8/1/2021 Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 52.50°N 31.75°W

Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone

Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone is a system of two parallel fracture
zones. It is the most prominent interruption of the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge between the Azores and Iceland. It can be traced over more
than 2000 kilometers, all the way from north-east of Newfoundland
to south-west of Ireland. It took 90 million years for the fault to
grow to this length.

Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, full

Contents extent

Structure
Exploration
Seamounts
Protected area
References
External links

Structure Schematic overview of Charlie-

Gibbs Fracture Zone
The transform fault of the southern fracture zone displaces the Mid-
Atlantic Ridge, coming from the Azores Triple Junction, to the west
over a distance of 120 km. At longitude 31.75W a south to north
seismically active rift valley with a length of 40 km connects the
western end of the southern transform to the eastern end of the
northern transform.[1] The northern transform fault displaces the
spreading ridge over another 230 km to the west before it connects
to the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge going to Iceland. Thus
the total offset of the system is 350 kilometers.
Charlie-Gibbs transform fault
Both transform faults continue eastward and westward as inactive
fracture zones.

Exploration
In 1963 the existence of a transform fault near latitude 53N was first postulated on the basis of
earthquake epicenter data by Bruce Heezen and Maurice Ewing.[2] Also the study of ocean currents
indicated that there should be a deep passage through the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In 1966 the area was
investigated by USCGC Spar (WLB-403) on its return from an Arctic survey.[3] The fault was named
Charlie Fracture Zone after the USCG Ocean Weather Station Charlie at 52°45′N 35°30′W, athwart the
fault. In July 1968 USNS Josiah Willard Gibbs (T-AGOR-1) conducted a more extended survey.[4] It was
proposed that the fracture zone be renamed Gibbs Fracture Zone, as fracture zones are generally named
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for research vessels. The proposal was accepted only in part, and currently the official name is Charlie-
Gibbs Fracture Zone.[5] Note that the double name refers to the two parallel fracture zones together. The
individual fracture zones have to be referred to as Charlie-Gibbs North and South.

Seamounts
The transform area contains two named seamounts:

Minia Seamount at 53°01′N 34°58′W.[5] It is located inside the corner of the northern branch of the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the northern transform fault. This seamount is named after the ship Minia
(1866-1922)[6] of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company. The Minia is known for recovering bodies
and artifacts from the Titanic.[7]
Hecate Seamount at 52°17′N 31°00′W, named after HMS Hecate (A137). It is located on the
northern wall of the southern transform fault east of the short spreading ridge.

Protected area
The Charlie-Gibbs Marine Protected Area is a conservation area in the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone
in North Atlantic international waters.[8][9]

References
1. Lilwall, R. C.; Kirk, R. E. (1985). "Ocean-bottom seismograph observations on the Charlie-Gibbs
fracture zone" (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-246X.1985.tb05085.x). Geophysical Journal
International. 80: 195. Bibcode:1985GeoJI..80..195L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985GeoJI..
80..195L). doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1985.tb05085.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-246X.1985.tb0
5085.x).
2. Leonard Johnson, G. (1967). "North atlantic fracture zones near 53°". Earth and Planetary Science
Letters. 2 (5): 445–448. Bibcode:1967E&PSL...2..445J (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1967E&P
SL...2..445J). doi:10.1016/0012-821X(67)90187-2 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0012-821X%2867%2
990187-2).
3. Report on voyage of USCGC Spar (https://web.archive.org/web/20110606142055/http://mysite.veriz
on.net/tomhbeatle/)
4. Fleming, H. S.; Cherkis, N. Z.; Heirtzler, J. R. (1970). "The Gibbs Fracture Zone: A double fracture
zone at 52°30'N in the Atlantic Ocean". Marine Geophysical Researches. 1: 37.
Bibcode:1970MarGR...1...37F (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1970MarGR...1...37F).
doi:10.1007/BF00310008 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF00310008).
5. "IHO-IOC GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names, March 2011 version; www.gebco.net" (htt
ps://web.archive.org/web/20120421102914/http://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/undersea_feat
ure_names/documents/gebco_gazeteer_march_2011.xls). GEBCO. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/undersea_feature_names/documents/gebco_gazeteer_march
_2011.xls) on 2012-04-21. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
6. Minia-homepage (http://atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Minia/index.htm) Gebco gives years 1885-
1907, which would be incompatible with the Titanic (1912).
7. atlantic-cable.com (http://atlantic-cable.com/Article/subcable1925.htm)
8. http://www.charlie-gibbs.org/charlie/node/14
9. Proforma for compiling the characteristics of a potential MPA (http://www.ngo.grida.no/wwfneap/Publi
cation/Submissions/OSPAR2006/WWF_MASH06_HSMPA_MAR_Annex.pdf) Archived (https://web.a

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rchive.org/web/20140112104117/http://www.ngo.grida.no/wwfneap/Publication/Submissions/OSPAR
2006/WWF_MASH06_HSMPA_MAR_Annex.pdf) January 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

External links
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar WLB - 403 out of Bristol RI, 1966 (https://web.archive.org/web/201410
17102708/http://www.uscgspar4031966.com/index.html?r=20140316123454)

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