Structure and dynamics of plate boundaries in the Indian Ocean based on gravity anomalies

The Indian Ocean has been the site of numerous geophysical investigations which commenced during the International Indian Ocean Expedition. In this paper gravity surveys are reviewed which have been undertaken since this international effort to elucidate the structure and evolution of the most complex of the three major oceans. Particular attention is paid to the interrelationship between the plate boundaries and the gravity field. Some selected boundaries are discussed in the framework of global plate tectonics. These areas comprise the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indonesian deep sea trench. In addition the continental margin structure south of India is included which provides some further constraints on the location of the initial break-up of Gondwanaland and consequently bears on pre-drift reconstructions of India and Antarctica.

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Zusammenfassung Der Indische Ozean war das Ziel zahlreicher marinegeophysikalischer Forschungsfahrten, die während der Internationalen Indischen Ozean-Expedition begannen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Schweremeß-Kampagnen beschrieben, die seit dieser Zeit durchgeführt worden sind, um Kenntnis über die Struktur und Entstehung dieses Ozeans zu erhalten. Im Mittelpunkt des Interesses steht insbesondere die Beziehung zwischen den Grenzen der Lithosphärenplatten und dem Schwerefeld. Einige ausgewählte Gebiete werden exemplarisch im Rahmen der Plattentektonik diskutiert. Hierzu gehören das Rote Meer, der Golf von Aden und der Indonesische Tiefseegraben. Zusätzlich wird der Kontinentalrand südlich von Indien untersucht, aus dessen Struktur Hinweise auf die ursprüngliche Öffnung Gondwanalands gewonnen werden können und damit Informationen über die Rekonstruktion der Konfiguration Indiens und der Antarktis erhalten werden.

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Résumé L'Océan Indien a été le lieu de nombreuses investigations géophysiques marines qui ont commencé pendant l'Expédition Internationale de l'Océan Indien. Ce travail passe en revue les recherches gravimétriques depuis cet effort international pour elucider la structure et l'évolution du plus complexe des trois grands océans. Une attention particulière s'est tournée vers les formes de relations mutuelles entre les limites de plaques et le champ gravimétrique. Certaines limites choisies font l'objet d'une discussion dans le cadre de la tectonique globale de plaques. Ces régions comprennent la Mer Rouge, le Golfe d'Aden et la Fosse indonésienne. En outre, on y a inclus la structure de la marge continentale de l'Inde méridionale qui apporte quelques autres indications sur la position de la fracture initiale du continent de Gondwana et intéresse par conséquent les reconstitutions de l'Inde et de l'Antarctique avant la dérive.

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Institut für Geodäsie und Photogrammetrie, Separata No. 10.     

Gravity anomalies and associated tectonic features over the Indian Peninsular Shield and adjoining ocean basins

A combined gravity map over the Indian Peninsular Shield (IPS) and adjoining oceans brings out well the inter-relationships between the older tectonic features of the continent and the adjoining younger oceanic features. The NW–SE, NE–SW and N–S Precambrian trends of the IPS are reflected in the structural trends of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal suggesting their probable reactivation. The Simple Bouguer anomaly map shows consistent increase in gravity value from the continent to the deep ocean basins, which is attributed to isostatic compensation due to variations in the crustal thickness. A crustal density model computed along a profile across this region suggests a thick crust of 35–40 km under the continent, which reduces to 22/20–24 km under the Bay of Bengal with thick sediments of 8–10 km underlain by crustal layers of density 2720 and 2900/2840 kg/m³. Large crustal thickness and trends of the gravity anomalies may suggest a transitional crust in the Bay of Bengal up to 150–200 km from the east coast. The crustal thickness under the Laxmi ridge and east of it in the Arabian Sea is 20 and 14 km, respectively, with 5–6 km thick Tertiary and Mesozoic sediments separated by a thin layer of Deccan Trap. Crustal layers of densities 2750 and 2950 kg/m³ underlie sediments. The crustal density model in this part of the Arabian Sea (east of Laxmi ridge) and the structural trends similar to the Indian Peninsular Shield suggest a continent–ocean transitional crust (COTC). The COTC may represent down dropped and submerged parts of the Indian crust evolved at the time of break-up along the west coast of India and passage of Reunion hotspot over India during late Cretaceous. The crustal model under this part also shows an underplated lower crust and a low density upper mantle, extending over the continent across the west coast of India, which appears to be related to the Deccan volcanism. The crustal thickness under the western Arabian Sea (west of the Laxmi ridge) reduces to 8–9 km with crustal layers of densities 2650 and 2870 kg/m³ representing an oceanic crust.     

