Propagated ridge structure and faulting as a control on sediment accumulation

Abstract

[Author's Abstract] In the Eastern Tropical North Pacific within the Sea of Cortez lies a unique geologic feature. Three tectonic plates spread and twist apart over millions of years as brand new sea floor is created, leaving a wide range of unique topographies. Three thousand meters above, in the surface ocean, a rain of biological waste products sinks slowly down to blanket the sea floor in a thickening layer of organic ooze. In March of 2012, I embarked on a research cruise aboard the Thomas G. Thompson to study the effect of seafloor topography on the distribution of sediment in this area by using sonar imaging. The high resolution multibeam sonar on the Thompson enabled me to construct datasets containing topography and sediment significance across the area. By comparing these data through a series of measurements describing different aspects of the topography, I was able to establish relationships between geologic features and the pattern of sediment.