The upper continental slope offshore Capo Vaticano (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is characterized by a contourite depositional system with well-developed elongated sediment drifts. This system is related to a northward paleo-bottom current, similar to the present-day modified-Levantine Intermediate Water (modified-LIW) flowing from the Messina Strait. In this work, we show results from an integrated analysis of descriptive oceanography, high-resolution seismic profiles and core data (i.e., grain size, foraminiferal assemblages, tephrostratigraphy and AMS radiocarbon dating) collected from the crest and moat sectors of drift deposits. The studied succession formed since the mid Holocene, under the action of the modified-LIW and the stratigraphic architecture indicates an upslope migration of the moat and rather stable position of the crest sector. Grain-size features recorded from two sediment cores indicate the occurrence of a succession of complete bi-gradational sand-rich contourite sequences. Sandy facies were observed both as lag deposits formed in active moat channel and as coarser intervals of bi-gradational sequences forming drift deposits close to its crest. Their occurrence would highlight that upper slope environments impacted by intermediate water masses and proximal to sandy sources may represent favorable settings for accumulation of sandy sediment. The moat sector is characterized by a more complex stratigraphic record, where either moat sedimentation or lateral deposition of finer sediment occur, suggesting that further investigation is required to better understand this complex element of contourite systems. Based on available age information, some of the bi-gradational sequences probably formed during the Dark Age Cold Period, providing example of a small-scale cyclicity of contourite deposition, likely related to short-term (possibly multicentennial scale) fluctuations of the paleo modified-LIW. According to age constraints and analysis of foraminiferal assemblages, these fluctuations were likely governed by climate variations, with a weaker activity during warmer periods and faster currents during colder events.

梵蒂冈角海岸（第勒尼安海南部）的上陆大陆斜坡的特征是轮廓线沉积系统具有发达的细长沉积物漂移。该系统与北下古洋流有关，类似于今天从墨西拿海峡流出的改良的黎凡特中间水（LIW）。在这项工作中，我们显示了从漂流沉积物的波峰和at沟区域收集的描述性海洋学，高分辨率地震剖面和核心数据（即，粒度，有孔虫组合，岩相地层学和AMS放射性碳测年）的综合分析结果。自全新世中期以来，在改良的LIW和地层构造的作用下形成的研究演替表明护城河的上坡迁移和波峰区的稳定位置。从两个沉积岩心记录的粒度特征表明，出现了一系列完整的双级富砂轮廓线序列。沙质相既观察到在活动mo沟中形成的滞后沉积物，又观察到形成在其波峰附近的漂移沉积物的双梯度序列的较粗间隔。它们的发生将突出表明受中等水团影响并靠近沙源的上斜坡环境可能代表了沙沉积物的聚集的有利环境。at沟区的特征是地层记录更为复杂，在这里发生either沟沉降或较细沉积物的侧向沉积，表明需要进一步研究以更好地了解轮廓线系统的这一复杂元素。根据可用的年龄信息，一些可能在黑暗时代寒冷时期形成的双梯度序列，提供了轮廓变化小沉积周期性的例子，可能与古改良LIW的短期（可能是百年尺度）波动有关。根据年龄限制和有孔虫组合的分析，这些波动很可能受气候变化的影响，在较暖的时期活动减弱，在较冷的时期活动加快。