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Geological structures of ridges with relation to the definition of three types of seafloor highs stipulated in Article 76

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Abstract

The ridge like seafloor highs with various geological origins can be classed into mid-ocean ridges, transverse ridges related to transform faults, hot spot/mantle plume originated ridges, microcontinent rifted from major continent, intra-plate arc formed by interaction of two oceanic plates, and tectonic ridges uplifted by later tectonic activity. Those ridges moved towards the convergent continental margins along with the underlain plate drifting and formed so-called accreted ridges commonly trending at a high angle to the continental margins. At divergent continental margins, the continental crusts were extended and thinned accompanying with magmatism, which formed high terrains protruding or parallel to the coastal line. The ridges worldwide have various origins and the crustal thicknesses and structures of them are diversity. The crusts beneath the microcontinents, and the transverse ridges along the transform margin, and the seafloor highs beside the passive continental margins are continental, while the crusts of other ridges are oceanic. Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has classed the seafloor highs worldwide into three legal categories, namely oceanic ridges, submarine ridges and submarine elevations, for the purpose to delineate the outer limit of the coastal States’ continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. To define the categories of the legal seafloor highs to which the ridges with various geological origins belong, the continuities in morphology and geology including the rock types, crustal structures, origins and tectonic setting of the ridges and the coastal States’ land mass with its submerged prolongation should be taken into account. If a ridge is continuous both in morphology and geology with the coastal States’ land mass and its submerged prolongation, it is a submarine elevation stipulated in Article 76. If it is discontinuous in morphology, the ridge should be regarded as oceanic ridges. If a ridge is continuous in morphology but discontinuous in geology with the coastal States’ land mass and its submerged prolongation, then it is a submarine ridge as stipulated in Article 76.

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  1. Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Weiguo Wang

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Wang, W. Geological structures of ridges with relation to the definition of three types of seafloor highs stipulated in Article 76. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 30, 125–140 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-011-0154-z

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