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1.
The ridge located between 31° S and 34°30′S is spreading at a rate of 35 mm yr−1, a transitional velocity between the very slow (≤20 mm yr−1) opening rates of the North Atlantic and Southwest Indian Oceans, and the intermediate rates (60 mm yr−1) of the northern limb of the East Pacific Rise, and the Galapagos and Juan de Fuca Ridges. A synthesis of multi-narrow beam,
magnetics and gravity data document that in this area the ridge represents a dynamically evolving system. Here the ridge is
partitioned into an ensemble of six distinct segments of variable lengths (12 to 100 km) by two transform faults (first-order
discontinuities) and three small offset (< 30 km) discontinuities (second-order discontinuities) that behave non-rigidly creating
complex and heterogeneous morphotectonic patterns that are not parallel to flow lines. The offset magnitudes of both the first
and second-order discontinuities change in response to differential asymmetric spreading. In addition, along the fossil trace
of second-order discontinuities, the lengths of abyssal hills located to either side of a discordant zone are observed to
lengthen and shorten creating a saw-toothed pattern. Although the spreading rate remains the same along the length of the
ridge studied, the morphology of the spreading segments varies from a deep median valley with characteristics analogous to
the rift segments of the North Atlantic to a gently rifted axial bulge that is indistinguishable from the shape and relief
of the intermediate rate spreading centers of the East Pacific Rise (i.e., 21°N). Like other carefully surveyed ridge segments
at slow and fast rates of accretion, the along-axis profiles of each ridge segment are distinctly convex upwards, and exhibit
along-strike changes in relief of 500m to 1500 between the shallowest portion of the segment (approximate center) and the
segment ends. Such spatial variations create marked along-axis changes in the morphology and relief of each segment. A relatively
low mantle Bouguer anomaly is known to be associated with the ridge segment characterized by a gently rifted axial bulge and
is interpreted to indicate the presence of focused mantle upwelling (Kuo and Forsyth, 1988). Moreover, the terrain at the
ends of each segment are known to be highly magnetized compared to the centers of each segment (Carbotte et al, 1990). Taken
together, these data clearly establish that these profound spatial variations in ridge segment properties between adjoining
segments, and along and across each segment, indicate that the upper mantle processes responsible for the formation of this
contrasting architecture are not solely related to passive upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the ridge axis. Rather,
there must be differences in the thermal and mechanical structure of the crust and upper mantle between and along the ridge
segments to explain these spatial variations in axial topography, crustal structure and magnetization. These results are consistent
with the results of investigations from other parts of the ridge and suggest that the emplacement of magma is highly focused
along segments and positioned beneath the depth minimum of a given segment. The profound differences between segments indicate
that the processes governing the behavior of upwelling mantle are decoupled and the variations in the patterns of axis flanking
morphology and rate of accretion indicate that processes controlling upwelling and melt production vary markedly in time as
well. At this spreading rate and in this area, the accretionary processes are clearly three-dimensional. In addition, the
morphology of a ridge segment is not governed so much by opening rate as by the thermal structure of the mantle which underlies
the segment. 相似文献
2.
北冰洋Gakkel洋中脊的地幔熔融控制因素及非岩浆地壳增生 总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3
Spreading rate is a primary factor of mantle melting and tectonic behavior of the global mid-ocean ridges. The spreading rate of the Gakkel ridge decreases gradually from west to east. However, the Gakkel ridge can be divided into four thick-and-thin zones with varying crustal thicknesses along ridge axis. This phenomenon indicates that mantle melting of the Gakkel ridge is not a simple function of spreading rate. Mantle temperature, water content,mantle composition, and other factors are important in crustal accretion processes. Based on gravity-derived crustal thickness and wet melting model, we estimate that the mantle potential temperatures of the four zones are1 270, 1 220, 1 280, and 1 280°C(assuming that mantle water content equals to global average value), with corresponding mantle water contents of 210, 0, 340, and 280 mg/kg(assuming that mantle potential temperature is 1 260°C), respectivly. The western thinned crust zone is best modeled with low mantle temperature, whereas the other zones are mainly controlled by the enhanced conduction caused by the slower spreading rate. Along the Gakkel ridge, the crustal thickness is consistent with rock samples types. Predominated serpentinized peridotite and basalt are found in the area with crustal thickness 1.5 km and 2.5 km, respectively. The rock samples are including from basalt to peridotite in the area with crustal thickness between 1.5 and 2.5 km. Based on this consistency, the traditional magmatic accretion zone accounted for only 44% and amagmatic accretion accounted for 29% of the Gakkel ridge. The amagmatic accretion is a significant characteristic of the ultra-slow spreading ridge. 相似文献
3.
