Contourites in the Derbent Basin, Caspian Sea (Geophysical Data)

A high resolution seismic survey carried out by the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences in 2004–2012 near the foot of the continental slopes of the Derbent Basin (Middle Caspian) revealed evidence for active accumulation of contourites in the Pliocene–Holocene. The discovery of these forms and deposits in the Middle Caspian is of great importance for understanding the sedimentation and formation of the bottom topography of the Caspian Sea.