Oceanic crust thickens approaching the Clipperton Fracture Zone |
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| Authors: | G A Barth |
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| Institution: | (1) Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, 10964 Palisades, NY, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, 94305-2215 Stanford, CA, USA |
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| Abstract: | A multi-channel seismic reflection image shows the reflection Moho dipping toward the Clipperton Fracture Zone in crust 1.4 my old. This seismic line crosses the fracture zone at its eastern intersection with the East Pacific Rise. The seismic observations are made in travel time, not depth. To establish constraints on crustal structure despite the absence of direct velocity determinations in this region, the possible effects of temperature, tectonism, and anomalous lithospheric structure have been considered. Conductive, advective, and frictional heating of the old crust proximal to the ridge-transform intersection can explain <20% of the observed travel-time increase. Heating has a negligible effect on crustal seismic velocity beyond ~10 km from the ridge tip. The transform tectonized zone extends only 6 km from the ridge tip. Serpentinization is unlikely to have thickened the seafloor-to-reflection Moho section in this case. It is concluded that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the 1.4 my old Cocos Plate crust thickens approaching the eastern Clipperton Ridge-Transform Intersection. Increase in thickness must be at least 0.9 km between 22 and 3 km from the fracture zone. |
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| Keywords: | Oceanic crust multi-channel seismic reflections East Pacific Rise Clipperton Fracture Zone temperature models |
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