Mesozoic and Cenozoic Geology of the U.S. Atlantic Continental Slope and Rise

摘要

We have studied single-channel and multichannel seismic-reflection profiles to identify and trace key reflecting horizons and seismic sequences from the North American Basin into the U.S. Atlantic continental rise and slope. Using seismic-facies analyses and isopach maps of seismic sequences together with available borehole data, we interpret the geologic history of the continental margin seaward of the shelf break. This area has a complex geologic record because deposition was controlled by the interaction of a variety of sedimentary processes. These processes had their origins in both shallow-water (e.g., sea level) and deep-ocean (e.g., abyssal-current) impulses. Unfortunately, our interpretations are constrained by borehole data only along the continental slope and the lower most continental rise. Until the necessary samples are recovered in intervening areas, this report serves as a preliminary analysis.