Scheduled Cruises in 2005

Summary of a cruise on margins research (D.051)

Location:   Agulhas Bank - Agulhas Plateau - Transkei Basin 34 S/21 E - 43 S/ 35 E  (S South Africa)

Research Ship and Cruise Identifier:   RV Sonne So-182

Sails:   4th April 2005 from : Cape Town, South Africa

Docks:   18th May 2005 in : Cape Town, South Africa

Duration:   44 days

Principal Scientist/Investigator:   Gabriele Uenzelmann-Neben

Laboratory:   Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)

Other investigators:   K. Gohl (AWI)

E-mail contact for further information:   

Web Site   Structure and Dynamics of the Lithosphere and Polar Ice Sheets - here

Scientific objectives :   The oceanic plateaux and basin offshore South Africa play a major role in understanding the tectono-geodynamic evolution since the break-up of Gondwana and the development of ocean currents in the southern Atlantic and Indian Ocean. We intend to investigate the development of basins, plateaux and ridges such as Agulhas Plateau and Mozambique Ridge as well as the accompanying magmatism active during the opening of the Southern Ocean, and the correlation between volcano-tectonic activities of plateaux, basins and the Agulhas Falkland Fracture Zone (AFFZ) and the changing deep sea currents.

     We will gather seismic refraction/wide angle data along a geophysical transect from South Africa across the AFFZ and the Agulhas Plateau into the basin southwest of the plateau to learn about the geodynamic processes and plate tectonic evolution of this area since the Cretaceous. High resolution seismic reflection data will be gathered on the Agulhas Plateau and in the Transkei Basin to reconstruct the evolution and modification in oceanic currents and heat transport since the opening of the gateway.

Image extracted from the GEBCO
Digital Atlas published by the
British Oceanographic Data Centre
on behalf of IOC and IHO, 2003.
    Fig - Agulhas Plateau & Transkei Basin  (off South Africa).