Tectonic evolution of Gorda Ridge inferred from sidescan sonar images

Gorda Ridge is the southern segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge complex, in the north-east Pacific. Along-strike spreading-rate variation on Gorda Ridge and deformation of Gorda Plate are evidence for compression between the Pacific and Gorda Plates. GLORIA sidescan sonographs allow the spreading fabric associated with Gorda Ridge to be mapped in detail. Between 5 and 2 Ma, a pair of propagating rifts re-orientated the northern segment of Gorda Ridge by about 10° clockwise, accommodating a clockwise shift in Pacific-Juan de Fuca plate motion that occurred around 5 Ma. Deformation of Gorda Plate, associated with southward decreasing spreading rates along southern Gorda Ridge, is accommodated by a combination of clockwise rotation of Gorda Plate crust, coupled with left-lateral motion on the original normal faults of the ocean crust. Segments of Gorda Plate which have rotated by different amounts are separated by narrow deformation zones across which sharp changes in ocean fabric trend are seen. Although minor lateral movement may occur on these NW to WNW structures, no major right-lateral movement, as predicted by previous models, is observed.     

Fault pattern from seabeam processing: The western part of the Blanco Fracture Zone (NE pacific)

The Blanco Fracture Zone, which connects the Juan de Fuca and Gorda ridges, is structurally complex and contains numerous pull-apart basins and accretion centres. It terminates at its western end in two troughs where the Juan de Fuca Ridge progressively dies out. This unusual structure is studied in detail using bathymetric analysis which allows the fault pattern to be determined. The method developed to extract structural information involves numerical treatment of the gridded bathymetry derived from image processing methods. The detailed mapping of the fault pattern shows that the active zone corresponds to a N100° E strike-slip zone which connects the southern end of the Juan de Fuca Ridge with the northeastern edge of the Blanco Trough, via the northwestern wall of the Parks Plateau. The present day direction of the active zone comes after a previous one trending at N115° E, apparently within the same area. The Parks Plateau results from a jump of the plate boundary from the southern to northern limits of the plateau. Deformation over the past 2 Ma results from a northeastward displacement of the junction between the transform zone and the ridge.     

Emergence and petrology of the Mendocino Ridge

The Mendocino Fracture Zone, a 3,000-km-long transform fault, extends from the San Andreas Fault at Cape Mendocino, California due west into the central Pacific basin. The shallow crest of this fracture zone, known as the Mendocino Ridge, rises to within 1,100 m of the sea surface at 270 km west of the California Coast. Rounded basalt pebbles and cobbles, indicative of a beach environment, are the dominant lithology at two locations on the crest of Mendocino Ridge and a⁴⁰Ar/³⁹ Ar incremental heating age of 11.0 ± 1.0 million years was determined for one of the these cobbles. This basalt must have been erupted on the Gorda Ridge because the crust immediately to the south of the fracture zone is older than 27 Ma. This age also implies that the crest of Mendocino Ridge was at sea level and would have blocked Pacific Ocean eastern boundary currents and affected the climate of the North American continent at some time since the late Miocene. Basalts from the Mendocino Fracture Zone (MFZ) are FeTi basalts similar to those commonly found at intersections of mid-ocean ridges and fracture zones. These basalts are chemically distinct from the nearby Gorda Ridge but they could have been derived from the same mantle source as the Gorda Ridge basalts. The location of the 11 Ma basalt suggests that Mendocino Ridge was transferred from the Gorda Plate to the Pacific Plate and the southern end of Gorda Ridge was truncated by a northward jump in the transform fault of MFZ.     