The crenulated geometry of the Southeast Indian ridge within the Australian-Antarctic discordance is formed by numerous spreading ridge segments that are offset, alternately to the north and south, by transform faults. Suggested causes for these offsets, which largely developed since ~ 20 Ma, include asymmetric seafloor spreading, ridge jumps, and propagating rifts that have transferred seafloor from one flank of the spreading ridge to the other. Each of these processes has operated at different times in different locations of the discordance; here we document an instance where a small (~ 20 km), young (< 0.2 Ma), southward ridge jump has contributed to the observed asymmetry. When aeromagnetic anomalies from the Project Investigator-1 survey are superposed on gravity anomalies computed from Geosat GM and ERM data, we find that in segment B4 of the discordance (between 125° and 126° E), the roughly east-west-trending gravity low, correlated with the axial valley, is 20–25 km south of the ridge axis position inferred from the center of magnetic anomaly 1. Elsewhere in the discordance, the inferred locations of the ridge axis from magnetics and gravity are in excellent agreement. Ship track data confirm these observations: portions of Moana Wave track crossing the ridge in B4 show that a topographic valley correlated with the gravity anomaly low lies south of the center of magnetic anomaly 1; while other ship track data that cross the spreading ridge in segments B3 and B5 demonstrate good agreement between the axial valley, the gravity anomaly low, and the central magnetic anomaly. Based on these observations, we speculate that the ridge axis in B4 has recently jumped to the south, from a ridge location closer to the center of the young normally magnetized crust, to that of the gravity anomaly low. The position of the gravity low essentially at the edge of normally magnetized crust requires a very recent (< 0.2 Ma) arrival of the ridge in this new location. Because this ridge jump is so young, it may be a promising location for future detailed studies of the dynamics, kinematics, and thermal effects of ridge jumps.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged. 相似文献
4.
A method is developed to quantify the relationship between the ridge axial topography and gravity and the spreading rate along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge between 22 and 38°N. This relationship reflects the variations of slope of the best‐fit line of topography and gravity spectra with the spreading rate of the ridge segments. The slope of the best‐fit line of topography spectrum becomes smaller as the spreading rate increases, indicating that with increasing spreading rate more energy of the ridge axial topography shifts into high‐frequency bands. The spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial topography may be explained by an anomalous thermal structure beneath the ridge. No significant correlation was found between the slope of the best‐fit line of gravity spectrum and the spreading rate in this region. The lack of spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial gravity may be attributable to the isostatic compensation of the spreading center. 相似文献
5.
The central part of the northern Labrador Sea is a magnetic quiet zone, and is flanked by regions exhibiting well developed linear magnetic anomalies older than anomaly 24. The quiet zone dies out progressively to the south, where it becomes possible to correlate anomalies between adjacent profiles. A 45 degree change in spreading direction at anomaly 25 time was accompanied by a major jump in ridge position and orientation. As a consequence of this reorganisation, spreading in the northern Labrador Sea next occurred within a rift that was oriented at 45 degrees to the spreading direction, while to the south spreading occurred within in a rift that was orientated at 90 degrees to the spreading direction. Obliquity of spreading changed, between these limits, progressively along the ridge. The quiet zone may be present to the north because the oblique northern geometry resulted in a fragmented ridge composed of many small-offset transform faults joining many short spreading ridge segments. Each magnetic source block produced by magnetisation of sea floor at these small ridge segments will be surrounded by similar small blocks that have opposite polarity, so that none can be resolved at the sea surface. Supporting evidence comes from multi-channel seismic profiles across the Labrador Sea, which show that the basement is more textured within the quiet zone than outside, suggesting the presence of numerous small fracture zones in the quiet zone.A magnetic quiet zone is present in the northern Greenland Sea between margins that are oblique to the spreading direction. In contrast, there are clear lineated magnetic patterns in adjacent areas to north and south where the margins are orthogonal to the spreading direction. This quiet zone may also be due to the geometry of spreading. 相似文献
6.
