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Eocene to 01 i gocene (Monroe, 1968).<br />

If the stratified layer was deposited before the Puerto<br />

Rico Trench formed, its present flat layering indicates<br />

that the tectonic movement associated with trench formation<br />

was localized in the immediate area of the trench. There<br />

is some indication that normal faulting may have disturbed<br />

223<br />

the stratified unit in a few places under the Greater Antilles<br />

Outer Ridge, much as it has on the no~th wall of the trench<br />

(Chase and Hersey, 1968), but this effect is not pronounced.<br />

Although the gentle northward slope of Datum A under the<br />

eastern Greater Antilles Outer Ridge may indicate that the<br />

sea floor was elevated there while the Puerto Rico Trench<br />

was forming, the slope may also represent the original<br />

attitude of the layering. Seismic profiles over the far<br />

eastern outer ri dge show Datum A under the Nares Abyssal<br />

Plain but not under the Greater Antilles Outer Ridge (Fig.<br />

3.5), .suggesting that the basement ridge under the outer<br />

ri dge was an el evated feature even before the Puerto Ri co<br />

Trench formed. The possi bi 1 i ty of transcurrent faul ti ng<br />

associated with formation of the Puerto Rico Trench is<br />

lar~ely eliminated by the presence of unbroken, northwest-<br />

southeast trending magnetic lineations across its present<br />

north slope (Griscom and Geddes, 1966).<br />

Al though the formati on of the Puerto Ri co Trench<br />

undoubtedly had a si gni fi cant effect on mechani sms of<br />

sediment deposition on the Greater Antilles Outer Ridge,<br />

.)

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