R/V METEOR Short Cruise Report M167 (GPF 18-2_040) - Long-term monitoring of fluid and solid emissions at the African-Eurasian tectonic boundary in the Alboran Sea and the Gulf of Cadiz, Emden (Germany), 11.10.2020 – 05.11.2020

Abstract

(...) the aim of expedition M167 was to study the recent condition of fluid and solid emissions at the plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa and retrieve three long-term dataset of in situ temperature, pressure and conductivity data (2018-2020). Due to the privileged location of these so called “MeBo CORKS” observatories on two active faults and on the Ginsburg mud volcano (MV), the monitored parameters will allow us to shed much needed light on the relationship between EQs and fluid emission in the Gulf of Cadiz. The expedition M167 scientific objectives will contribute to understand the episodic nature of the Southwestern Iberian Margin’s seismicity by answering three critical questions: - What does monitoring of active fluid emission features reveal about seismicity in the 2018-2020 period? - How is fluid flow in the accretionary prism connected to the distribution of seafloor features in the Gulf of Cadiz? - Were there any changes related to active tectonics between the M149 and the M167 cruises (e.g. geochemical fluid signatures, morphology, etc.)? (...)