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DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | Micallef, Aaron | - |
dc.contributor.author | Saadatkhah, Nader | - |
dc.contributor.author | Spiteri, Jurgen | - |
dc.contributor.author | Rizzo, Enzo | - |
dc.contributor.author | Capozzoli, Luigi | - |
dc.contributor.author | De Martino, Gregory | - |
dc.contributor.author | Pace, Letizia | - |
dc.contributor.author | Burrill, Christine | - |
dc.contributor.author | Gatt, Michael | - |
dc.contributor.author | Schmidt, Mark | - |
dc.contributor.author | Gupta, Shubhangi | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2022-04-06T09:03:09Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2022-04-06T09:03:09Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2022 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | Micallef, A., Saadatkhah, N., Spiteri, J., Rizzo, E., Capozzoli, L., De Martino, G., ... & Gupta, S. (2022). Groundwater seepage is a key driver of theater-headed valley formation in limestone. Geology, 50. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/93097 | - |
dc.description.abstract | Groundwater seepage leads to the formation of theater-headed valleys (THVs) in unconsolidated sediments. In bedrock, the role of groundwater in THV development remains disputed. Here, we integrate field and remote-sensing observations from Gnejna Valley (Maltese Islands) with numerical modeling to demonstrate that groundwater seepage can be the main driver of THV formation in jointed limestone overlying clays. The inferred erosion mechanisms entail (1) widening of joints and fractures by fluid pressure and dissolution and (2) creeping of an underlying clay layer, which lead to slope failure at the valley head and its upslope retreat. The latter is slower than the removal of the talus by creep and sliding on the valley bed. The location and width of THVs are controlled by the location of the master fault and the extent of the damage zone, respectively. The variability of seepage across the fault zone determines the shape of the valley head, with an exponential decrease in seepage away from the fault giving rise to a theater-shaped head that best matches that of Gnejna Valley. Our model may explain the formation of THVs by groundwater in jointed, strong-over-weak chemical sedimentary lithologies, particularly in arid terrestrial settings. | en_GB |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | Geological Society of America | en_GB |
dc.rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess | en_GB |
dc.subject | Remote sensing -- Malta | en_GB |
dc.subject | Ġnejna Bay (Mġarr, Malta) | en_GB |
dc.subject | Environmental monitoring | en_GB |
dc.subject | Sediments (Geology) | en_GB |
dc.subject | Oceanography | en_GB |
dc.subject | Marine sediments | en_GB |
dc.subject | Geomorphology | en_GB |
dc.subject | Sedimentology | en_GB |
dc.subject | Limestone | en_GB |
dc.title | Groundwater seepage is a key driver of theater-headed valley formation in limestone | en_GB |
dc.type | article | en_GB |
dc.rights.holder | The copyright of this work belongs to the author(s)/publisher. The rights of this work are as defined by the appropriate Copyright Legislation or as modified by any successive legislation. Users may access this work and can make use of the information contained in accordance with the Copyright Legislation provided that the author must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the prior permission of the copyright holder. | en_GB |
dc.description.reviewed | peer-reviewed | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1130/G49938.1 | - |
dc.publication.title | Geology | en_GB |
Appears in Collections: | Scholarly Works - FacSciGeo |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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Groundwater_seepage_is_a_key_driver_of_theater_headed_valley_formation_in_limestone(2022).pdf | 1.57 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open | |
Groundwater_seepage_is_a_key_driver_of_theater_headed_valley(2022).pdf | 2.01 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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