Blake Plateau: Control of Miocene sedimentation patterns by large-scale shifts of the Gulf Stream axis

The distribution of buried channel networks within Cenozoic sequences of the Blake Plateau and their correlation with global sea-level oscillations indicate that the Gulf Stream axis shifted landward against the Florida-Hatteras Slope during sea-level high-stands and seaward across the central Blake Plateau during sea-level lowstands. A sedimentation model incorporating axial shifts of the Gulf Stream successfully predicts the Miocene stratigraphy of the Florida-Hatteras Slope and Blake Plateau as defined by seismic and drill-hole data.