Lithologic boundaries from gravity and magnetic anomalies over Proterozoic Dalma volcanics

Dalma volcanics (DVs) has intruded the older Singhbhum Group of Metapelites. Despite DVs being rich in mineralisation, its boundaries are not clearly demarcated. Gravity and magnetic surveys have been attempted for mapping the boundaries in DVs. These surveys were made in the northern fringe of the DVs over an area of \(\sim \)0.70 \(\hbox {km}^{2}\) along 13 parallel lines at 50 m spacing. The data was acquired at \(\sim \)25 \(\hbox {m}\) spacing. The surveys were taken for determination of lithological boundaries, depths and nature of causative source using Euler depth solutions and radially averaged power spectrum (RAPS). Residual anomaly maps of gravity and magnetic intensity show the same trend as that of Bouguer gravity anomaly and total magnetic intensity anomaly map indicating towards shallow sources. The magnetic map in general follows the same pattern as that of gravity anomaly maps. The map shows coincident high gravity and magnetic anomalies. These anomalies together with resistivity signatures confirm that the northern fringe of DVs hosts volcanogenic massive sulphide settings. The Euler depth solution delineated the lateral boundaries and nature of the source. It seems that the source is of spherical nature lying within a depth range of 25–40 m. The obtained lithological (vertical) units from RAPS are between Lower DVs, Upper DVs and Singhbhum Group Metapelites at depths of \(\sim \)15, \(~\sim \)25 and \(\sim \)40 \(\hbox {m}\), respectively. The metallogeny is associated with the Upper DVs and the corresponding delineated lithological (vertical) unit is indicative of the top of the ore body. Good agreement is observed with the geological succession from the drilling data and resistivity data. The findings suggest that the northern fringe of DVs could be a preferred target for drilling.     

Changing predictability of Indian monsoon rainfall anomalies?

The predictability of Indian summer monsoon rainfall from pre-season circulation indices is explored from observations during 1939–91. The predictand is the all-India average of June–September precipitation NIR, and the precursors examined are the latitude position of the 500 mb ridge along 75°E in April (L), the pressure tendency April minus January at Darwin (DPT), March-April-May temperature at six stations in west central India (T6), the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the northeastern Arabian Sea in May (ASM), SST anomaly in the Arabian Sea in January (ANJ), northern hemisphere temperature anomaly in January–February (NHT), and Eurasian snow cover in January (SNOW). Monsoon rainfall tends to be enhanced with a more northerly ridge position, small Darwin pressure tendency, warmer pre-season conditions, and reduced winter snow cover. However, relationships have varied considerably over the past half-century, with the strongest associations during 1950–80, and a drastic weakening in the 1980s. Four prediction models were constructed based on stepwise multiple regression, using as predictors combinations of L, DPT, T6, ASM, and NHT, with 1939–68 as “dependent” dataset, or training period, and 1969–91 as “independent” dataset or verification period. For the 1969–80 portion of the verification period calculated and observed NIR values agreed closely, with the models explaining 74–79% of the variance. By contrast, after 1980 predictions deteriorated drastically, with the explained variance for the 1969–89 time span dropping to 25–31%. The monsoon rainfall of 1990 and 1991 turned out to be again highly predictable from models based on stepwise multiple regression and linear discriminant analysis and using as input L + DPT or L + DPT + NHT, and with this encouragement an experimental real-time forecast was issued of the 1992 monsoon rainfall. These results underline the need for investigations into decadal-scale changes in the general circulation setting and raise concern for the continued success of seasonal forecasting.     