Rommevaux-Jestin Céline Deplus Christine Patriat Philippe 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1997,19(6):481-503
A three-dimensional analysis of gravity andbathymetry data has been achieved along the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR)between the Rodriguez Triple Junction (RTJ) and the Atlantis II transform,in order to define the morphological and geophysical expression ofsecond-order segmentation along an ultra slow-spreading ridge(spreading rate of 8 mm/yr), and to compare it with awell-studied section along a slow-spreading ridge (spreadingrate of 12.5 mm/yr): the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between 28°and 31°30 N.Between the Atlantis II transform and theRTJ, the SWIR axis exhibits a deep axial valley with an 30°oblique trend relative to the north–south spreading direction. Onlythree transform faults offset the axis, so the obliquity has to beaccommodated by the second-order segmentation. Alongslow-spreading ridges such as the MAR, second-order segmentshave been defined as linear features perpendicular to the spreadingdirection, with a shallow axial valley floor at the segment midpoint,deepening to the segment ends, and are associated with Mantle BouguerAnomaly (MBA) lows. Along the SWIR, our gravity study reveals the presenceof circular MBA lows, but they are spaced further apart than expected. Thesegravity lows are systematically centred over narrow bathymetric highs, andinterpreted as the centres of spreading cells. However, along some obliquesections of the axis, the valley floor displays small topographicundulations, which can be interpreted as small accretionary segments frommorphological analysis, but as large discontinuity domains from thegeophysical data. Therefore, both bathymetry and MBA variations have to beused to define the second-order segmentation of an ultraslow-spreading ridge. This segmentation appears to be characterisedby short segments and large oblique discontinuity domains. Analysis of alongaxis bathymetric and gravimetric profiles exhibits three different sectionsthat can be related to the thermal structure of the lithosphere beneath theSWIR axis.The comparison between characteristics of segmentationalong the SWIR and the MAR reveals two major differences: first, the poorcorrelation between MBA and bathymetry variations and second, the largerspacing and amplitude of MBA lows along the SWIR compared to the MAR. Theseobservations seem to be correlated with the spreading rate and the thermalstructure of the ridge. Therefore, the gravity signature of the segmentationand thus the accretionary processes appear to be very different: there areno distinct MBA lows on fast-spreading ridges, adjacent ones on slowspreading ridges and finally separate ones on ultra slow-spreadingridges. The main result of this study is to point out that 2nd ordersegmentation of an ultra slow-spreading ridge is characterised bywide discontinuity domains with very short accretionary segments, suggestingvery focused mantle upwelling, with a limited magma supply through a cold,thick lithosphere. We also emphasise the stronger influence of themechanical lithosphere on accretionary processes along an ultra slow-spreading ridge. 相似文献
7.
On the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) from 34°–35.5° S, three ridge segments span the 108 km distance between the Meteor Fracture Zone (FZ) and the Montevideo FZ. Each of these segments is perpendicular to the adjoining transforms. Magnetic isochrons in the southern half of the region are oblique to the spreading direction and are offset from the morphological expression of the plate boundary, revealing a transition from oblique to orthogonal spreading within the last 750,000 years. Changes in orientation and cross-sectional form of the rift valley, as modified by tectonic processes, are preserved in the off-axis abyssal-hill fabric. We present a new statistical method for describing size and orientation of abyssal hills based on local slopes. For a given offset, the range of sorted slopes from the first to third quartile provides a robust estimate of topographic variability. The variability can be parametrized by azimuthal direction, plan-view aspect ratio, characteristic height and width. We resolve lineation azimuth within 6°, and characteristic height, width and aspect ratio within 20–30%, using 18 by 21 km sample boxes crossed by multiple Sea Beam swaths covering approximately 30% of the box. In the northern portion of the survey, the azimuth is mainly ridge parallel, while in the southern portion, the azimuth rotates 23° clockwise from ridge strike. Characteristic height and width are greater in the southern half than in the northern half, while aspect ratios are lower. The asymmetry of quartiles about the median slope provides evidence that inward-facing normal faults bounding the rift valley are a significant source of topography. Fabric disrupted by migration of small-offset discontinuities has higher than average characteristic height. Characteristic height and width correlate positively with residual gravity, an indicator of crustal thinning. A residual gravity low, possibly the current focus of upwelling, coincides with a newly formed spreading axis. These correlations suggest that evolution of ridge geometry can be controlled by crust and mantle thermal structure. Either variation in magma supply, resulting in changes in stress normal to the ridge axis, or a major realignment of the Montevideo Transform, temporarily resulting in increased shear stress across newly activated faults, may have been responsible for changes in orientation and morphology of the spreading center. 相似文献
8.
