Chapter 1

An overview of the continental shelves of the world

FRANCESCO L. CHIOCCI1 & ALLAN R. CHIVAS2*1Dipartimento Scienze della Terra, Universita La Sapienza di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy

2GeoQuEST Research Centre, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong,

Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

*Corresponding author (e-mail: toschi@uow.edu.au)

This Memoir explores the variability and controlling processes ofsedimentation, morphology and tectonics on the world’s continen-tal shelves, with emphasis on their evolution during the lastglacio-eustatic cycle. This work builds on some earlier volumeson continental shelves, notably those by Trumbul et al. (1958),Boillot (1978), De Batist & Jacobs (1996), Nittrouer et al. (2007)and Li et al. (2012) among others, although there has not been aprevious comprehensive global-scale synthesis.

The subject material presented here was developed in sev-eral International Geoscience Programmes (formerly the Inter-national Geological Correlation Programme, IGCP) concernedwith shelves. Project 396 ‘Continental Shelves in the Quaternary’

(1996–2000) was followed by IGCP 464 ‘Continental Shelvesduring the Last Glacial Cycle: Knowledge and Applications’(2001–2007) and finally by IGCP 526 ‘Risks, Resources andRecord of the Past on the Continental Shelf’ (2007–2011). Inthis Memoir, 23 papers are devoted to the description of differentaspects of shelves from all seven continents and which are repre-sentative of the world’s shelves. However, there remain signifi-cant gaps in our compilation. A glance at Figure 1.1 indicatesthe sparse coverage of data, particularly using modern techniquesof investigation, for Africa, Russia and the Polar regions. How-ever, new data are presented from some frontier provinces, suchas Myanmar, Morocco and Ecuador.

Fig. 1.1. The location of the shelf areas presented in this volume. Base map from Smith, W. H. F. & Sandwell, D. T. 1997. Global sea floor topography from satellite

altimetry and ship depth soundings. Science, 277, 1956–1962. Reprinted with permission from AAAS.

From: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) 2014. Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle.

Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.1

# The Geological Society of London 2014. Publishing disclaimer: www.geolsoc.org.uk/pub_ethics

by guest on August 26, 2020http://mem.lyellcollection.org/Downloaded from

Why study continental shelves?

The continental shelf is the part of the seafloor most used bysociety. Although shelf areas account for little more than 8% ofthe marine areas of the world, they are the part of the sea mostused for navigation, recreation, fishing and aquaculture, mineralexploration, waste disposal and, increasingly in the future, inthe production of renewable energy from wave, tidal currentsand wind (Barrie & Conway 2014). It is worth noting that the con-tinental shelf in geological terms (and, therefore, in this volume)differs from the ‘continental shelf’ as legally defined in inter-national laws and treaties (Emery 1981). The latter encompassesthe whole continental margin (shelf, slope and rise).

Mineral resources (Rona 1972; Archer 1973; United Nations2004) include ore deposits: that is, relict shelf sandbodies or ero-sional lags made up of heavy minerals of direct economic interest(e.g. ilmenite, magnetite, cassiterite, chromite, rutile, zircon,rutile, gold and diamonds). Shelf sandbodies can also be exploitedfor aggregates (i.e. quartz-rich sand and gravels) to be used forconcrete aggregate, beach nourishment and specific industrialmanufacture. Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) are the most relevanteconomic resources of the shelf (Earney 1990). Oil productionfrom continental shelves grew from a few per cent in the 1960sto 25% of global production by the beginning of this century.Since then, the shelf proportion has remained constant, with adecrease in onshore production offset by increasing deep-waterproduction (US Energy Information Administration, http://www.eia.gov). Finally, phosphate occurs on some shelves as nodules,crusts, hardgrounds or placers in regions that experienced specificnutrient-rich bio-oceanographic conditions or received detritusfrom eroded phosphate-bearing formations (Filippelli 2011).

Not only do mineral resources make the shelf the most relevantpart of the marine realm but shelf waters are also, by far, the richestpart of the ocean (Wei et al. 2010) in terms of biomass, ecologicalsystem services and source of food for humans. The richnessof life on the shelf is due to the concurrence of the large amountof nutrients provided by landmasses, and by the light penetrationin shallow water that favours pelagic and benthic communities(in contrast to the darkness of abyssal waters). As a consequence,coasts and shelves furnish society with a large proportion of eco-system services (Costanza et al. 1997), comparable to that provi-ded by all terrestrial habitats (Tsunogai et al. 1999).