Panafrican to Hercynian deformations in the Mauritanides and tectonic significance of gravity anomalies

The Mauritanides-Rokelides chain, which extends along the western margin of the West-African craton, is characterized by roughly northward structural trends and, at least for the northern two thirds, eastward thrusting of large amplitude. The style and timing of deformation change from south to north along the chain. In Sierra Leone, Guinea and southeastern Senegal (the Rokelides), the main event is attributed to the Panafrican orogeny, apparently with only limited thrusting. The belt of gravity highs associated with that part of the orogen is interpreted as a west dipping suture zone. In northeastern Senegal and central Mauritania, this Panafrican event is masked by Caledonian and Hercynian events, which resulted in strong folding and far-travelled thrusting. The positive gravity anomaly, closely parallel to the belt, records the trace of the collision of two continental blocks (a Taconian event?). In northern Mauritania and south Morocco, the age of emplacement of large nappes is Hercynian and their geodynamic interpretation requires that a trench or ocean has closed farther west, presumably beneath the eastern U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain.     

Diffuse magnetic anomalies in marginal basins: Their possible tectonic and petrologic significance

Marginal basins, areas of oceanic lithosphere peripheral to large ocean basins, may be formed by several processes, but the young active marginal basins have the geophysical and geochemical characteristics of young normal oceanic lithosphere. We recognize two distinct tectonic settings in which new oceanic lithosphere may be formed in areas which would be termed marginal basins:

1. (1) Upwelling of fractional melts of mantle material from the region above subducted lithospheric slabs leads to the generation of new oceanic lithosphere behind island arcs. The general case for this tectonic setting involves random location of magma leaks and does not produce correlatable magnetic anomalies. In special cases, an orthogonal ridge—transform system may duplicate the magnetic patterns found on ocean-basin crust.

2. (2) The second tectonic setting develops on very long “leaky” transform faults separating spreading ridges. In areas where the transform has dislocated a block of continental crust, or an island arc, the map view of the resulting marginal basin may resemble the setting of a basin behind an active island arc. However, the “leaky” transform setting is unrelated to active plate convergence or to Benioff zones.

At “normal” ridge-crests, and possibly in some marginal basins, basalt is erupted on long linear magma leaks and rapid cooling forms thick lithosphere with correlatable linear magnetic anomalies. Some marginal basins have high thermal flux, spread slowly and may have thick sediment cover. Slow cooling, numerous point-source magma leaks and extensive hydrothermal alteration diminish magnetic intensities and cause diffuse magnetic patterns. The correlation problems caused by diffuse magnetic anomalies make interpretations of spreading rates and directions in young marginal basins a difficult, if not futile, task.It is likely that fragments of marginal-basin lithosphere form some of the ophiolite complexes; their recognition is critical to paleo-tectonic interpretations. The geochemical characteristics of marginal-basin basalts do not appear to be useful criteria for distinguishing them from ocean-ridge basalts. However, the abundance of short ridges and seamounts in many young marginal basins suggests that an abundance of seamount material, as well as differentiated volcanic and plutonic rocks, in ophiolites may be an indication of derivation from marginal-basin lithosphere.     

Revised tectonic implications for the magnetic anomalies of the western Weddell Sea

Ten years after the USAC (U.S.–Argentina–Chile) Project, which was the most comprehensive aeromagnetic effort in the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding ocean basins, questions remain regarding the kinematics of the early opening history of the Weddell Sea. Key elements in this complex issue are a better resolution of the magnetic sequence in the western part of the Weddell Sea and merging the USAC data set with the other magnetic data sets in the region. For this purpose we reprocessed the USAC data set using a continuation between arbitrary surfaces and equivalent magnetic sources. The equivalent sources are located at a smooth crustal surface derived from the existing bathymetry/topography and depths estimated by magnetic inversions. The most critical area processed was the transition between the high altitude survey over the Antarctic Peninsula and the low altitude survey over the Weddell Sea that required downward continuation to equalize the distance to the magnetic source. This procedure was performed with eigenvalue analysis to stabilize the equivalent magnetic source inversion.The enhancement of the Mesozoic sequence permits refining the interpretation of the seafloor-spreading anomalies. In particular, the change in shape and wavelength of an elongated positive in the central Weddell Sea suggests that it was formed during the Cretaceous Normal Polarity Interval. The older lineations in the southwestern Weddell Sea are tentatively attributed to susceptibility contrasts modeled as fracture zones. Numerical experimentation to adjust synthetic isochrons to seafloor-spreading lineations and flow lines to fracture zones yields stage poles for the opening of the Weddell Sea since 160 Ma to anomaly 34 time. The corresponding reconstructions look reasonable within the known constraints for the motions of the Antarctic and South America plates. However, closure is not attained between 160 and 118 Ma if independent published East Antarctica–Africa–South America rotations are considered. The lack of closure may be overcome by considering relative motion between the Antarctic Peninsula and East Antarctica until 118 Ma time, an important component of convergence.     

