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The tectonic fabric of the ocean basins
Citation
Matthews, KJ and Muller, RD and Wessel, P and Whittaker, J, The tectonic fabric of the ocean basins, Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, 116, (B12) Article B12109. ISSN 0148-0227 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.
Abstract
We present a global community data set of fracture zones (FZs), discordant zones,
propagating ridges, V-shaped structures and extinct ridges, digitized from vertical gravity
gradient (VGG) maps. We use a new semi-automatic FZ tracking program to test the
precision of our hand-digitized traces and find a Mean Absolute Deviation of less than
3.4 km from the raw VGG minima that most clearly delineate each feature, and less than
5.4 km from the FZ location predicted by fitting model profiles to the VGG data that
represent the morphology of the individual FZs. These offsets are small considering gravity
data only provide an approximation for the underlying basement morphology. We further
investigate the origin of non-FZ seafloor fabric by combining published abyssal hill heights
computed from gravity anomalies with global half-spreading rates. A residual abyssal
hill height grid, with spreading rate effects removed, combined with our interpreted
tectonic fabric reveals several types of seafloor fabric distinct from typical abyssal hills.
Where discordant zones do not overprint abyssal hill signals, residual abyssal hill height
anomalies correspond to seafloor that accreted near mantle thermal anomalies or zones of
melt-depletion. Our analysis reveals several areas where residual abyssal hill height
anomalies reflect pseudo-faults and extinct ridges associated with ridge propagation and/or
microplate formation in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | seafloor morphology, fracture zones |
| Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
| Research Group: | Geology |
| Research Field: | Marine geoscience |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences |
| UTAS Author: | Whittaker, J (Associate Professor Jo Whittaker) |
| ID Code: | 84435 |
| Year Published: | 2011 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 106 |
| Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
| Deposited On: | 2013-05-14 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-10-06 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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