Geologic Evolution of Atlantic Continental Rises

Continental rises comprise approximately 10% of sedimentary processes by which modern and sub the earth's surface and contain 20% of its total sedi modern submarine fans and related features are ment volume ( ~ 100 million cubic kilometers). How constructed. To provide a broader perspective of conti ever, their great depth (2,000-6,000 m) below the sea nental-rise evolution, we have organized this volume surface and distance from shore-based population cen into four parts: ters, have kept them relatively insulated from man's geological explorations. During the last 10-15 years, 1. Part I addresses prerift and synrift tectonic and however, driven by an ever-increasing thirst for knowl depositional aspects that account for the location, edge of our planet's nature and origin, by a rising geometry, and thickness of subsequent continental imperative to find new reserves of fossil fuels, and by a rises. demand to find safe haven for hazardous wastes, ma 2. Part II embraces early postrift aspects, such as rine scientists have intensified their surveys of this vast subsurface structure, stratigraphy, and accumula province. tion rates; relationships to continental slope and Voluminous geological and geophysical data from shelf deposition and to continental source terrains; multichannel and single-channel seismic-reflection and the relative effects of local and global reg profiles, high-resolution seafloor images (SEABEAM, ulating agents, such as tectonism, eustacy, and pa Sea MARC, GLORIA), and various gravity, piston, leoclimate. This accounts for most of the ~ 187 and rotary cores (Deep Sea Drilling Project, Ocean million-year evolution of Atlantic continental rises.