Deep Water Circulation: Processes & Products INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

Deep-water circulation is a critical part of the global conveyor belt that moderates Earth\\\'s climate. The bottom (contour) current component of this circulation is hugely significant in shaping the deep seafloor, through erosion, transport and deposition of sediment (drifts). Yet the nature of these deep-water processes and the contourite sediments thereby deposited are still poorly understood in detail.

Their ultimate decoding will undoubtedly yield results of fundamental importance to earth and ocean science. The Baiona Meeting, therefore will focus specifically on processes and deposits related to bottom-water circulation. These include the dominant currents related to geostrophic and thermohaline circulation, as well as internal tides and waves, canyon currents, and up/downwelling slope currents. We identify five major goals and a number of related topics:

• a. Characterization of the depositional and erosional elements associated with individual contourite drifts, hiatuses, and with more complex Contourite Depositional Systems (CDSs).
• b. Detailed understanding of deep-water-mass circulation, including the flow of bottom currents around submarine obstacles, their behaviour and variability in response to tides and benthic storms, and their role in the construction of drifts and bedforms.
• c. Comparisons between bottom current and gravity flow processes and products, including hemipelagic/pelagic sedimentation.
• d. Careful review of existing facies models (on outcropping ancient deposits and present marine basins), including their association with other deep-water sediment facies, their occurrence and recognition in both modern and ancient series, and their understanding in terms of bottom current process and variability, for both local and global circulation.
• e. Economic relevance of contourite deposits in future, especially for oil/gas exploration.