Title
Nearsurface geology of the Gulf of Mexico continental slope
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
1-1-1989
Abstract
The continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico covers an area of more than 500,000 sq km. Consisting of smooth and gently sloping surfaces, prominent escarpments, knolls, intraslope basins, and submarine canyons and channels, it is an area of extremely diverse topographic and sedimentologie conditions. The slope extends from the shelf break, roughly at the 200-m isobath, to the upper limit of the continental rise at a depth of 2,800 m. The most complex province in the basin, and the one of most interest to the petroleum industry, is the Louisiana-Texas slope, which occupies 120,000 sq km and in which bottom slopes range from less than 1 degree to greater than 20 degrees around knolls and basins. In the past few years, numerous high-resolution seismic surveys, foundation borings, and drop cores have been acquired on the continental slope. They form the basis the interpretation of the nearsur-face geologic framework.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Proceedings of the Annual Offshore Technology Conference
First Page
641
Last Page
648
Recommended Citation
Coleman, J., Bouma, A., Prior, D., & Roberts, H. (1989). Nearsurface geology of the Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Proceedings of the Annual Offshore Technology Conference, 1989-May, 641-648. https://doi.org/10.4043/5951-ms