Shelves also preserve detailed and commonly unique archivesof environmental changes in the complex interaction amongclimate, sea level and sediment input from landmasses, recordedin the depositional and erosional features of the subsurface (Gao& Collins 2014; Lobo & Ridente 2014). In detail, changes in

rainfall and hydrology, and possibly storm energy and frequency,may leave their signature in shelf stratigraphy and morphology.Sediment cores collected on the shelf, because of the high depo-sition rate and proximity to sedimentary sources, are very sensitiveto even minor changes in climate. They, therefore, can be used todistinguish between local and global effects, and possibly to assistin differentiating between human-induced and natural environ-mental changes (Asioli et al. 2001). The shift in the limits of icesheets at high latitudes or the transition to and from carbonatesedimentation at low latitudes can be defined with precision onthe shelves (Bailey & Flemming 2008). During the last sea-levellowstand, some shelf areas were flat coastal plains suitable forearly human settlement. These experienced dramatic changesin sea level during deglaciation when an average rate of 1 m percentury of sea-level rise occurred. The constant rise in base leveland the damming of incised valleys by transgressive littoral bar-riers favoured river flooding and the formation of coastalmarshes and swamps. On low-gradient shelves or in land-lockedareas, fast to dramatic drowning of emerged land occurred. Wecan speculate that this process accelerated the dispersal of theNeolithic population, for instance into the interior of Europeat that time. Possible migration routes and civilization trends(compartmentalization of cultures during the Upper Palaeolithicfor instance) may have a link with palaeoenvironmental changeson the shelf (Evans et al. 2014).

Controlling factors

The processes controlling Quaternary sedimentation on continen-tal shelves are complex and varied. Continental shelves are theresult of interactions between endogenous (e.g. geodynamic) andexogenous (e.g. climate-related) processes (Fig. 1.2). Plate tec-tonics and geodynamics determine the overall physiography ofthe margin, its width and slope, the deep structure of the subsur-face, and the relevance of mass wasting and steady-state erosion.By contrast, climate determines the type of sediment (carbonatein tropical areas, siliciclastic in temperate climes and glacial inhigh latitudes). Furthermore, sediment distribution as well as bed-forms and sedimentary structures on the seafloor are the result ofa complex interplay between hydrodynamic processes (waves,tides and currents), the position of sediment sources (rivers,estuaries, wind) and the amount of sediment delivered to eachshelf. Shelf deposits make up the bulk of the continental marginwith thicknesses of several kilometres if subsidence permits.Their stratigraphic architecture is fundamentally controlled by sea-level changes that migrate the shoreline and related depositional

Fig. 1.2. Factors that control shelf character, on

both long- and short-term geological timescales.

F. L. CHIOCCI & A. R. CHIVAS2

by guest on August 26, 2020http://mem.lyellcollection.org/Downloaded from

systems across the shelf. The resulting deposits (systems tracts insequence stratigraphy) may, in fact, be preserved or destroyed bythe vertical mobility of the continental margin that may createthe space to accommodate and, thus, preserve shelf sediments.Depth of palaeo-shelf-breaks may also be used to reconstructsuch vertical movement (Fraccascia et al. 2013).

Climate-driven eustatic changes played a particularly significantrole in the last 2 Ma, when the combination of astronomicallyforced insolation cycles and the position of land masses (especiallyin the Northern Hemisphere) caused glaciation over large parts ofNorth America and Eurasia, and forced sea level to fluctuatebetween its present position and a depth of 120–130 m at a fastrate. The shelves therefore underwent dramatic environmentalchanges, with repetitive cycles of emergence and submersion, dis-placement of the shoreline from the shelf break to the inner edgeof the continental margin, with consequent alternation of sedimen-tation and erosion, whose traces can be found in the shelf shallowstratigraphy, inherited morphology and the presence of relictsediment.

This volume

The chapters in this Memoir are presented in an order startingfrom the western North Atlantic continental margin and progres-sing eastwards to the Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceanshelves.

