QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND SEDIMENT FLUXES AT THE TOE OF THE BARBADOS ACCRETIONARY PRISM

Sedimentologic and stratigraphic investigations on four cores collecte d close to the front of the Barbados accretionary prism provided infor mation about the Quaternary depositional processes and sediment fluxes in the region. The morphology of the prism is marked by N-S-oriented anticlinal ridges separated by troughs. The deposits are hemipelagic o n top of the ridges and in the abyssal plain, with a mean global flux of 1.35-1.40 g cm(-2) 10(-3) yr. The carbonate flux decreases from the prism to the abyssal plain (0.49 and 0.3 g cm(-2) 10(-3) yr, respecti vely). Terrigenous material is provided by distal turbiditic plumes. I t decreases slightly from the abyssal plain to the prism (1.06 and 0.9 g cm(-2) 10(-3) yr, respectively). During cold climatic stages, it is up to 1.4 g cm(-2) 10(-3) yr. The global flux is much higher (7.1 g c m(-2) 10(-3) yr) in the interridge troughs, which act as sediment trap s for distal turbidity currents.