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Calabrian Arc Mud Volcanoes

As part of the DFG project CALVADOS, we are investigating mud volcanoes of the Ionian Sea along the Calabrian Arc, which represents part of the Euro / African collision zone. With over 500 mud volcanoes, the eastern Mediterranean is probably the region with the most submarine mud volcanoes. While the mud volcanoes in the Hellenic and Cyprus arcs as well as in the Nile fan were examined intensively, the mud volcanoes of the Calabrian Arch are predominantly unknown. Hydro-acoustic measurements and sampling of mud breccias using gravity cores identified 54 mud volcanoes in the pre-Messinian inner accretionary wedge.

Lagekarte
Lokation vom Venere Schlammvulkan im Forearc-Becken (b) des Kalabrischen Bogens (a) mit 3D-Blick auf die Rückstreukarte des Schlammvulkans und seinen Methanaustrittstellen (Loher et al 2018, DSRI).

The investigations during METEOR (M112 in 2014) have confirmed the presence of around 25 more mud volcanoes in the region and have shown that only the Venere mud volcano is active, as it will be accompanied by recent gas emissions that have been detected hydro-acoustically. In addition to Venere MV, the DFG project will primarily examine Satori MV, Cetus MV and POSEIDON MV. During further POSEIDON expeditions (PO499 and PO515), both 2D and 3D seismic investigations of individual mud volcanoes and gravity coring were carried out on the more recent mud volcanic activity.

Venere Schlammvulkan mit Interpretation des Fluidtransportes (Loher et al. 2018, Scientific Report)
Interpretation of fluid flow at Venere mud volcano (Loher et al. 2018, Scientific Report).
3D-bild
3D-view of Venere mud volcano showing gas emission sites at the caldera rim and at the active outflow region (M. Loher).
Schlammbrekzie an bord von FS POSEIDON im Rahmen der Expedition PO499 (M. Loher).
Mud breccia recovered by a gravity corer during R/V POSEIDON cruise PO499 (M. Loher).
AUV-Seal
Micro-bathymetry of Venere mud volcano, acquired by MARUM AUV SEAL during several cruises.
Karte der Meeresbodenrückstreuung vom Venere Schlammvulkan
Backscatter map from Venere mud volcano.
Datierung der Schlammvulkanablagerungen von Loher et al. (2018, G3).
Dating of mud flow deposits from Loher et al. (2018, G3).

Project leader:

Michael Riedel (GEOMAR)
Phone: +49 431-600-2332
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Gerhard Bohrmann (MARUM)
Phone: +49 421 218-65050
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PhD student:                                

Mechtild Doll (MARUM)
Phone: +49 421 218-65055
Mail: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]