The methods used to study shelf sediments focus on strati-graphy, particularly seismic stratigraphy and coring, geoche-mistry and palaeobiology. The fact that no single chapter in thisMemoir fully integrates all such aspects indicates that largeteams of investigators (and resources) are required and emphasizesthat much work remains to be carried out on shelf environments.In the first part of each chapter authors provide basic data fortheir shelf, such as size, geometry, climate, tides, geodynamicsetting and sediment types, to facilitate intercomparison andto provide first-level information for readers unfamiliar witha given shelf. Thereafter, the chapter presents more specificaspects of the studied shelf, while maintaining a geographicallybroad perspective.

The wide continental shelves of Atlantic Canada are character-ized by a series of banks separated by transverse troughs. Shawet al. (2014) present a detailed description of the shelves, andfocus on the glacial history in the last glacial cycle, the glacialland systems, the geographical changes caused by glacio-isostasy,the processes on the upper continental slopes and the sedimentmobility on the offshore banks.

Miller et al. (2014) discuss sedimentation on the storm-dominated, microtidal, continental shelf and slope of the easternUS passive continental margin. The sediments record sea-levelchanges providing a classic example of the interplay betweeneustasy, tectonism and sedimentation.

The Brazilian shelf is described in two chapters by Vital (2014)(northern shelf) and Nagai et al. (2014) (southern shelf). In theformer, a review of the shelf physiography and the spatial distri-bution of sediments are used to relate them to the sedimentologicalprocesses and physical characteristics of the environment, and tothe sedimentary history of this shelf system. A key factor in thedevelopment of the southern Brazilian shelf is the influence ofthe northerly flowing sediment plume from the Rio de La Plata,the activity of which has varied throughout the Holocene. Othermajor factors include variability in sea level and the intensity ofthe south-flowing Brazil Current.

The Argentine continental shelf is one of the largest and smooth-est siliciclastic shelves in the world, mostly emplaced on a passivecontinental margin. Violante et al. (2014) provide a full descrip-tion of the shelf where sea-level fluctuations, sediment dynamicsand climatic/oceanographic processes are the most important con-ditioning factors in the modelling of the shelf.

The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed intracontinental sea wherethermohaline stratification of the waters occurs. Uscinowicz(2014) describes the evolution of the Baltic Sea caused by the evol-ution of the last Scandinavian ice sheet during the Pleistocene andthe sediment distribution of the Quaternary cover of its seabed.

The NW Iberian continental shelf is a narrow, gently dipping,geomorphological structure with a well-defined shelf break. Reyet al. (2014) present a detailed overview of the most distinct fea-tures and processes on the shelf, among which waves and tides,seasonal upwelling, and coast-parallel currents are recognized.

In the southern part of Atlantic Iberia, Lobo et al. (2014b)describe the outer part of the Gibraltar Strait (Gulf of Cadiz),where the influence of northward-flowing intermediate waterpouring out of the Mediterranean interacts with shelf morphologyand structural features.

Mhammdi et al. (2014) present a summary of the state ofknowledge of the recent sedimentation and processes in the NWAfrican shelf in the Atlantic Sea. The sedimentary processesalong the shelf are driven both by long-term (Quaternary glacial–interglacial periods) and short-term factors (fluvial and aeoliansediment supply, local climate and hydrodynamic conditions).

The Iberian Mediterranean shelves are divided by Lobo et al.(2014a) into three different geographical segments (the Northeast-ern Shelf, the Southeastern Shelf and the Northern Alboran SeaShelf), where the Quaternary stratigraphic architecture is con-trolled, respectively, by regressive–transgressive cycles, a declin-ing fluvial influence and short mountain rivers.

Martorelli et al. (2014) describe the structure of the shelvessurrounding the Italian peninsula. Despite its small extent, Italyshows a variety of geodynamic domains (back-arc to foredeep toforeland), so that the striking differences in shelf morphologyand stratigraphy can be used to depict the controlling factors oncontinental shelf physiography and sedimentology.

The Hellenic shelf, located within one of the most seismicallyactive areas of the world, is presented by Ferentinos et al.(2014). The tectonic activity – coupled with eustatic sea-levelchanges and water-circulation patterns – controls the configur-ation and processes of the shelf, and the occurrence of a varietyof geological hazards.

