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Islands of the South Atlantic

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The South Atlantic

Abstract

Since Darwin’s observations during the voyage of the Beagle (1831–1836), the islands of the South Atlantic have figured prominently in the geologic exploration of the ocean basins. The small number of widely scattered islands considered here extend from the Tropic of Cancer to the Southern Ocean (Fig. 1): they are entirely volcanic with the exception of St. Paul’s Rocks and the insignificant amounts of locally derived sediments. The situation of the islands varies greatly; some (e. g., Ascension) rise from near the crest of the mid-Atlantic ridge, some (e. g., St. Helena) are the tips of isolated volcanic cones, and others (e. g., Cape Verde Islands) are built on submarine banks closer to the continental margins.

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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, England

    P. E. Baker

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  1. Department of Geology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Alan E. M. Nairn  & Francis G. Stehli  & 

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Baker, P.E. (1973). Islands of the South Atlantic. In: Nairn, A.E.M., Stehli, F.G. (eds) The South Atlantic. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3030-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3030-1_13

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