甘肃白银厂铜多金属矿田重磁异常及构造特征北大核心CSCD

甘肃白银厂铜多金属硫化物矿田是受陆缘弧环境火山机构及其同生断裂控制的典型火山岩赋矿块状硫化物矿床(VHMS)。为了进一步探讨该矿床重磁场特征及与构造和矿床的关系,通过对区内的重磁场异常数据进行位场分离、小波分析和基于张量数据的三维欧拉反褶积自动确定地质体位置和埋藏深度的定量反演计算。结果表明,研究区布格重力场具有西部高、东部低的特征,其磁场可划分为4个磁场区;局部异常按一定分布规律呈圆形或似圆形正负相间分布,不同尺度的重磁细节异常图在一定程度上反映出引起重磁异常的地质异常体具有一定的延深且分布稳定,而且这些地质异常体具有向深部复合的趋势。经位场分离后正负相间的剩余重磁异常分布范围和分布特征大致反映了白银厂奥陶纪中酸性火山岩建造构造为一个继承性的火山穹窿构造,东、西部不同的重磁异常特征说明东西部的火山喷发具有不同的基底、源区和喷发方式。发育NW向、NE向、近NS向、NEE向等4组断裂构造,近NS向断裂F3、F4、F5、F6、F7形成时间稍晚于NEE向断裂,其与NEE向断裂F1、F2共同形成了研究区棋盘网格状的构造分布特征,这两组断裂为研究区内主要的控岩、控矿断裂。火山机构的分布明显受断裂构造控制,火山口集中分布在深大断裂、大断裂或两组断裂的交汇处。矿田内各矿床及成矿有利地段均处于研究区中部低缓重磁异常场内正负磁异常变化的梯度带内。本次研究为控矿要素研究和开展找矿预测工作提供了丰富、翔实的地球物理资料。     

Long wavelength magnetic anomalies from the lithosphere: Indian shield and Himalaya

A few long-range airborne magnetic profiles flown at an altitude of 7.5 km a.s.l. across the Indian shield are analysed and interpreted in terms of magnetization in the lower crust. The wavelengths of the crustal anomalies are in the range of 51–255 km and this is used to separate them from signals originating at shallow depths. Spectral analysis of these profiles provided a maximum depth of 34–41 km for the long-wavelength anomalies and 9–10 km for the shallow sources identified as Mohorovic̆ić discontinuity and the basement respectively. The magnetic “high” recorded in satellite observations over the Indian shield is interpreted as due to a bulge of 3–4 km in the Moho under the Godovari graben, with a magnetization of 200 nT in the direction of the Earth's present-day magnetic field. Similarly the magnetic lows observed over the Himalaya are interpreted in terms of thickening of the granitic part of the crust from 18 to 23.5 km with a magnetization contrast of 200 nT in the direction of the Earth's present-day magnetic field.     

Numerical simulation of present day tectonic stress across the Indian subcontinent

International Journal of Earth Sciences - In situ measurements of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) in the Indian subcontinent are limited and do not present regional trends of intraplate stress...     

Regional geochemical anomalies related to plate tectonic models for the Northwestern Canadian shield

Regional geochemical maps of a 97,000-km² area of the northwestern Canadian Shield were based on analysis of lake sediment samples collected at 5-km grid points. The maps revealed three global-scale geochemical features: (1) a major anomaly of refractory and chalcophile elements associated with a Proterozoic volcanic-plutonic belt of previously proposed Andean are affinities; (2) a dramatic increase in Ba concentrations on crossing a proposed Precambrian suture zone; and (3) another major anomaly of refractory and chalcophile elements associated with the Archean greenstone belt closest to the supposed suture zone.The regional geochemical anomaly in the Proterozoic volcanic-plutonic belt is considered to have originated during an island-arc-type evolution of the belt by intrusion of magma formed by stages of partial melting of subducted oceanic basalts contaminated by subducted ocean floor sediments. The increase in Ba concentration found on crossing the proposed Precambrian suture is attributed to exposure of deep crust by the post-collision erosion of the uplifted edge of one of the proto-continents. The multielement, geochemical signature of the Archean greenstone belt is tentatively attributed to Archean subduction of oceanic crust and ocean sediments.The regional, multielement anomalies delineated are associated with known or suspected base metal and uranium mineralization. If the geotectonic relationships proposed above are valid, routine geochemical mapping of the Precambrian Canadian Shield will not only be of use in prospecting and mineral potential evaluation but may indirectly assist in metallogenic interpretations. Further, there is a possibility that routine geochemical mapping of the Canadian Shield may define other subduction and suture zones.     

