Bathymetric map of the Blake Escarpment

The Blake Escarpment is a steep cliff tlmt trends north-south approximately 400 km east of Florida. Across the escarpment, which marks the eastern edge of the Blake Plateau, water depths increase from about 1,500 m to 5,000 m.

In the past few years the area has been surveyed by the following U.S. Geological Survey cruises: 1. R/V Eastward (cruise 80-8); 2. R/V Starel!a; 3. R/V Gittiss,(cruise 79-3-5); 4. M/V Coral Seal; and 5. R/V Fay (cruise 025) (fig. 1), For this report, bathymetric information from these cruises has been compiled and contoured. Data from earlier surveys of the area (Pratt and Heezen, 1964) were not used because of uncertainties concerning their navigation.