Contourite Terraces in the Middle-Slope of the Northern Scotia Sea and Southern Atlantic Ocean: Palaeoceanographic Implications

The morphology of the continental margin off Tierra del Fuego is highly influenced by the presence of middle-slope contourite terraces. This area is dominated by the relatively strong flow associated to the northern Antarctic Circumpolar Current, with the North Scotia Ridge acting as an important morphological barrier. The flow includes portions of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water and recently formed Antarctic Intermediate Water that later flows northward reaching the Northern Hemisphere. The depth of the boundary between these water masses coincides with the regional occurrence of the terraces. Similar terraces have also been identified along the Argentine and Uruguayan margins, representing a major morphologic element in the South Atlantic Ocean with important oceanographic and palaeoceanographic implications.