Structure of the Upper Sediment Cover in the Central Atlantic Based on High-Resolution Seismoacoustic Data

The study is dedicated to geological interpretation of high-resolution seismoacoustic data acquired in the Central Atlantic during cruise 60 of the R/V Akademik Ioffe. Seismic facies of abyssal plane deposits, contourites, gravitites, and sediment waves have been identified based on specific characteristics of the seismic structure of the upper sediment cover. Geological interpretation was conducted considering the results of lithological studies of sediment cores collected during research cruises of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as deep-sea drilling data. The role of gravity-driven processes in the formation of near-surface deposits is most significant in the region adjacent to the continental margin of South America. In the entire study area, bottom currents are considered as one of the main agents of sediment cover formation, responsible both for the deposition of contourite drifts and stratified hemipelagic sediments.