Geophysical Investigation of Rifting and Volcanism in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica
BRAVOSEIS: geophysical investigation of rifting and volcanism in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica Almendros, J. (1), Wilcock, W. (2), Soule, D. (3), Teixido, T. (1), Vizcaino, L. (1), Ardanaz, O. (1), Granja-Bruña, J. L. (4), Martin-Jimenez, D. (1), Yuan, X. (5), Heit, B. (5), Schmidt-Aursch, M. (6), Geissler, W. (6), Dziak, R. (7), Carrion, F. (1), Ontiveros, A. (8), Abella, R. (9), Carmona, E. (1), Agui, F. (1), Sanchez N. (10), Serrano, I. (1), Davoli, R. (1), Krauss, Z. (2), Kidiwela, M. (2), Schmahl, L. (3). (1) University of Granada, Spain / (2) University of Washington, USA / (3) Queens College, CUNY, USA / (4) Complutense University of Madrid, Spain / (5) GFZ Potsdam, Germany / (6) Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany / (7) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Newport, Oregon, USA / (8) University of Jaen, Spain / (9) National Geographic Institute, Spain / (10) Spanish Geological Survey, Spain 1. Introduction Back-arc basins are elongated features that form in subduction settings, behind island arcs and sometimes along continental margins, as a result of extensional processes that are most commonly attributed to slab roll back. They form in two stages, an initial interval of rifting which transitions to a later stage of seafloor spreading. Studies of this process are important for understanding the dynamics and evolution of subduction zones. In locations where back-arc rifting breaks continental crust, this process is also relevant to understanding the formation of passive continental margins (Martinez et al. 2007; Taylor 1995). The Bransfield Basin is a back-arc basin located between the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula in Western Antarctica (Figure 1).
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