The study of the deep structure and tectonic history of continental margins is an important topic in the earth and ocean sciences. The nature and thickness of crustal layers and the subsidence history determined from data on sediments can be used to determine the strength of the continental crust, as well as to evaluate models for crustal thinning and stretching. The continental margin of the Gulf of Valencia in the western Mediterranean is an ideal location for such a study since this margin has formed relatively recently and has only a thin sediment cover. The present award will support a marine geophysical program to examine the thickness, seismic character and heat flow across this margin. The work will be a cooperative project with French and Spanish scientists, and will utilize a second French research vessel in addition to the R.V. Conrad. These data will be integrated with existing well data and gravity studies of this margin to evaluate the processes occurring during rifting and stretching of continental crust.