中国大陆密度和地震波速扰动异常的年龄属性研究

大陆动力学研究需要物质随空间和时间的变化的信息。三维密度和地震波速度扰动图像反映岩石圈物质的空间分布,要和大地构造学中的时间尺度信息综合起来,才能恢复动力学作用的过程。本文通过对比不同构造期的构造图和地壳不同深度的地球物理性质图像,研究中国大陆密度以及地震波速度扰动和构造事件的相关度。研究表明,岩石圈地幔的密度和波速扰动和现今板块构造的相关度是高的,说明岩石圈地幔的密度大黏度高,不仅地震波速快得多,物质蠕动的速度也比下地壳慢得多,板块运动产生的变形保存时间比较久。中国大陆中地壳的密度扰动和白垩纪以来的构造事件的相关度是高的,说明中地壳的密度扰动主要反映了白垩纪以来的构造事件。中国大陆上地壳结晶基底的密度扰动和侏罗纪以来的构造事件的相关度是高的,说明上地壳的密度扰动可以反映燕山期的构造事件。对于中国大陆而言,下地壳的波速变化和板块构造没有明显的相关性;不过下地壳深层的密度扰动也反映新构造期的构造事件。其原因可能是因为下地壳的物质黏度比较低,物质蠕动的速度比岩石圈地幔快得多,板块运动产生的变形不容易保存。总之,应用不同深度的密度扰动图像分别推测不同地质时期的地壳构造运动发生的地点和范围是可...     

苏鲁高压-超高压变质带折返抬升过程中构造界面和应力场的变化

作为地质历史时期深俯冲作用产物的超高压变质岩,尽管有不同的形成演化历史,但其最终的折返作用无不是在逆冲扩展过程中完成的。因此,逆冲扩展作用及其数值模拟的研究对完整认识苏鲁高压-超高压变质带的折返机制和折返过程具有重要意义。逆冲扩展作用最显观的构造效应是不同层次构造界面和应力场的变化,对于地壳尺度的逆冲扩展作用而言,陆表面和Moho是最重要的活动性构造界面,陆表面的变化导致山体抬升和滞后伸展盆地的形成,出现盆-山相间的构造格局。初步的模拟计算表明,山体的抬升量、滞后伸展盆地的坳陷量和Moho的上拱量与逆冲地块的平移速度和逆冲扩展速度成正相关关系,而且随着时间的推移,山体的抬升速度、滞后伸展盆地的坳陷速度和Moho的上拱速度都有逐渐增大趋势。逆冲扩展过程中,构造应力场的变化总的表现为随着平移速度和逆冲扩展速度的增大和逆冲扩展作用的持续进行,逆冲块体内部由挤压应力状态逐渐向拉张应力状态转化。地块的平移速度是构造强度的一个重要标量,当高压-超高压变质带以仰冲块体为运动载体,沿断裂带向陆壳浅部折返时,构造界面的移动规律基本反映了高压-超高压变质带的折返过程,可见,构造作用的强度和性质应该是制约高压-超高压变质带折返的重要因素之一,在岩石密度差相同的条件下,拉张构造应力场更有利于折返作用的进行。苏鲁高压-超高压变质带的折返是通过多期构造作用完成的,根据数值模拟结果可以推测,每期构造作用都伴随有折返速度由慢到快的变化,在整个折返过程中,构造运动性质和强度的差异导致了折返速度的不均一,总体上,折返速度将随着逆冲地块由挤压向拉张状态的转化和拉张强度（构造作用强度）的不断增强而逐渐增大,最终在以拉张为主导的构造应力场中完成了高压-超高压变质带折返的全过程。     

