Anton Dohrn Seamount
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The Anton Dohrn Seamount is a guyot in the Rockall Trough in the northeast Atlantic. It is high and is topped with pinnacles, one of which reaches a depth of . Away from the flat top upon which the pinnacles rest, the slopes fall off steeply into the Rockall Trough and a moat in the sediment that surrounds the seamount. It appears to be a
volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
formed by
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
and tuff. It formed during the
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
and Paleogene and was proposed to be a source for
bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...
layers across the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
. After the Cretaceous, subsidence and erosion lowered its top until it sank below sea level. The seamount was discovered in 1958. Anton Dohrn Seamount hosts a diverse ecosystem characterized by reefs formed by cold water corals, sponges and xenophyophorans, which themselves host a number of animals. It has been affected by human fishing operations, however.


Name and research history

Anton Dohrn Seamount is also known as Anton Dohrn Kuppe, a name used by German charts, and as Anton Dohrn bank. It was discovered on 22 September 1958 by the survey vessel ''Gauss'' during the Polarfront programme and later surveyed on 18–19 April 1959 by the fishery research vessel .


Geography and geomorphology

Anton Dohrn Seamount is located in the northeast
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
west of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, approximately halfway between St Kilda (
Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
) and Rockall, about west of the former. It lies in the Rockall Trough, an over deep submarine depression of unclear origin. North-northeast lies the Rosemary Bank and Hebrides Terrace Seamount is found south-southeast from the seamount. The seamount is located inside the
exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
of the United Kingdom. Anton Dohrn Seamount is a high and about wide circular guyot with a flat top at depth. Flat-topped seamounts are unusual in the North Atlantic. The shallowest point of the seamount lies at about depth and is formed by a pinnacle that protrudes from the deep summit platform. A thick layer of sediment covers the flat top and appears to be reworked by storms and sea currents. Mounds, slope breaks and other volcanic pinnacles are located on the flat top. The seamount tilts southeastward. Beyond the margin of the flat top, the slopes of Anton Dohrn Seamount drop down to depth. The steep slopes have been variously described as either lacking a sediment cover or featuring gravelly sediments along with outcropping bedrock. There are
cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...
s,
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
s and rockfalls but no gullies or canyons. Parasitic cones lie on the northwestern slope. A moat surrounds the seamount and reaches depths of about . It might have formed either through erosion of surrounding sediments by ocean currents or through isostatic subsidence.


Geology

The crust underneath Anton Dohrn Seamount is much thinner than underneath the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
and the Rockall Plateau east and west of the seamount, respectively, and the Mohorovičić discontinuity is located at a shallower depth. It may be either stretched
continental crust Continental crust is the layer of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks that forms the geological continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as '' continental shelves''. This layer is sometimes called '' si ...
or
oceanic crust Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...
, and is covered by sediments. At Anton Dohrn Seamount it appears to be unusually shallow, perhaps due to the Iceland plume's buoyancy. The Iceland plume has uplifted terrain as far as from the plume. A long crustal lineament known as the Anton Dohrn Lineament crosses through the seamount; it may extend into Scotland and Rockall Bank and runs in northwest–southeast direction. Anton Dohrn Seamount is probably formed mostly by
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
and tuffs which define a transitional to alkaline suite. The rocks contain
feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...
and
olivine The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron Silicate minerals, silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of Nesosilicates, nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle, it is a com ...
phenocrysts as well as plagioclase. They are covered with ferromanganese crusts and vesicles contain
carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group ...
s,
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
and zeolites which formed through alteration. Chalks of
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...
ian age,
Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
nearshore conglomerates and
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
muds and sands have also been recovered. A
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
rock has been dredged as well; it may be a dropstone from icebergs and such exotic rocks have been found in other dredge samples.


Geologic history

Anton Dohrn Seamount is a former volcano.
Radiometric dating Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to Chronological dating, date materials such as Rock (geology), rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurity, impurities were selectively incorporat ...
of volcanic rocks dredged from it has yielded ages of 70 ± 1, 62 ± 1, 47 ± 1 and 41 ± 1 million years ago, indicating episodic activity over 29 million years. Pulses of volcanic activity of similar age have been identified at other volcanoes in the region and may reflect fluctuations of the Iceland plume. The onset of volcanic activity may have been the consequence of crustal extension in the region. The activity during the
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
implies that rifting in the North Atlantic was already underway at that time. At that time, the Rockall Trough was at least deep. Xenoliths found in volcanic rocks indicate that at Anton Dohrn volcanic activity involved interactions between
magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
and sediments, resulting in phreatomagmatic eruptions that could have dispersed
volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, produced during volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used to r ...
in the region. This volcanic ash erupted by Anton Dohrn may be the source of post-
Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...
bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...
s of the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
but the age and composition of the bentonites do not support this theory. The seamount was once proposed to be the source of
Turonian The Turonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, the second age (geology), age in the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch, or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Upper Cretaceous series (stratigraphy), ...
tephra deposits in Western Europe before its
Maastrichtian The Maastrichtian ( ) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age (uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage) of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or Upper Cretaceous series (s ...
age was established. During the
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
the seamount was about higher than present, perhaps even reaching height above sea level; presumably it was then eroded during the
Paleocene The Paleocene ( ), or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), ...
when a wave of erosion took place in western Britain and stripped much of the volcanic centres of northwest Scotland. An episode of crustal subsidence in the
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
-
Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...
also played a role in lowering Anton Dohrn Seamount. The pinnacles on the seamount may be leftover volcanic conduits that resisted erosion. Sedimentation covered the seamount and its flanks in the Eocene and continued afterwards.


