Variations in crustal thickness of the Kane transform in the north Atlantic ocean

Philip D. Rabinowitz; Hu Yan-chang

doi:10.1007/BF02850740

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Variations in crustal thickness of the Kane transform in the north Atlantic ocean

Updated：2023-05-16

- Variations in crustal thickness of the Kane transform in the north Atlantic ocean
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Vol. 19, Issue 4, Pages: 350-360(2001)
- Affiliations：
  
  Department of Geology and Geophysics
- Author bio：
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/BF02850740
  CLC：
- Published：2001
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Rabinowitz, P.D., Yan-chang, H. Variations in crustal thickness of the Kane transform in the north Atlantic ocean., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 19, 350–360 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02850740
DOI：

Rabinowitz, P.D., Yan-chang, H. Variations in crustal thickness of the Kane transform in the north Atlantic ocean., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 19, 350–360 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02850740 DOI：

摘要

Abstract

A new approach was taken to investigate the crustal stucture of the Kane transform and its aseismic extension

using high quality bathymetry and gravity data. The gravity signatures associated with variations in crustal thickness of the transform were isolated from the observed free-air anomaly

was continued downward to the mean depth of the crust/mantle interface and converted onto the relief on that surface. The crustal thickness of the transform was then calculated by subtracting seawater depth from the depth of the gravity-inferred crust/mantle interface

3-D gravity investigation results indicate that the Kane transform and adjacent areas are associated with a crust thinner than normal oceanic crust. The transform trough is largely underlain by a crust less than 4.5km thick and in the nodal basins the crust may be as thin as 3 km. The crust beneath the fracture zone valley is 4–5.5 km thick. The rift valleys on the spreading segments are also characterized by thin crust (4–5 km thick). Thin oceanic crust extends to 20–30 km from the transform axis except for some localized places such as the inside corner highs adjoining the ridge-transform intersections. These gravity-inferred results match fairly well with limited published seismic results. Thinning of the crust is mainly attributable to a thin layer 3

which in turn may be explained by the combined effects of reduced magma supply at the ends of the spreading segments and tectonic activities in the region.

关键词

Keywords

references

Auzende, J. M., Bideau, D., Bonatti, E., et al., 1989. Direct observation of a section through slow spreading oceanic crust.Nature 337: 726–729.

Blackman, D. K., Forsyth, D. W., 1991. Isostatic compensation of tectonic features of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.J. Geophys. Res. 96: 11741–11758.

Bonatti, E. 1976. Serpentinite protrusions in the oceanic fracture zones.Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett.,32: 107–113.

Briggs, J. C., 1974. Machine contouring using minimum curvature.Geophysics 39: 39–48.

Carlson, R. L., Herrick, C. N., 1990. Densities, and porosities in the oceanic crust and their variations with depth and age.J. Geophys. Res. 95: 9153–9170.

Cormier, M. H., Detrick, R. S., Purdy, G. M., 1984. Anomalously thin crust in oceanic fracture zones: New seismic constraints from the Kane fracture zone.J. Geophys Res. 89: 10249–10266.

Detrick, R. S., White, R. S., Purdy, G. M., 1993. Crustal structure of North Atlantic fracture zones.Rev. Geophys. 31: 439–458.

Dick, H. J. B., Schouten, H., Meyer, P. S. et al., 1991. Tectonic evolution of the Atlantis II fracture zone. Proc. Ocean Drill.Prog. Sci. Res. 118: 359–398.

Forsyth, D. W., 1992. Geophysical constraints on mantle flow and melt generation beneath mid-ocean ridges. In Mantle Flows and Melt Generation at Mid-Ocean Ridges, Geophys. Monogr. Ser., V. 71 edited by J. Phipps Morgan, D. K. Blackman and J. M. Sinton, p. 1–65, American Geophysical Union, Washington D. C.

Fox, P. J. 1978. The effect of transform faults on the character of oceanic crust (abstract).Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs 7: 403.

Fox, P. J., Schreiber, E., Rowlett, H. et al., 1976. The geology of the Oceanographer fracture zone: a model for fracture zones.J. Geophys. Res. 81: 4117–4128.

Karson, J. A., Dick, H. J. B., 1983. Tectonics of ridge transform intersections at the Kane fracture zone.Mar. Geophy. Res. 6: 51–98.