Norbert J. Schulz Robert S. Detrick Stephen P. Miller 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1988,10(1-2):41-57
Magnetic data collected in conjunction with a Sea Beam bathymetric survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Kane Fracture
Zone are used to constrain the spreading history of this area over the past 3 Ma. Two-dimensional forward modeling and inversion
techniques are carried out, as well as a full three-dimensional inversion of the anomaly field along a 90-km-long section
of the rift valley. Our results indicate that this portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, known as the MARK area, consists of
two distinct spreading cells separated by a small, zero-offset transform or discordant zone near 23°10′ N, The youngest crust
in the median valley is characterized by a series of distinct magnetization highs which coalesce to form two NNE-trending
bands of high magnetization, one on the northern ridge segment which coincides with a large constructional volcanic ridge,
and one along the southern ridge segment that is associated with a string of small axial volcanos. These two magnetization
highs overlap between 23° N and 23°10° N forming a non-transform offset that may be a slow spreading ridge analogue of the
small ridge axis discontinuities found on the East Pacific Rise. The crustal magnetizations in this overlap zone are generally
low, although an anomalous, ESE-trending magnetization high of unknown origin is also present in this area. The present-day
segmentation of spreading in the MARK area was inherited from an earlier ridge-transform-ridge geometry through a series of
small (∼ 10 km) eastward ridge jumps. These small ridge jumps were caused by a relocation of the neovolcanic zone within the
median valley and have resulted in an overall pattern of asymmetric spreading with faster rates to the west (14 mm yr−1) than to the east (11 mm yr−1). Although the detailed magnetic survey described in this paper extends out to only 3 Ma old crust, a regional compilation
of magnetic data from this area by Schoutenet al. (1985) indicates that the relative positions and dimensions of the spreading cells, and the pattern of asymmetric spreading
seen in the MARK area during the past 3 Ma, have characterized this part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge for at least the past 36
Ma. 相似文献
9.
Laura S. L. Kong Robert S. Detrick Paul J. Fox Larry A. Mayer W. B. F. Ryan 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1988,10(1-2):59-90
High-resolution Sea Beam bathymetry and Sea MARC I side scan sonar data have been obtained in the MARK area, a 100-km-long
portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley south of the Kane Fracture Zone. These data reveal a surprisingly complex rift
valley structure that is composed of two distinct spreading cells which overlap to create a small, zero-offset transform or
discordant zone. The northern spreading cell consists of a magmatically robust, active ridge segment 40–50 km in length that
extends from the eastern Kane ridge-transform intersection south to about 23°12′ N. The rift valley in this area is dominated
by a large constructional volcanic ridge that creates 200–500 m of relief and is associated with high-temperature hydrothermal
activity. The southern spreading cell is characterized by a NNE-trending band of small (50–200 m high), conical volcanos that
are built upon relatively old, fissured and sediment-covered lavas, and which in some cases are themselves fissured and faulted.
This cell appears to be in a predominantly extensional phase with only small, isolated eruptions. These two spreading cells
overlap in an anomalous zone between 23°05′ N and 23°17′ N that lacks a well-developed rift valley or neovolcanic zone, and
may represent a slow-spreading ridge analogue to the overlapping spreading centers found at the East Pacific Rise. Despite
the complexity of the MARK area, volcanic and tectonic activity appears to be confined to the 10–17 km wide rift valley floor.