Bathymetry of the Tonga Trench and Forearc: a map series

Four new bathymetric maps of the Tonga Trench and forearc between 14 °S and 27 °S display the important morphologic and structural features of this dynamic convergent margin. The maps document a number of important geologic features of the margin. Major normal faults and fault lineaments on the Tonga platform can be traced along and across the upper trench slope. Numerous submarine canyons incised in the landward slope of the trench mark the pathways of sediment transport from the platform to mid- and lower-slope basins. Discontinuities in the trench axis and changes in the morphology of the landward slope can be clearly documented and may be associated with the passage and subduction of the Louisville Ridge and other structures on the subducting Pacific Plate. Changes in the morphology of the forearc as convergence changes from normal in the south to highly-oblique in the north are clearly documented. The bathymetric compilations, gridded at 500- and 200-m resolutions and extending along 500 km of the landward trench slope and axis, provide complete coverage of the outer forearc from the latitude of the Louisville Ridge-Tonga Trench collision to the northern terminus of the Tonga Ridge. These maps should serve as a valuable reference for other sea-going programs in the region, particularly the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and the National Science Foundation MARGINS initiative.     

High-resolution seafloor mapping using the DSL-120 sonar system: Quantitative assessment of sidescan and phase-bathymetry data from the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

High-resolution, side-looking sonar data collected near the seafloor (100 m altitude) provide important structural and topographic information for defining the geological history and current tectonic framework of seafloor terrains. DSL-120 kHz sonar data collected in the rift valley of the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 37° N provide the ability to quantitatively assess the effective resolution limits of both the sidescan imagery and the computed phase-bathymetry of this sonar system. While the theoretical, vertical and horizontal pixel resolutions of the DSL-120 system are <1 m, statistical analysis of DSL-120 sonar data collected from the Lucky Strike segment indicates that the effective spatial resolution of features is 1–2 m for sidescan imagery and 4 m for phase-bathymetry in the seafloor terrain of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift valley. Comparison of multibeam bathymetry data collected at the sea-surface with deep-tow DSL-120 bathymetry indicates that depth differences are on the order of the resolution of the multibeam system (10–30 m). Much of this residual can be accounted for by navigational mismatches and the higher resolving ability of the DSL-120 data, which has a bathymetric footprint on the seafloor that is 20 times smaller than that of hull-mounted multibeam at these seafloor depths (2000 m). Comparison of DSL-120 bathymetry with itself on crossing lines indicates that residual depth values are ±20 m, with much of that variation being accounted for by navigational errors. A DSL-120 survey conducted in 1998 on the Juan de Fuca Ridge with better navigation and less complex seafloor terrain had residual depth values half those of the Lucky Strike survey. The quality of the bathymetry data varies as a function of position within the swath, with poorer data directly beneath the tow vehicle and also towards the swath edges.Variations in sidescan amplitude observed across the rift valley and on Lucky Strike Seamount correlate well with changes in seafloor roughness caused by transitions from sedimented seafloor to bare rock outcrops. Distinct changes in sonar backscatter amplitude were also observed between areas covered with hydrothermal pavement that grade into lava flows and the collapsed surface of the lava lake in the summit depression of Lucky Strike Seamount. Small features on the seafloor, including volcanic constructional features (e.g., small cones, haystacks, fissures and collapse features) and hydrothermal vent chimneys or mounds taller than 2 m and greater than 9 m² in surface area, can easily be resolved and mapped using this system. These features at Lucky Strike have been confirmed visually using the submersible Alvin, the remotely operated vehicle Jason, and the towed optical/acoustic mapping system Argo II.     

Morphology of the Blanco Transform Fault Zone-NE Pacific: Implications for its tectonic evolution

The right-lateral Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ) offsets the Gorda and the Juan de Fuca Ridges along a 350 km long complex zone of ridges and right-stepping depressions. The overall geometry of the BTFZ is similar to several other oceanic transform fault zones located along the East Pacific Rise (e.g., Siquieros) and to divergent wrench faults on continents; i.e., long strike-slip master faults offset by extensional basins. These depressions have formed over the past 5 Ma as the result of continual reorientation of the BTFZ in response to changes in plate motion. The central depression (Cascadia Depression) is flanked by symmetrically distributed, inward-facing back-tilted fault blocks. It is probably a short seafloor spreading center that has been operating since about 5 Ma, when a southward propagating rift failed to kill the last remnant of a ridge segment. The Gorda Depression on the eastern end of the BTFZ may have initially formed as the result of a similar occurrence involving a northward propagating rift on the Gorda ridge system. Several of the smaller basins (East Blanco, Surveyor and Gorda) morphologically appear to be oceanic analogues of continental pull-apart basins. This would imply diffuse extension rather than the discrete neovolcanic zone associated with a typical seafloor spreading center. The basins along the western half of the BTFZ have probably formed within the last few hundred thousands years, possibly as the result of a minor change in the Juan de Fuca/Pacific relative motion.     

