Geology and Geophysics Program Summary for FY90. SEAMARC II investigation of the Northern Norwegian-Greenland Sea: Program 1990 and Expansion
The high-latitude northern Norwegian-Greenland Sea and the adjacent part of the Arctic Ocean north of Spitsbergen comprise an unequaled natural laboratory for the study of several important processes involving the generation and/or modification of sea-floor topography, subbottom structure, and mater...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Other Authors: | |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
1991
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Online Access: | http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA266622 http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA266622 |
Summary: | The high-latitude northern Norwegian-Greenland Sea and the adjacent part of the Arctic Ocean north of Spitsbergen comprise an unequaled natural laboratory for the study of several important processes involving the generation and/or modification of sea-floor topography, subbottom structure, and material properties. These processes, active now or in the geologically recent past, include (1) tectonism (faulting), volcanism, magma intrusion into rift valley seafloor sediments; (2) erosion and redeposition of sediment by bottom currents; (3) slumping and other downslope processes on glaciated margins; (4) sedimentation from sea ice/icebergs/ice sheets, at water depths less than 100- 500 m, (5) erosion and redeposition by icebergs and grounded ice shelves/sheets. SeaMARC II is the ideal tool for investigating the results of these processes, e.g. the present bathymetric and back-scatter characteristics of the seafloor. The investigation area is probably unique in terms of diversity of processes which can be examined in a relatively small region. |
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