Block faulting along near-vertical, small-offset normal faults, accompanied by minor amounts of back-tilting (generally less
than 5°), begins within a few km of the ridge axis and is largely completed by the time the crust is transported up into the
rift valley walls. Features that appear to be constructional volcanic ridges formed in the median valley are preserved largely
intact in the rift mountains. Mass-wasting and gullying of scarp faces, and sedimentation which buries low-relief seafloor
features, are the major geological processes occurring outside of the rift valley. The morphological and structural heterogeneity
within the MARK rift valley and in the flanking rift mountains documented in this study are largely the product of two spreading
cells that evolve independently to the interplay between extensional tectonism and episodic variations in magma production
rates. 相似文献
10.
现代海底超镁铁质岩系热液系统与地质意义 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
现代海底热液循环与洋中脊地质过程一直是国际洋中脊计划研究的热点.海底热液系统多数都与海底玄武岩及其水-岩反应直接相关,而一类与深海橄榄岩的产出及其蛇纹石化作用有关的海底热液系统——超镁铁质岩系热液系统,以具有高浓度H2和CH4异常而低SiO2浓度为显著特征,主要分布在慢速扩张大西洋中脊和超慢速扩张北冰洋Gakkel洋脊和西南印度洋中脊.超镁铁质岩系热液系统在流体组成、构造背景和硫化物成矿方面与玄武岩热液系统有很大差异,主要表现在地幔来源超镁铁质岩石的普遍出露、喷口流体高的H2和CH4异常以及硫化物中高Co/Ni比值.超镁铁质岩系热液系统的发现丰富了全球洋中脊热液系统的研究内容,对洋中脊地质过程、海底热液活动及其成矿作用研究具有重要意义. 相似文献
11.
Abyssal hills were delineated in a 185 × 185-km area by an 18.5 × 18.5-km grid of narrow-beam bathymetric and geophysical profiles in oceanic crust of Cretaceous age near 23°N latitude, 31°W longitude. The abyssal hills are similar to features located along flow lines of sea-floor spreading near the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This similarity indicates a primary origin for these abyssal hills related to axial processes at a mid-oceanic ridge involving construction (igneous) and tectonics (faulting), and secondary modification by volcanic activity. 相似文献
12.
The Carlsberg Ridge lies between the equator and the Owen fracture zone. It is the most prominent mid-ocean ridge segment
of the western Indian Ocean, which contains a number of earthquake epicenters. Satellite altimetry can be used to infer subsurface
geological structures analogous to gravity anomaly maps generated through ship-borne survey. In this study, free-air gravity
and its 3D image have been generated over the Carlsberg Ridge using a very high resolution data base, as obtained from Geosat
GM, ERS-1, Seasat and TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data. As observed in this study, the Carlsberg Ridge shows a slow spreading
characteristic with a deep and wide graben (average width ∼15 km). The transform fault spacing confirms variable slow to intermediate
characteristics with first and second order discontinuities. The isostatically compensated region of the Carlsberg Ridge could
be demarcated with near zero contour values in the free-air gravity anomaly images over and along the Carlsberg Ridge axes
and over most of the fracture zone patterns. Few profiles have been generated across the Carlsberg Ridge and the characteristics
of slow/intermediate spreading ridge of various orders of discontinuity could be identified. It has also been observed in
zero contour image as well as in the characteristics of valley patterns along the ridge from NW to SE that different spreading
rates, from slow to intermediate, are occurring in different parts of the Carlsberg ridge. It maintains the morphology of
a slow spreading ridge in the NW, where the wide and deep axial valley (∼1.5–3 km) also implies the pattern of a slow spreading
ridge. However, a change in the morphology/depth of the axial valley from NW to SE indicates the nature of the Carlsberg Ridge
as a slow to intermediate spreading ridge.
For the prevailing security restrictions, lat./lon. coordinates have been omitted in few images. 相似文献
13.
