Structural grain, mud volcanoes and other features on the Barbados Ridge Complex revealed by Gloria long-range side-scan sonar

Abstract

A long-range side-scan sonar survey of the broad band of deformed sediments east of the Antilles Volcanic Arc has revealed the detailed structural trends of folds and reverse faults or thrusts in plan view for the first time. The prevalent trend lies substantially parallel with the arc and is simplest near to the deformation front at the eastern edge of these deformed sediments. These trends are interrupted locally by more or less transverse zones of disturbance associated with ridges in the oceanic basement that are obstructing the relative eastward movement of the deformation front. Local rough-surfaced mounds, interpreted as mud volcanoes underlain by diapirs, are common and occur much further to the north than the mud diapir field already described near Trinidad. Only one large sediment slide has been identified.