Ecology

Barnacles and
brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum (biology), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear e ...
s grow on the top of the seamount, and
echinoderm An echinoderm () is any animal of the phylum Echinodermata (), which includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, as well as the sessile sea lilies or "stone lilies". While bilaterally symmetrical as ...
s,
coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
s and cirripedes also occur there. On the sandy or gravelly substrate serpulids and sponges are found. The seamount may be a
shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...
nursery. Finally, the
bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...
'' Xylophaga anselli'' has been found at Anton Dohrn Seamount and the
Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
slope. A number of ecosystems have been found on Anton Dohrn Seamount, including coral gardens, cold water coral reefs and sponge and xenophyophore communities; this seamount is the first place in the United Kingdom where coral gardens have been discovered. The sandy and cobbly terrain of the slopes with occasional bedrock outcrops is populated by reefs that grow on bedrock or on cobbles. They mostly occur on the sides of the seamount, on mounds on the flat top and its margin, perhaps for hydrodynamic reasons or because substrates favourable for the development of the reefs are found there. There is a vertical stratification, with '' Lophelia'' found at shallower depths than '' Solenosmilia''. Corals such as antipatharians like '' Leiopathes sp.'', small bamboo corals, large gorgonians and soft corals like as '' Anthomastus sp.'' have also been found at parasitic vents. The cold water coral cover can become so thick that the underground disappears underneath it. Dropframe camera surveys have seen anemones, anthozoans, ascidians, the
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
(starfish) '' Henricia sp.'', bamboo corals, caryophyllids, cerianthids, antipatharian
coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
s with various shapes, the corals '' Desmophyllum dianthus'', '' Lophelia pertusa'' and '' Solenosmilia variabilis'',
echinoderm An echinoderm () is any animal of the phylum Echinodermata (), which includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, as well as the sessile sea lilies or "stone lilies". While bilaterally symmetrical as ...
s including brisingids and crinoids, glass sponges, gorgonians, holothurians, the ophiuroids '' Ophiactis balli'' and '' Ophiomusium lymani'', the pencil urchin ''
Cidaris cidaris ''Cidaris cidaris'' is a species of sea urchin commonly known as the long-spine slate pen sea urchin. It is found in deep water in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Description ''Cidaris cidaris'' has a small central Test (bi ...
'', pycnogonids, the scleractinian '' Madrepora oculata'', the seapen '' Pennatula phosphorea'',
sea urchin Sea urchins or urchins () are echinoderms in the class (biology), class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal zone to deep seas of . They typically have a globular body cove ...
s, sea whips, serpulids, soft corals such as '' Gersemia sp.'' and '' Anthomastus sp.'', lobose, large and encrusting sponges, stylasterids and xenophyophores. Decapods, fish including '' Lepidion eques'', the eel '' Synaphobranchus kaupi'' and
squat lobster Squat lobsters are dorsoventrally flattened crustaceans with long tails held curled beneath the cephalothorax. They are found in the two superfamilies Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea, which form part of the decapod infraorder Anomura, alongs ...
s ''
Munida ''Munida'' is the largest genus of squat lobster Squat lobsters are dorsoventrally flattened crustaceans with long tails held curled beneath the cephalothorax. They are found in the two superfamilies Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea, which ...
sp.'' have also been encountered. Seamounts are considered to be
biodiversity hotspot A biodiversity hotspot is a ecoregion, biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after ...
s, and there are proposals to make Anton Dohrn Seamount a
Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
. The region is considered to be "the cradle of deep-sea biology" as Victorian-era scientists sampled the regional fauna.
Ocean current An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. Depth contours, sh ...
s around Anton Dohrn Seamount are complicated and formed by various water masses. Internal tides at the seamount appear to be important for its ecosystem. The seamount has been impacted by deep water fishing. Lost fishing gear and trawl marks have been found on Anton Dohrn Seamount, and animals found at its foot have ingested microplastics. In October 2020 the seamount was made part of the West of Scotland Marine Protected Area by the
Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
in attempt to protect the area's ecology.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{refend


External links


Anton Dohrn Seamount MPAWWF report on seamounts of the Northeast Atlantic
( PDF)
BBC webpage report on the 2016 report on coral reef habitatAnton Dohrn — Fisheries Research Vessel
Seamounts of the Atlantic Ocean Guyots Scottish coast Landforms of Scotland Cretaceous volcanoes Paleocene volcanoes Eocene volcanoes