栾锡武 《海洋地质与第四纪地质》2006,26(2):55-64
根据11段洋脊上已经公布的热液活动区数目和扩张速率,建立了洋脊扩张速率和热液活动区数目之间的关系,发现洋脊的扩张速率越高,其上发育的热液活动区数目就越多。两者之间可用一个线性关系式来描述:Ph=0.000 199 294 89Us-0.000 625 479 19,其中,Us为洋脊的扩张速率(mm/a),Ph为单位洋脊上热液活动区的数目(个/km)。依据上述关系,在已知洋脊扩张速率的情况下可以预测洋脊上热液活动区的数目。冲绳海槽前期的扩张(拉张)速率很低,一般为15 mm/a左右。根据地震剖面计算了冲绳海槽现代扩张速率约为42 mm/a。总体上,冲绳海槽直到目前仍为一个低速扩张(拉张)的孤后盆地,但扩张(拉张)速率有明显加快的趋势,所得到的关系式能够较好地符合冲绳海槽的情况,这一方面验证了给出的热液活动区数目和扩张速率之间关系的合理性,另一方面也说明我们对冲绳海槽近期扩张(拉张)速率讨论的合理性。根据在冲绳海槽的应用结果,我们预测冲绳海槽仍然存在尚未查明的热液活动区。 相似文献
14.
We have calculated cross-sectional areas for the ridges bounding the Easter and Juan Fernandez microplates, 22°–28°S and 31°–35°S, obtaining accurate results where complete bathymetric data exist and estimates in other regions with partial bathymetric coverage and predicted bathymetry. We consider the reliability and usefulness of global predicted bathymetry in these calculations and the possible application of this dataset in other localities. The spreading rates on ridges bounding these microplates span the range from slow to superfast, allowing an investigation of ridge axis inflation over most of the rates active on Earth today. The across-axis areas of the Easter microplate ridge axes range from –29 km2 to 7 km2, while the Juan Fernandez ridge axis areas range from –27 km2 to 8 km2. Positive values correlate with regions usually interpreted as magmatically robust. Negative values arise from calculations in areas of propagating rift tips and deep grabens, such as Pito and Endeavor Deeps. Geochemical trends of Easter microplate axial basalts show decreasing MgO toward propagating rift tips and slight positive correlations between variables such as MgO vs. cross-sectional area, Na8.0 vs. axial depth, and Na8.0 vs. cross-sectional area. We document the decrease in the axial area approaching segment ends and propagating rift tips along both the West and East ridges of the microplates. On the Easter microplate both East and West ridge systems undergo large variations in spreading rate from >130 km Myr–1 to <50 km Myr–1. Inflation on these ridge segments is highly variable and only weakly correlated with spreading rate. On the Juan Fernandez microplate, West ridge spreading rates vary only between 115–140 km Myr–1 and are systematically faster than on the East ridge, where rates vary between 10–35 km Myr–1. Cross axis areas are systematically greater and significantly less variable on the faster spreading West ridge. Overall, compared to oceanic spreading centers bounding major plates with similar spreading rates, the axial areas are smaller on the microplate ridge systems, possibly because their rapidly changing configurations create a lag in the mantle response to the rigid plate boundary. 相似文献
15.
Simon Allerton Bramley J. Murton Roger C. Searle Malcolm Jones 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1995,17(1):37-61
The combination of multi-beam echo-sounder swath bathymetry and high-resolution deep-towed sidescan sonar provides a powerful database from which to examine mid-ocean ridge processes. We have used such a database, gathered from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of the Kane Fracture Zone (the MARNOK area), to examine the relationship between tectonic, volcanic, and bathymetric segmentation. We have identified structural domains, with different fault distributions, and neovolcanic segments that are distinct from the 2nd or 3rd order bathymetric segmentation.From their mutual relationships, a model is proposed for the magmatic accretion of oceanic crust at slow spreading ridges that relates the local melt supply to the tectonic style. We suggest that these are mutually interactive, and determine whether volcanic extrusion along the ridge is continuous and slow, or episodic and rapid. 相似文献
16.
