Morphosculpture of guyots at the Nasca Ridge

Abstract

Comparative description of guyots morphosculpture at the Nasca Ridge (Pacific Ocean) is given on the basis of submarine observations. Some relict landforms are found at the guyots, such as coral reefs, erosion furrows, remnants and terraces due to marine erosion, karst sinkholes, which indicate that the guyots emerged as flat-topped sea islands after Miocene At present the most active processes are gravitational ones at ancient reefs slopes, sedimentation at the tops being negligible.