The semi-enclosed Black Sea received an influx of Mediterra-nean-sourced water during multiple openings of the MarmaraGateway during the Quaternary. Nicholas & Chivas (2014) pro-vide evidence for the most recent marine transgression into theBlack Sea from the stratigraphic subdivision of sediments fromcores, and from the surface distribution of bivalve molluscs onthe mid and outer NW shelf.

The Indian shelves are presented by Faruque & Ramachan-dran (2014) (western shelf) and Faruque et al. (2014) (easternshelf). Precambrian peninsular India is tectonically stable,although there are horst- and graben-segmented sections of thewest coast that control and define distinct shelf provinces. By con-trast, the eastern shelf is characterized by major rivers and deltasthat contribute sediment, with the interdelta regions being gener-ally sediment-starved.

The central Myanmar (Burma) shelf (Ramaswamy & Rao2014) lies in a tectonically subsiding embayment fed by some ofthe largest sediment-transporting rivers, including the Irrawaddyand Salween. Tidal redistribution of the suspended sedimentshas produced an extensive turbid zone and mud belt that character-izes the shelf.

A representative west Antarctic shelf, around Prydz Bay andMac.Roberstson Land, is described by O’Brien et al. (2014). Thenarrow shelf is scoured by icebergs calved from the adjacentAmery Ice Shelf. There is a thin sedimentary cover, deposited anderoded by successive glacial advances throughout the Quaternary.

Collins et al. (2014) provide an overview of the western con-tinental margin of Australia. This is an enormous tectonicallystable area with little fluvial input, spanning 208 of latitude fromtropical to temperate climate and, accordingly, is largely carbonate

INTRODUCTION 3

by guest on August 26, 2020http://mem.lyellcollection.org/Downloaded from

dominated. The southern Australian margin is, by contrast, ahigh-energy cool-water carbonate province, although of equallylarge proportions (Murray-Wallace 2014). Siliciclastic sedimentsare more significant in SE Australia, where there are fluvialsediment sources.

The NE Chinese shelf (Yang et al. 2014) is fed by two of theworld’s largest sediment sources, the Changjiang (the YangtzeRiver) and the Huanghe (the Yellow River). The shelf is particu-larly wide, traversed by palaeovalleys, and dominated by siliciclas-tic sediments and eddy-current mud deposits.

Barrie et al. (2014) describe Canada’s western continentalshelf, dividing it into three geographical regions: the Salish Sea,the Pacific North Coast and the Vancouver Island Shelf. Theauthors reveal the contributions to each region’s physiographyby glaciation, tectonism, oceanography and sea-level change.

Covault & Fildani (2014) show that the tectonically activeOceanside shelf offshore southern California has served as a con-veyor of sediment from land to the deep sea during millennia ofsignificant climatic fluctuations. The authors highlight the impor-tance of shelf physiography, coupled with climatic forcing, andtimescale of observation in assessing the role of shelves as sedi-ment capacitors or conveyors.

Dumont et al. (2014) identify and describe three different seg-ments along the continental margin of Ecuador. On the basis ofthree-dimensional (3D) numerical modelling of a curved subduc-tion plane, the authors demonstrate the strong relationshipbetween the geometry of the continental boundary and the occur-rence of uplift or subsidence along the continental margin.

References

Archer, A. A. 1973. Economics of off-shore exploration and productionof solid minerals on the continental shelf. Ocean Management, 1,5–40.

Asioli, A., Trincardi, F., Lowe, J. J., Ariztegui, D., Langone, L. &Oldfield, F. 2001. Sub-millennial scale climatic oscillations in thecentral Adriatic during the Lateglacial: palaeoceanographic impli-cations. Quaternary Science Reviews, 20, 1201–1221.

Bailey, G. N. & Flemming, N. C. 2008. Archaeology of the continentalshelf: marine resources, submerged landscapes and underwaterarchaeology. Quaternary Science Reviews, 27, 2153–2165.

Barrie, J. V. & Conway, K. W. 2014. Seabed characterization for thedevelopment of marine renewable energy on the Pacific margin ofCanada. Continental Shelf Research, 83, 45–52.