Tjeerd H. Van Andel Richard P. Von Herzen J. D. Phillips 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1971,1(3):261-283
At 11°N latitude, the Mid-Atlantic ridge is offset 300 km by the Vema fracture zone. Between the ridge offset, the fracture consists of an elongate, parallelogram-shaped trough bordered on the north and south by narrow, high walls. The W-E trending valley floor is segmented by basement ridges and troughs which trend W10°N and are deeply buried by sediment. Uniform high heat flow characterizes the valley area. Seismically inactive valleys south of the Vema fracture, also trending W10°N, are interpreted as relict fracture zones. We explain the high heat flow and the shape of the Vema fracture as the results of secondary sea-floor spreading produced by a reorientation of the direction of sea-floor spreading from W10°N to west-east. This reorientation probably began approximately 10 million years ago. Rapid filling of the fracture valley by turbidites from the Demerara Abyssal plain took place during the last million years.The large amount of differential uplift in the Vema fracture is not explained by the reorientation model. Since the spreading rate across the valley is small compared to that across the ridge crest, we suggest that it takes place by intrusion of very thin dikes that cool rapidly and hence have high viscosity. Upwelling in the fracture valley will thus result in cosiderable loss of hydraulic head, according to models by Sleep and Biehler (1970), and recovery of the lost head could produce valley walls higher than the adjacent ridge crest. We further postulate that the spreading takes place along the edges of the fracture zone rather than in the center. This would account for the uniform distribution of heat flow along the fracture valley and for the lack of disturbance of the valley fill. As a consequence, a median ridge should form in the center, where head loss is compensated in the older crust; such a median ridge may be present. The width of the valley should be a function of the angle and time of reorientation, and of the spreading rate; the width so obtained for the Vema fracture is in accordance with the observed width. If this model is correct, the narrowness of the valley walls implies a thin lithosphere of very limited horizontal strength. 相似文献
17.
R. C. Searle 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1989,11(1):15-26
This paper describes GLORIA sidescan sonar data from a single swath along the Cocos-Nazca Spreading Centre between the 95.5° W propagating rift and the Pacific-Cocos-Nazca triple junction. Almost the whole of the plate boundary was imaged. Five medium sized offsets of the spreading centre, ranging from 10 to 25 km, were seen. Of these, at least one (at 99° W) is a previously unknown propagating rift, propagating westwards away from the Galapagos hotspot at about 40 mm a-1. Two other offsets have some, but not all, of the characteristics of propagating rifts, and may be poorly developed (possibly duelling) propagating rifts or migrating overlapping spreading centres. In each case the apparent propagation rate is between one and two times the half spreading rate. The average length of ridge segments in this region is 70 km, but lengths range from 12 to 135 km. The longest segments are those immediately behind actively propagating ridge offsets. The overall plan shape of the ridge axis is roughly sinusoidal, with a wavelength of 400–500 km and an amplitude of ±20 km. This nonlinear shape has arisen since the spreading centre was created, and may reflect an instability in the mantle plumes that control ridge segmentation. 相似文献
18.
The West O’Gorman Fracture Zone is an unusual feature that lies between the Mathematician Ridge and the East Pacific Rise
on crust generated on the East Pacific Rise between 4 and 9 million years ago. We made a reconnaissance gravity, magnetic
and Sea Beam study of the zone with particular emphasis on its eastern (youngest) portion. That region is characterized by
an elongate main trough, a prominent median ridge and other, smaller ridges and troughs. The structure has the appearance
of large-offset fracture zone, possibly in a slow spreading environment. However, magnetic anomalies indicate that the offset,
if any, is quite small, and the spreading rate during formation was fast. In addition, the magnetic profiles do not support
earlier models for a difference in spreading rate north and south of the fracture. The morphology of the fracture zone suggests
that flexure may be responsible for some of the topography; but gravity studies indicate some of the most prominent features
of the fracture zone are at least partially compensated. The main trough is underlain by a thin crust (or high density body),
similar to large-offset fracture zones in the Atlantic, while the median ridge is underlain by a thickened crust. Sea Beam
data does not unambiguously resolve between volcanism or serpentinization of the upper mantle as a mechanism for isostatic
compensation.
Why the West O’Gorman exists remains enigmatic, but we speculate that the topographic expression of a fracture zone does not
require a transform offset during formation. Perhaps the spreading ridge was magma starved for some reason, resulting in a
thin crust that allowed water to penetrate and serpentinize portions of the upper mantle. 相似文献
19.
Based on the analysis of new data of a total of 60 000 km, the authors propose a new spreading model of the tectonic evolution of the South China Sea Basin and suggest that magnetic anomalies in the Basin are the magnetic anomalies of a new type in marginal basins, that the tectonic development of the Basin can be divided into three seafloor spreading phases and that the southward migration of spreading ridge is related to the asymmetric spreading. 相似文献