青藏高原区域重磁异常的东西向分区及其构造地质特征

自从大陆整合以来作为一个整体的青藏高原继续受着印度板块向北俯冲的影响,也必定不断地改造着原各地体的结构构造,形成了高原整体意义上东西向的差异。这种差异与原本各地体的组成、结构和东西向延伸不一致。这不仅表现在南北向断裂构造跨各单个地体范围的出现,而且,逐步形成了东西的分区。这种分区突出地表现在区域重力与磁场的特征上,这不仅是局部的岩石磁性与密度变化的结果,而且是由于印度板块向北俯冲过程中,在其前缘的不同部位上经受的压力不同,以及地块的隆升与扩张作用的差异造成了高原东西各区段的地壳组分与厚度的变化。青藏高原的南北向断裂构造并非地壳上层的局部断裂,它具有深层的原因。由于印度板块向北推进的过程中不是均匀地齐头并进,而是在帕米尔高原以东的青藏高原范围内存在着推进速度和俯冲深度的差异,随着高原隆升的加剧高原本身出现断裂,自中新生代以来就存在着一定差异,所以南北向的断裂构造比目前地表见到的多些,而且具有较大的深度,Moho面的深度和地壳厚度都受南北向断裂的控制,并形成了区域重磁场的变化。同时,高原的东西向拉张作用也使南北断裂带发育加剧。     

Gravity anomalies and the Indian lithosphere: Review and analysis of existing gravity data

The upper part of the lithosphere has been actively involved in various exogenic and endogenic processes which have left their imprint on the gravity field on the Indian Peninsula and the Himalaya. Analysis of the gravity field over the Dharwar craton shows that the greenstone belts of this craton have been formed as a result of development of deep fractures in the earth's crust during Archaean times. Precambrian mountain ranges such as the Aravallies, Vindhyans, Satpura and Eastern Ghats are located peripheral to Archaean cratons. Most of these mountain belts are characterized by gravity highs suggesting that the underlying crust is of higher than normal density. These mountain ranges with the exception of the Eastern Ghats do not appear to be locally compensated. Regional compensation seems to prevail over all these areas. Eastern Ghats ranges are also underlain by a crust of higher than normal density relative to the Dharwar and Bastar cratons and exist with a sharp contact with the cratons in the West. Isostatic compensation in the Eastern Ghats appears to have been achieved by thickening of the underlying crust. The Himalaya has attained a fairly high degree of isostatic compensation.     

Seismic moment release along selected major transforms on the Central Indian Ridge,Western Indian Ocean,and its tectonic implications

A detailed seismicity map of the Central Indian Ridge for the period 1912–1993 is presented, and the earthquakes pertaining to four major transforms offsetting the ridge are utilized to study the moment release pattern. The scalar moment release for the period 1912–1993, and the summed moment rate tensors for both short period (1977–1993) and long period (1912–1993) bring out a unified picture of moment release pattern. The fraction of seismic slip calculated based on depths of 100°C and 400°C limiting temperatures suggests that the Marie-Celeste transform requires a slip almost to a depth of 400°C isotherm to account for the observed moment, and the Argo transform requires depth of faulting much above the 400°C isotherm. A very small fraction of slip is accounted seismically for Vema (53%) and 12° 12′S (23%) even to depths of 100°C isotherm, suggesting a very low order of moment release along these transforms. The horizontal plate velocities and the corresponding strain rates obtained from moment tensor summation of long period data (82 years) give rise to (V _y ^y ; V _y ^x mm. yr⁻¹) of 6.0 and 6.1 along Marie-Celeste, 1.3 and 0.50 along Argo, 0.06 and 0.06 along 12° 12′S, 1.6 and 0.25 along Vema transforms. The corresponding strain rates (ε _y ^y ;ε _y ^x × 10⁻¹⁵ S⁻¹) are 12.7 and 6.8 along MarieCeleste, 6.9 and 1.4 along Argo, 0.27 and 0.14 along 12° 12′S, 7.3 and 0.58 along Vema transforms. These results suggest that the strain rates were highest and almost all predicted motion is taken up seismically along the Marie-Celeste transform. The strain rates are lower along Argo transform and the observed moment release require shallower depth of faulting in order to slip to be accounted seismically. The Vema and 12° 12′S transforms are characterized by low strain rates and less than 15 per cent of motion is accommodated seismically within the seismogenic layer. It is proposed that the deficiency of moment release along the Vema and 12° 12′S multiple transform system may be due to most of the plate motion occurring aseismically.     