Barrie, J. V., Hetherington, R. & MacLeod, R. 2014. Pacific margin,Canada shelf physiography: a complex history of glaciation, tecton-ism, oceanography and sea-level change. In: Chiocci, F. L. &Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evol-ution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society,London, Memoirs, 41, 303–313, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.22

Boillot, G. 1978. Geology of Continental Margins. Longman HigherEducation, London.

Collins, L. B., James, N. P. & Bone, Y. 2014. Carbonate shelf sedimentsof the western continental margin of Australia. In: Chiocci, F. L. &Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evol-ution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society,London, Memoirs, 41, 253–272, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.19

Costanza, R., d’Arge, R. et al. 1997. The value of the world’secosys-tem services and natural capital. Nature, 387, 253–260.

Covault, J. A. & Fildani, A. 2014. Continental shelves as sedimentcapacitors or conveyors: source-to-sink insights from the tectonicallyactive Oceanside shelf, southern California, USA. In: Chiocci, F. L.& Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evol-ution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society,London, Memoirs, 41, 313–326, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.23

De Batist, M. & Jacobs, P. (eds) 1996. Geology of Siliciclastic ShelfSeas. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 117.

Dumont, J. F., Santana, E., Bonnardot, M.-A., Pazmino, N., Pedoja,K. & Scalabrino, B. 2014. Geometry of the coastline and

morphology of the convergent continental margin of Ecuador. In:Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of theWorld: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geo-logical Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 325–338, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.24

Earney, C. F. 1990. Marine Mineral Resources. Routledge, Ocean Man-agement Policy Series.

Emery, K. O. 1981. Geological limits of the continental shelf. OceanDevelopment and International Law, 10, 1–11.

Evans, A., Flatman, J. & Flemming, N. (eds) 2014. PrehistoricArchaeology on the Continental Shelf: A Global Review. Springer,Berlin.

Faruque, B. M. & Ramachandran, K. V. 2014. The western continentalshelf of India. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) ContinentalShelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,211–220, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.15

Faruque, B. M., Vaz, G. G. & Mohapatra, G. P. 2014. The continentalshelf of eastern India. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Con-tinental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,219–229, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.16

Ferentinos, G., Lykousis, V., Papatheodorou, G. & Iatrou, M. 2014.Hellenic shelf: late Quaternary tectonics, sea-level changes, sedimen-tation and geohazards. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Con-tinental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,185–197, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.13

Filippelli, G. M. 2011. Phosphate rock formation and marine phos-phorus geochemistry: the deep time perspective. Chemosphere, 84,759–766.

Fraccascia, S., Chiocci, F. L., Scrocca, D. & Falese, F. 2013. Veryhigh-resolution seismic stratigraphy of Pleistocene eustatic minimamarkers as a tool to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of the northernLatium shelf (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). Geology, 41, 375–378, http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G33868.1

Gao, S. & Collins, M. B. 2014. Holocene sedimentary systems on con-tinental shelves. Marine Geology, 352, 268–294.

Li, M. Z., Sherwood, C. R. & Hill, P. R. (eds) 2012. Sediments,Morphology and Sedimentary Processes on Continental Shelves:Advances in Technologies, Research and Applications. InternationalAssociation of Sedimentologists, Special Publications, 44.Blackwell, Oxford.

Lobo, F. J. & Ridente, D. 2014. Stratigraphic architecture and spatio-temporal variability of the high-frequency (Milankovitch) deposi-tional cycles on modern continental margins: an overview. MarineGeology, 352, 215–247.

Lobo, F. J., Ercilla, G., Fernandez-Salas, L. M. & Gamez, D. 2014a.The Iberian Mediterranean shelves. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A.R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During theLast Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs,41, 145–170, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.11

Lobo, F. J., Le Roy, P., Mendes, I. & Sahabi, M. 2014b. The Gulf ofCadiz continental shelves. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds)Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,107–130, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.9.

