Processed multichannel seismic data in the Venezuelan Basin and over the Beata Ridge, acquired during the R/V Maurice Ewing survey EW9501 (1995)

This cruise collected data in the Venezuelan Basin and over the Beata Ridge. The cruise had multiple purposes. Venezuela Basin: 1) Define the rough/smooth basement boundary better and examine the spatial and temporal relationship between the different crustal types. 2) Ascertain the crustal velocity structure. 3) Determine crustal thickness variations acrooss the rough/smooth boundary. 4) Image Moho, sub B, and Cretaceous to early Tertiary sediment reflectors. 5) Examine the link between the observed magnetic lineations and structural lineations. Beata Ridge: 1) Determine if crustal thickness variations can explain the differential topography between Beata Ridge and the Venezuelan and Columbian Basins. 2) Determine if additional deformation affected the region due to differential plate motion. 3) Ascertain whether the additional deformation and the resulting topography was due to tensional or compressional forces. 4) Address the history of the relative motion of the Caribbean plate and discern whether the azimuthal and deformation data can be better explained by one or two plates for the Caribbean region by determining the deformational history of the Beata Ridge. Funded by NSF grant OCE93-02578.

本科考航次在委内瑞拉海盆（Venezuelan Basin）与贝塔海岭（Beata Ridge）区域开展数据采集工作，航次兼具多重科学目标。
针对委内瑞拉海盆，本次航次设定以下5项科学目标：
1. 更精准地界定粗糙/光滑基底边界，并探究不同地壳类型间的时空关联；
2. 明确地壳速度结构；
3. 厘定粗糙/光滑边界两侧的地壳厚度变化特征；
4. 对莫霍面（Moho）、sub B层以及白垩纪至早第三纪的沉积反射层进行成像；
5. 探究观测到的磁条带与构造条带之间的内在联系。
针对贝塔海岭，本次航次设定以下4项科学目标：
1. 验证地壳厚度变化能否解释贝塔海岭与委内瑞拉、哥伦比亚海盆之间的地形差异；
2. 查明该区域是否存在因板块运动差异引发的额外构造变形；
3. 确定该区域的额外变形及由此形成的地形是由张应力还是压应力作用所致；
4. 厘清加勒比板块的相对运动历史，并通过解析贝塔海岭的变形历史，判断加勒比区域的方位角与变形数据更适合采用单个还是两个板块模型进行解释。
本航次由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）资助项目OCE93-02578支持。