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    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

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    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

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    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

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    8/1/2021 Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

    Coordinates: 52.50°N 31.75°W

    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone


    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone is a system of two parallel fracture
    zones. It is the most prominent interruption of the Mid-Atlantic
    Ridge between the Azores and Iceland. It can be traced over more
    than 2000 kilometers, all the way from north-east of Newfoundland
    to south-west of Ireland. It took 90 million years for the fault to
    grow to this length.

    Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, full


    Contents extent

    Structure
    Exploration
    Seamounts
    Protected area
    References
    External links

    Structure Schematic overview of Charlie-


    Gibbs Fracture Zone
    The transform fault of the southern fracture zone displaces the Mid-
    Atlantic Ridge, coming from the Azores Triple Junction, to the west
    over a distance of 120 km. At longitude 31.75W a south to north
    seismically active rift valley with a length of 40 km connects the
    western end of the southern transform to the eastern end of the
    northern transform.[1] The northern transform fault displaces the
    spreading ridge over another 230 km to the west before it connects
    to the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge going to Iceland. Thus
    the total offset of the system is 350 kilometers.
    Charlie-Gibbs transform fault
    Both transform faults continue eastward and westward as inactive
    fracture zones.

    Exploration
    In 1963 the existence of a transform fault near latitude 53N was first postulated on the basis of
    earthquake epicenter data by Bruce Heezen and Maurice Ewing.[2] Also the study of ocean currents
    indicated that there should be a deep passage through the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In 1966 the area was
    investigated by USCGC Spar (WLB-403) on its return from an Arctic survey.[3] The fault was named
    Charlie Fracture Zone after the USCG Ocean Weather Station Charlie at 52°45′N 35°30′W, athwart the
    fault. In July 1968 USNS Josiah Willard Gibbs (T-AGOR-1) conducted a more extended survey.[4] It was
    proposed that the fracture zone be renamed Gibbs Fracture Zone, as fracture zones are generally named
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie-Gibbs_Fracture_Zone 1/3
    8/1/2021 Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

    for research vessels. The proposal was accepted only in part, and currently the official name is Charlie-
    Gibbs Fracture Zone.[5] Note that the double name refers to the two parallel fracture zones together. The
    individual fracture zones have to be referred to as Charlie-Gibbs North and South.

    Seamounts
    The transform area contains two named seamounts:

    Minia Seamount at 53°01′N 34°58′W.[5] It is located inside the corner of the northern branch of the
    Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the northern transform fault. This seamount is named after the ship Minia
    (1866-1922)[6] of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company. The Minia is known for recovering bodies
    and artifacts from the Titanic.[7]
    Hecate Seamount at 52°17′N 31°00′W, named after HMS Hecate (A137). It is located on the
    northern wall of the southern transform fault east of the short spreading ridge.

    Protected area
    The Charlie-Gibbs Marine Protected Area is a conservation area in the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone
    in North Atlantic international waters.[8][9]

    References
    1. Lilwall, R. C.; Kirk, R. E. (1985). "Ocean-bottom seismograph observations on the Charlie-Gibbs
    fracture zone" (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-246X.1985.tb05085.x). Geophysical Journal
    International. 80: 195. Bibcode:1985GeoJI..80..195L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985GeoJI..
    80..195L). doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1985.tb05085.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-246X.1985.tb0
    5085.x).
    2. Leonard Johnson, G. (1967). "North atlantic fracture zones near 53°". Earth and Planetary Science
    Letters. 2 (5): 445–448. Bibcode:1967E&PSL...2..445J (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1967E&P
    SL...2..445J). doi:10.1016/0012-821X(67)90187-2 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0012-821X%2867%2
    990187-2).
    3. Report on voyage of USCGC Spar (https://web.archive.org/web/20110606142055/http://mysite.veriz
    on.net/tomhbeatle/)
    4. Fleming, H. S.; Cherkis, N. Z.; Heirtzler, J. R. (1970). "The Gibbs Fracture Zone: A double fracture
    zone at 52°30'N in the Atlantic Ocean". Marine Geophysical Researches. 1: 37.
    Bibcode:1970MarGR...1...37F (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1970MarGR...1...37F).
    doi:10.1007/BF00310008 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF00310008).
    5. "IHO-IOC GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names, March 2011 version; www.gebco.net" (htt
    ps://web.archive.org/web/20120421102914/http://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/undersea_feat
    ure_names/documents/gebco_gazeteer_march_2011.xls). GEBCO. Archived from the original (htt
    p://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/undersea_feature_names/documents/gebco_gazeteer_march
    _2011.xls) on 2012-04-21. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
    6. Minia-homepage (http://atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Minia/index.htm) Gebco gives years 1885-
    1907, which would be incompatible with the Titanic (1912).
    7. atlantic-cable.com (http://atlantic-cable.com/Article/subcable1925.htm)
    8. http://www.charlie-gibbs.org/charlie/node/14
    9. Proforma for compiling the characteristics of a potential MPA (http://www.ngo.grida.no/wwfneap/Publi
    cation/Submissions/OSPAR2006/WWF_MASH06_HSMPA_MAR_Annex.pdf) Archived (https://web.a

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie-Gibbs_Fracture_Zone 2/3
    8/1/2021 Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

    rchive.org/web/20140112104117/http://www.ngo.grida.no/wwfneap/Publication/Submissions/OSPAR
    2006/WWF_MASH06_HSMPA_MAR_Annex.pdf) January 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

    External links
    U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar WLB - 403 out of Bristol RI, 1966 (https://web.archive.org/web/201410
    17102708/http://www.uscgspar4031966.com/index.html?r=20140316123454)

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlie-Gibbs_Fracture_Zone&oldid=993796936"

    This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 15:22 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site,
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