Isostatic response of the large-offset Atlantic Equatorial fracture zones

Spectral analysis techniques have been applied to data sets of gravity and topography selected across fracture zones with large offset in the Equatorial and Central Atlantic Ocean and processed independently for each fracture zone. Three simple compensation models, two in local isostatic equilibrium (Airy I and II) and one in regional equilibrium (Plate model) have been tested. It is found that the free-air anomalies are primarily controlled by the topography and its isostatic response. For short wavelengths, admittance can be explained either by the effect of uncompensated sea floor topography with high density basement or by the effect of uncompensated sea floor topography with normal oceanic basement density but accompanied by a crust of constant thickness. For intermediate wavelengths, admittance for the Romanche fracture zone agrees best with a local isostatic model in which compensation is achieved by a less dense material in the upper mantle. No such evidence exists for the Vema and Chain fracture zones for which topography could just as well be regionally supported by an elastic plate 3 to 10 km thick. For longer wavelengths, the admittances computed for the three fracture zones are compatible with a thermal compensation of the topography.