonics and lithology. The Pleistocene sedimentary cover of the shelf is very thin and discontinuous with a maximum thickness ranging between 30 and 40 m in incised-valley fills. Thus the incised bedrock morphology plays a key-role by controlling hydrodynamics and related sediment transport and deposition that explains some variations of those incised-valley fills with respect to the previously published general models.

Domaines: Géomorphologie; Tectonique; Milieux et Changements globaux; Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]; Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]

Eric Chaumillon, Jean-Noël Proust, David D. Menier, Nicolas Weber. Incised-valley morphologies and sedimentary-fills within the inner shelf of the northern Bay of Biscay. Journal of Marine Systems, 2008, 72 (3-4), pp.383-396. ⟨10.1016/j.jmarsys.2007.05.014⟩. ⟨insu-00295269⟩