Predicted Reflectivity of the Ocean Floor and Physical Models in the Northern Hemisphere.
Abstract
Description and analysis of 4000 long piston cores have made it possible to give a first approximation of the reflectivity of the seafloor throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. Volcanic ash layers and turbidite sand and silt are the only reflectors within the upper 26 feet (average core length) of the sediments. Their distribution and properties were determined and areas of good reflectivity outlined. The level of reflectivity is based on textural and physical properties; layer thickness and frequency. Areas of good reflectivity include the floor of the Bering Sea, northeast corner of the North Pacific, southwest flank of the Hawaiian Ridge, and the abyssal plains of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Mexico is unique in that turbidite layers are very fine-grained and similar to the intervening sediment. As a result, the floor of the Gulf of Mexico should be characterized by low levels of reflectivity. There are two small areas of the Gulf which will show good reflectivity. They are the eastern and southeastern edges of the Mississippi Cone and the base of Campeche Bank. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0765359
Entities
People
- B. M. Horn
- D. R. Horn
- M. N. Delach
Organizations
- Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory