Tuesday, 28 August 2007
2.PS-63

The Scan Basin evolution: oceanographic consequences of the deep connection between the Weddell and Scotia Seas (Antarctica)

F. Javier Hernández-Molina1, F. Bohoyo2, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato3, J. Galindo-Zaldivar4, Francisco Jose Lobo5, Andrés Maldonado5, J. Rodriguez-Fernandez6, Luis Somoza2, Dorrik A. V. Stow3, and Juan Tomás Vázquez7. (1) Departamento de Geociencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, 36200 Vigo, Spain, (2) Marine Geology, Instituto Geologico y Minero de España, La Calera, 1, Tres Cantos, 28760, Spain, (3) School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom, (4) Geodinámica, Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Ciencias, Granada, 18071, Spain, (5) Instituto Andaluz Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC/Universidad Granada, 18002 GRANADA, Spain, (6) Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra. CSIC-Univ. de Granada, Facultad de Ciencias, Granada, 18071, Spain, (7) Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Cádiz, CASEM - Campus de Puerto Real - Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, 11510, Spain

 The Scan Basin is a small oceanic basin located in the southern central Scotia Sea, north of the Bruce Passage (BP) which represents the main gateway between the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Sea. A seismic stratigraphic analysis has been carried out on multichannel seismic reflection profiles to determine the Miocene to present evolution of the basin. Five seismic units are identified. The oldest unit (Sc5) was deposited during seafloor spreading in the Scan Basin. The upper four units represent the post-spreading deposits and show three major evolutionary stages: A) pre-BP opening (unit Sc-4); B) BP opening (units Sc3 and Sc2) and C) post-BP opening (unit Sc1). Stage B occurred once the BP was deep enough to allow Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) into the Scotia Sea. This led to the development of large, northwards-migrating contourite drifts. Stage C developed during the present-day sinistral transcurrent compressive regime

[Manuscript]

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