New Somali Basin magnetic anomalies and a plate model for the early Indian Ocean

The oldest portions of the Indian Ocean formed via the breakup of Gondwana and the subsequent fragmentation of East Gondwana. We present a constrained plate model for this early Indian Ocean development for the time period from Gondwana Breakup until the start of the Cretaceous Normal Superchron. The motions of the East Gondwana terranes are determined using new geophysical observations in the Somali Basin and existing geophysical interpretations from other coeval Indian Ocean basins. Within the Somali Basin, recent satellite gravity data clearly resolve traces of an east–west trending extinct spreading ridge and north–south oriented fracture zones. A thorough compilation of Somali Basin ship track magnetic data allows us to interpret magnetic anomalies M24Bn through M0r about this extinct ridge. Our magnetic interpretations from the Somali Basin are similar in age, spreading rate, and spreading directions to magnetic anomalies previously interpreted in the neighboring Mozambique Basin and Riiser Larsen Sea. The similarity between the two magnetic anomaly datasets allows us to match both basin's older magnetic anomaly picks by defining a pole of rotation for a single and cohesive East Gondwana plate. However, following magnetic anomaly M15n, we find it is no longer possible to match magnetic picks from both basins and maintain plausible plate motions. In order to match the post-M15n geophysical data we are forced to model the motions of Madagascar/India and East Antarctica/Australia as independent plates. The requirement to utilize two independent plates after anomaly M15n provides strong circumstantial evidence that suggests East Gondwana breakup began around 135 Ma.     

Vertical tectonic movements of the crust in transform fracture zones of the Central Atlantic

The most significant vertical movements of the oceanic crust in the Central Atlantic are characteristic of transverse ridges confined to transform fracture zones. These movements are also recorded in some local depressions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and in older structures of deep-sea basins. The amplitude of such movements substantially exceeds that related to the cooling of lithospheric plates. Vertical movements can be driven by various factors: the thermal effect of a heated young MAR segment upon a cold plate, thermal stress, thermal energy released by friction in the course of displacement of fault walls relative to each other, serpentinization of the upper mantle rocks in the transform fault zone, and lateral compression and extension. The alternation of compression and extension that arises because of the nonparallel boundaries of the transform fracture zone and the unstable configuration of the rift/fracture zone junction was the main factor responsible for the formation of the transverse ridge in the Romanche Fracture Zone. The most probable cause of the vertical rise of the southern transverse ridge in the Vema Fracture Zone is the change in the spreading direction. In general, the fracture zones with active segments more than 100 km long are characterized by extension and compression oriented perpendicularly to the main displacement and related to slight changes in the spreading configuration. It is impossible to single out ambiguously the causes of vertical movements in particular structural features. In most cases, the vertical movements are controlled by several factors, while the main role belongs to the lateral compressive and tensile stresses that appear owing to changes in the movement of lithospheric blocks in the course of MAR spreading.     

A comparison of surface magnetic data and MAGSAT data over Italy and its surroundings

A new composite map of magnetic surface (MAGSURF) anomaly for Italy and its adjacent region has been derived from sea and ground surveys on the basis of an improved definition of the Italian Magnetic Reference Field and its temporal change. Spectral analysis of the MAGSURF anomaly field shows a regional scale energy in the wavelength range 145–500 km, due to the presence of various crustal sources. The regional MAGSURF anomaly map shows poor correlation with the corresponding MAGSAT scalar anomaly map, whose power spectrum reveals wavelength components in the range 300–700 km. The MAGSURF data are upward-continued to an elevation of 100 km for comparison with MAGSAT satellite data, downward-continued to the same altitude of 100 km and low-pass filtered for wavelengths larger than 500 km. Upward-continued surface data and downward continued satellite data show good morphological similarity for wavelengths in the range 300–500 km at an altitude of 100 km. Satellite data permit the characterization of magnetic signatures due to sources located in the middle-lower crust of Sardinia, Lombardia, Molise and Dalmatia, while further surface regional anomalies are connected with upper crust bodies of Mid Tyrrhene and East Sicily.