Karson, J. A., Thompson, G., Humphris, S. E et al., 1987. Along axis variations in sea floor spreading in the MARK area.Nature 328: 681–685.

Kuo, B. Y., Forsyth, D. W., 1988. Gravity anomalies of the ridge transform system in the South Atlantic: upwelling centers and variations in crustal thickness.Mar. Geophys. Res. 10: 205–232.

Lin, J., Purdy, G. M. Schouten, H., et al., 1990. Evidence from gravity data for focused magmatic accretion along the mid-Atlantic Ridge.Nature 344: 627–632.

Louden, K. E., White, R. S., Potts, C. G. et al., 1986. Structure and seismotectonics of the Vema fracture zone, Atlantic Ocean.J. Geol. Soc.London 143: 795–806.

Morris, E., Detrick, R. S., 1991. Three dimensional analysis of gravity anomalies in the MARK area, Mid-Atlantic Ridge.J. Geophys. Res. 96: 4355–4366.

Muller, R. D., Smith, W. H. F., 1993. Deformation of the oceanic crust between the North America and South America plates.J. Geophy. Res. 98: 8275–8291

Mutter, C. Z., Mutter, J. C. 1993. Variations in thickness of layer 3 dominate oceanic crustal structure.Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. p. 295–317.

Mutter, J. C., Karson, J. A. 1992. Structural processes at slow spreading ridges.Science 257: 627–634.

Neumann, G. A., Forsyth, D. W. 1993. The paradox of the axial profile: isostatic compensation along the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.J. Geophys. Res. 98: 17891–17910.

OTIER, 1985. The geology of the Oceanographer transform: The transform domain.Mar. Geophys. Res. 7: 329–358.

Parker, R. I., 1972. The rapid calculations of potential anomalies. Geophys. J. R.Astrom. Soc. 31: 447–455.

Phipps Morgan, J., Forsyth, D. W., 1988. 3-D flow and temperature perturbations due to a transform offset: effects on oceanic crustal and upper mantle structure.J. Geophys. Res. 93: 2955–2966.

Pockalny, H. N., Hurter, S. J., Johnson, J. R., 1993. Heat flow from the earth's interior: analysis of the global data set.Rev. Geophys. 31: 267–280.

Purdy, G. M., Detrick, R. S., 1986. Crustal structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 230 N from seismic refraction studies91: 3739–3762.

Purdy, G. M., Rabinowitz, P. D., Schouten, H., 1979. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 230 N: bathymetry and magnetics.Init. Rep. Deep Sea Drill. Proj. 45: 39–48.

Schouten, H., Purdy, G. M., Rabinowitz, P. D., 1979. History of the Kane Fracture Zone.EOS Trans. AGU 60: 394.

Shaw, P. R., 1992. Ridge segmentation, faulting and crustal thickness in the Atlantic Ocean.Nature 358: 490–493.

Sleep, N. H., 1975. Formation of oceanic crust: some thermal constraints.J. Geophys. Res. 80: 4037–4042.

Smith, W. H. F., Wessel, P., 1990. Gridding with continuous curvature splines in tension.Geophysics 55: 293–305.

Stroup, J. P., Fox, P. J., 1981. Geological investigations in the Cayman trough: Evidence for thin oceanic crust along the Mid-Cayman Rise.J. Geology.89: 395–420.

Tolstoy, M., Harding, A. J., Orcutt, J. A., 1993. Crustal thickness on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Bull's eye gravity anomalies and focused accretion.Science 262: 726–729.

Wessel, P., Watts, A. B., 1988. On the accuracy of marine gravity measurements.J. Geophys. Res. 93: 393–413.

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

No data

Related Author

No data

Related Institution

No data

Address：Editorial Office of JOL, 88 Haijun Rd. Qingdao, 266000, China
Tel：+86-532-82898754 Email：jol@qdio.ac.cn
Technical support is provided by Beijing Founder electronics co., LTD 京ICP备09064830号-19 京公网安备11010802024621
It is recommended to read the content of this site in Chrome&IE9+. Please switch to extreme mode in browser 360.
Cookies We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. By continuing, you agree to the use of cookies.

⁰