Multiple drivers of particle fluxes in the Blanes submarine canyon and southern open slope: Results of a year round experiment

To characterize the temporal and spatial variability of total mass fluxes in the Blanes submarine canyon and the nearby southern open slope, eight near-bottom sediment traps were deployed at 300, 900, 1200 and 1500 m along the canyon axis, and at 900, 1200, 1500 and 1800 m of water depth on the southern open slope from November 2008 to November 2009. The results obtained show that mass fluxes were higher into the canyon, ranging from 0.05 to 82.67 g m−2 d−1, compared with those from the open slope that ranged from 0.01 to 9.91 g m2 d−1. Both environments were highly influenced by atmospheric forcing and showed increased total mass fluxes during autumn and winter months. The spatial distribution of total mass fluxes and major constituents (organic matter, carbonate, opal and lithogenics) highlights the contrasts amongst the two physiographic domains in the study area (canyons vs. open slope). The temporal evolution of particle fluxes shows three distinct situations succeeding each other along the year. These are determined by: (1) storms in autumn and winter, driving 60% of the annual total mass flux in Blanes Canyon and 44% in the open slope stations, and also 60% and 40% of the annual OC flux in Blanes Canyon and the southern open slope, respectively; (2) open sea convection in late winter and spring, which is accompanied by a phytoplankton bloom and drives 13% of the settling OC in the canyon and 34% in the open slope; and (3) dust inputs and resuspension by bottom trawling in late spring and -summer months, driving 17% of the annual OC flux in the canyon and 18% in the slope.