Martorelli, E., Falese, F. & Chiocci, F. L. 2014. Overview of thevariability of Late Quaternary continental shelf deposits off theItalian peninsula. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continen-tal Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,169–186, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.12

Mhammdi, N., Snoussi, M., Medina, F. & Jaaıdi, E. B. 2014. Recentsedimentation in the NW African shelf. In: Chiocci, F. L. &Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: TheirEvolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. GeologicalSociety, London, Memoirs, 41, 129–146, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.10

Miller, K. G., Browning, J. V., Mountain, G. S., Sheridan, R. E.,Sugarman, P. J., Glenn, S. & Christensen, B. A. 2014. Historyof continental shelf and slope sedimentation on the US middle

F. L. CHIOCCI & A. R. CHIVAS4

by guest on August 26, 2020http://mem.lyellcollection.org/Downloaded from

Atlantic margin. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) ContinentalShelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,19–34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.3

Murray-Wallace, C. V. 2014. The continental shelves of SE Australia.In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of theWorld: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geo-logical Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 271–291, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.20

Nagai, R. H., Sousa, S. H. M. & Mahiques, M. M. 2014. The southernBrazilian shelf. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continen-tal Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,45–54, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.5

Nicholas, W. A. & Chivas, A. R. 2014. Late Quaternary sea-level changeon the Black Sea shelves. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds)Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,197–212, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.14

Nittrouer, C. A., Austin, J. A., Field, M. E., Kravitz, J. H., Syvitski,J. P. M. & Wiberg, P. L. (eds) 2007. Continental Margin Sedimen-tation: From Sediment Transport to Sequence Stratigraphy. Inter-national Association of Sedimentologists, Special Publications, 37.Blackwell, Oxford.

O’Brien, P. E., Harris, P. T., Post, A. L. & Young, N. 2014. East Ant-arctic continental shelf: Prydz Bay and the Mac.Robertson Landshelf. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelvesof the World: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-EustaticCycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 239–254, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.18

Ramaswamy, V. & Rao, P. S. 2014. The Myanmar continental shelf. In:Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of theWorld: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geo-logical Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 229–240, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.17

Rey, D., Alvarez-Iglesias, P. et al. 2014. The NW Iberian continentalshelf. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves ofthe World: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle.Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 89–108, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.8

Rona, P. A. 1972. Exploration Methods for the Continental Shelf:Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry. National oceanic and Atmos-pheric Administration (NOAA) Technical Report, ERL-238,

AOML-8 (COM-72-50920). Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorolo-gical Laboratory, Miami, FL.

Shaw, J., Todd, B. J., Li, M. Z., Mosher, D. C. & Kostylev, V. E. 2014.Continental shelves of Atlantic Canada. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas,A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution Duringthe Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London,Memoirs, 41, 7–20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.2

Smith, W. H. F. & Sandwell, D. T. 1997. Global sea floor topographyfrom satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings. Science, 277,1956–1962, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5334.1956

Trumbul, J., Lyman, J. & Pepper, J. F. 1958. An Introduction to theGeology and Mineral Resources of the Continental Shelves of theAmericas. United States Geological Survey, Bulletin, 1067.

Tsunogai, S., Watanabe, S. & Sato, T. 1999. Is there a ‘continentalshelf pump’ for the absorption of atmospheric CO2? Tellus, B51,701–712.

United Nations. 2004. Marine Mineral Resources – Scientific Advancesand Economic Perspectives. United Nations Division for OceanAffairs and International Seabed Authority, New York.

Uscinowicz, S. 2014. The Baltic Sea continental shelf. In: Chiocci, F. L. &Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of the World: Their EvolutionDuring the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London,Memoirs, 41, 67–89, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.7

Violante, R. A., Paterlini, C. M. et al. 2014. The Argentine continen-tal shelf: morphology, sediments, processes and evolution since theLast Glacial Maximum. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Con-tinental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the LastGlacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,53–68, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.6

Vital, H. 2014. The north and northeast Brazilian tropical shelves. In:Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) Continental Shelves of theWorld: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geo-logical Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 33–46, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.4

Wei, C.-L., Rowe, G. T. et al. 2010. Global patterns and predictions ofseafloor biomass using random forests. PLoS ONE, 5, e15323,http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015323

Yang, S., Wang, Z., Dou, Y. & Shi, X. 2014. A review of sedimentationsince the Last Glacial Maximum on the continental shelf of easternChina. In: Chiocci, F. L. & Chivas, A. R. (eds) ContinentalShelves of the World: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41,291–303, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M41.21

INTRODUCTION 5

by guest on August 26, 2020http://mem.lyellcollection.org/Downloaded from