The Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW), on its way out toward the Atlantic Ocean, has favored the formation of contourite drifts in the Alboran Sea (SW Mediterranean) since the opening of the Strait of Gibraltar. Resolving the nature of these deposits is crucial for reconstructing the WMDW variability at a millennial scale, deciphering its bottom current paleo-velocity, and establishing paleoclimatic implications over the last 25 cal. kyr BP. Two sediment cores retrieved from elongated separated and plastered contourite drifts formed along its path are investigated by means of multi-sedimentological data (terrigenous grain-size, sortable silt, terrigenous and carbonate sediment fluxes, bioturbation and ichnofabric changes), geochemical data (Zr/Al and Si/(Si + Al) ratios), chronostratigraphic data (δ¹⁸O, and ¹⁴C data) as well as statistical analyses (grain-size end-member modelling and spectral analysis). Integration of these data confirms the contouritic nature of Alboran drift deposits. The high-resolution paleocurrent records of the WMDW inferred from the sortable silt of contourite sequences led us to define two regimes in terms of WMDW flow energy. Regime 1 (weak to moderate velocity) defined by paleo-velocities of ⁓4 to 23 cm s⁻¹ is dominant during the last 24 cal kyr BP. Regime 2 (strong velocity) is characterized by estimated paleo-velocities of about ⁓36 cm s⁻¹ during Heinrich Stadial 2. The spectral analysis of bottom current proxies (sortable silt and Zr/Al ratio) matches four cyclic climatic signals (1900 yr, 2300 yr, 4000 ye and 6100 yr), corroborating the occurrence of millennial-scale cyclicity. These cycles are related to atmospheric climate variability, in turn linked to variations in solar activity. Our results, when combined with published data from a neighboring NW Mediterranean contourite drift, provide for a better regional understanding of the WMDW millennial-scale dynamics.

自直布罗陀海峡开放以来，西部地中海深水（WMDW）朝大西洋的方向发展，一直有利于Alboran海（SW地中海）中异形体漂流的形成。解决这些沉积物的性质对于重建千年尺度的WMDW变异性，破译其当前海底古速度以及在最近25 cal建立古气候意义至关重要。凯尔·BP。利用多种沉积学数据（陆源粒度，可分类淤泥，陆源和碳酸盐沉积物通量，生物扰动和鱼鳞屑变化），地球化学数据（Zr / Al和Si /（SI + Al）的比率），年代地层数据（δ ¹⁸O和¹⁴ C数据）以及统计分析（粒度最终成员建模和光谱分析）。这些数据的整合证实了Alboran漂流沉积物的轮廓特征。从等高线序序可分淤泥推导的高分辨率WMDW古电流记录使我们根据WMDW流能定义了两种模式。在过去的24 cal yr BP期间，由234至23 cm s ^-1的古速度定义的区域1（弱至中等速度）占主导地位。区域2（强速度）的特征在于估计的古速度约为⁓36cm s ^-1在Heinrich Stadial 2期间。底部电流代理（可分类的粉砂和Zr / Al比）的频谱分析与四个循环气候信号（1900 yr，2300 yr，4000 ye和6100 yr）匹配，从而证实了千年尺度周期性的发生。这些周期与大气气候的变化有关，而又与太阳活动的变化有关。我们的研究结果，与来自邻近的西北地中海地幔漂移的已发布数据相结合，可以更好地了解WMDW千年尺度的动力学。