Sedimentary systems and recent evolution of the Central Bransfield Basin (Antarctic Peninsula)

• Main Authors: García, Marga, Ercilla, Gemma, Alonso, Belén
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedad Geológica de España 2008
• Subjects: Bransfield Basin; Sedimentary systems; Glacial processes; Glaciomarine processes; Physiography; Cuenca de Bransfield; Sistemas sedimentarios; Procesos glaciales; Procesos glaciomarinos; Fisiografía; Alta; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Las Palmas; South Shetland Islands; Antarc*; Antártica; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/86568

VII Congreso Geológico de España, 14-18 Julio 2008, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.-- 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 table [EN] This work presents a new detailed regional characterization of the physiography, morphological features and sedimentary systems of the Central Bransfield Basin (CBB), based on swath bathymetry data and high- and very high-resolution seismic profiles. CBB is an asymmetric basin, with two margins, South Shetland Islands (SI) and Antarctic Peninsula (AP), with continental shelves cut by glacial troughs and continental slopes with a middle domain composed of relatively wide and flat slope platforms. Most morphological features on the CBB are sedimentary in origin, and compose four sedimentary systems: glacial-glaciomarine, slope-basin, seabed fluid dynamics and contouritic systems. Sedimentary systems show a clear zoning from shelf to basin which reflects the dominance of sedimentary processes: glacial, glaciomarine, marine and oceanographic. CBB morphology is mainly controlled by glacial/interglacial cyclicity, and secondarily by tectonics, physiography and oceanography. The distribution of sedimentary systems indicates that during the last glacial maximum ice sheet grounded at very distal positions on the slope platforms, at depths of up to 1000 m. It also reveals a general NE trend of the ice sheet and ice streams on the slope platforms. The SSI and AP margins are characterized as a relatively starved margin and a more constructional margin, respectively [ES] Este estudio presenta una caracterización regional en detalle de la fisiografía, rasgos morfológicos y sistemas sedimentarios de la Cuenca Central de Bransfield (CCB), basada en datos de batimetría multihaz y perfiles de sísmica de reflexión de alta y muy alta resolución. La CCB es una cuenca asimétrica, y sus márgenes (Islas South Shetland, ISS, y Península Antártica, PA) están formados por plataformas continentales erosionadas por surcos glaciales, y taludes continentales con un dominio medio formado por plataformas de talud. La mayoría de ...