ACOUSTIC STRATIGRAPHY AND CURRENT-GENERATED BEDFORMS IN DEEP OCEAN BASINS OFF SOUTHEASTERN AFRICA

A bathymetric map of the deep-sea floor off southeastern Africa shows the Agulhas Plateau to be separated from the continental margin of southeastern Africa by a narrow (50 km) elongate depression, the Agulhas Passage, which acts as a deep-water connection between the Agulhas and Transkei basins. Three regionally developed sediment layers occur in the deep (> 4500 m) Transkei Basin/Agulhas Passage area. With the aid of a simple ocean crust sinking/carbonate compensation level (CCL) model these layers are related to the sedimentation history of the area. The model suggests that acoustic basement (Horizon X) represents Lower Cretaceous limestones draped over oceanic basement, and that this is overlain by an acoustically transparent sequence of pelagic/terrigenous material (Horizon A) that was deposited during a lengthy period (95 m.y.) beneath the carbonate compensation level. Post-Late Miocene sedimentation (Horizons B and C) has probably taken place above the CCL. Local sedimentation has always been influenced by strong sea-floor currents, but since middle Palaeogene times these currents have operated on a regional scale and have generated numerous large ridge and billow-like bed forms. © 1979.