Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

543

Date

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Earth Sciences

Concentration

Geophysics

Committee Chair

Maria Beatrice Magnani

Committee Member

Heather DeShon

Committee Member

Randel Tom Cox

Abstract

During subduction of the Caribbean plate beneath the North and South American plates, large amount of material of crustal composition either descend into the mantle or are incorporated into the accretionary prism. In this study I investigate the collision at the northern and southern margins, where two different types of crustal material, Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) and normal oceanic crust, subduct, leading to differences in the collision style and structures. As part of this study, I refine the lateral extent of the CLIP in the eastern Caribbean. My analysis suggests that where the CLIP is involved in the subduction process, the sedimentary cover is clearly incorporated into the accretionary prism, and possibly only the igneous basement is recycled back into the subduction zone; however, where the normal oceanic crust is involved in the subduction, both the basement and its sedimentary cover enter the subduction channel.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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