Accretionary complexes that form at subduction zones develop a spectrum of styles of deformation that range between coherent forms in which the processes of thrusting predominate and incoherent forms in which melanges, formed by such processes as mud diapirism, are the dominant constituent. This thesis examines processes that control the development of these accretionary styles by comparing geophysical observations of the modern Barbados Ridge accretionary complex, with ancient subaerially exposed examples in Sabah, N. Borneo and W. Timor.A structural and lineament map of the offshore regions of the Barbados Ridge complex has been constructed using GLORIA. Seabeam and seismic data. It reveals marked changes in the surface structure of the accretionary wedge, particularly where basement ridges associated with oceanic fracture zones underthrust it. It also documents the presence of large numbers, of mud diapirs in its southern regions. The mud diapirs appear to be associated with the accretion of thick sequences of turbidites and their distribution is proposed to relate to the subcretion or underplating of underconsolidated material to the base of the complex. Fieldwork in Sabah and Timor concentrated on describing features associated with currently active mud diapirs, and potential ancient examples. A classification of the various forms of diapiric activity has been erected as part of a general discussion on the importance, genesis and emplacement of mud diapirs. In addition, the general structural development of the accretionary complex in W. Sabah was found to broadly resemble that of the frontal regions of a particularly thin part of the Barbados Ridge complex studied during DSDP Leg 78A and ODP Leg 110.A series of principal controls or boundary factors appear to control the general development of accretionary complexes. During the course of this study the importance of the sedimentary input, critical taper (or balance between boundary stresses and gravitational body forces) and subducting basement topography has been made particularly clear.

<p> Recent research has proposed that an increase in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) interpreted to be caused by anthropogenic climate change has lead to an increase in the frequency of intense hurricanes. However, this theory has been challenged on the basis that the instrumental record is too short (approximately 160 years) and unreliable to reveal any long-term trends in intense hurricane activity. This limitation can be addressed by the means of paleotempestology, a field that studies past hurricane activity by means of geological and biological proxy techniques. Hurricane-induced overwash deposits that become preserved in the sediments of back-barrier lagoons, lakes and marshes can provide scientists a unique opportunity to study past hurricane landfalls. It also provides an opportunity to study their associated climate drivers over much longer time-scales (centuries to millennia). </p><p> This study investigates overwash deposits (paleo-tempestites) at 10 sites along the Southwest Florida coastline, focusing on two. The Sanibel Island marsh and Keewaydin Island lagoon have a high potential for recording hurricane-induced paleo-tempestites. The Sanibel Island marsh record was constructed using loss-on-ignition, grain size analysis, percent calcium carbonate, and chronologically dated using 210Pb analysis. Proxy and dating results of three sediment cores revealed two prominent paleo-tempestites&mdash;likely representing Hurricane Donna (1960) and the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. These layers were deposited as both fine-grained sand and shell hash, and contribute to our understanding of storm overwash in the modern record. Three sediment cores were also extracted from a back-barrier lagoon (Island Bay), behind Keewaydin Island in Collier County, Florida. Core samples were analyzed for grain size, percent calcium carbonate, fossil shells species and dated using the ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C dating methods. These methods revealed a 1 thousand year old record of hurricane overwash. Two prominent paleo-tempestites, deposited as both fine-grained sand and shell hash, were also observed at this site and may possibly replicate the most recent storm events documented on Sanibel Island. This suggests that only the most intense hurricanes are being recorded in the geologic record. </p><p> "Active" (1000-500 yrs. BP) and "inactive" (500-0 yrs. BP) periods of hurricane overwash were identified in the Island Bay record. These correlate well with the reconstructed SSTs from the Main Development Region in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age. Results from this initial Southwest Florida study point to SSTs of the North Atlantic Main Development Region as a potential climatic driver of hurricane landfalls in Southwest Florida over the past 1 thousand years. This is in opposition to SSTs in the Gulf of Mexico and El Ni&ntilde;o Southern Oscillation as hypothesized by other studies in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions. These results are the first proxy records of past hurricane strikes in Southwest Florida. </p>

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