花东盆地晚中新世以来沉积演化特征

利用近年来在台湾东部海域采集的多道地震和多波速测深资料,对该海域花东海盆区晚中新世以来的沉积充填演化特征进行描述和分析。通过对花东海盆区域地形特征描述、层序地层格架的建立和地震剖面的解译,在本区晚中新世以来的沉积充填中刻画出6种典型地震相类型,并分析其对应的沉积相类型,包括浊积扇、浊积水道充填、块体流、沉积物波、海底峡谷－伴生沉积物滑塌变形－充填、深水扇沉积。结合地震相平面分布及垂向沉积相叠置关系,将晚中新世－第四纪沉积充填演化划分为3个阶段:晚中新世晚期开始受到块体流冲蚀阶段,到海底峡谷冲刷－沉积物失稳－峡谷充填－再侵蚀阶段,到峡谷输送的大量沉积物在上新世以来主要堆积发育了沉积物波、浊积扇、深水扇等沉积体系阶段。     

Slope-confined submarine canyons in the Baiyun deep-water area,northern South China Sea: variation in their modern morphology

On the basis of newly collected multibeam bathymetric data, chirp profiles and existing seismic data, we presented a detailed morphological interpretation of a series of slope-confined canyons in water depths of 300–2000 m in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern margin of the South China Sea. Although these canyons are commonly characterized by regular spacing and a straight-line shape, they vary in their lengths, starting and ending water depths, canyon relief, slope gradients, wall slope gradients and depth profiles along the axis. The eastern canyons (C1–C8) have complex surface features, low values in their slope gradient, canyon relief and wall slope gradient and high values in their length and starting and ending depth contrasting to the western ones (C9–C17). From the bathymetric data and chirp profiles, we interpret two main processes that have controlled the morphology and evolution of the canyons: axial incision and landsliding. The western part of the shelf margin where there were at least four stages of submerged reefs differs from the eastern part of the shelf margin where sedimentary undulations occurred at a water depth of ~650 m. We consider that the variation in morphology of submarine canyons in the study area is the result of multiple causes, with the leading cause being the difference in stability of the upper slope which is related to the submerged reefs and sedimentary undulations.     

Objective classification of oceanic ridge-crest terrains using two-dimensional spectral models of bathymetry: Application to the Juan de Fuca Ridge

An important application of detailed bathymetric mapping is the interpretation of geological processes based on the nature of the fine-scale morphology of the seafloor. This interpretation is usually accomplished through qualitative analysis of contour maps. In this paper, an objective classification technique, based on a two-dimensional spectral model of bathymetry developed by Fox and Hayes (1985) is applied to detailed Sea Beam data from the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Parameters of the model can be directly related to seafloor properties corresponding to 1) isotropic (non-directionally dependent) roughness; 2) anisotropic (directionally dependent) roughness; 3) orientation of the anisotropic component; and 4) spectral rool-off ( fractal dimension), by fitting the model surface to two-dimensional amplitude spectra of bathymetry determined on a regular grid over the study area. A test area was selected which encompasses the southern volcanic rift zone of Axial Volcano and the northern terminus of the Vance Segment. Parameters of the model clearly define the contrast between the constructional volcanic terrain (rough, isotropic, with high fractal dimension) and the tectonic extensional terrain (smoother, anisotropic, with low fractal dimension). An agglomerative, hierarchical cluster analysis is applied to the data, independent of spatial information, to delineate groups of spectra with similar characteristics. Distinct, mappable regions, corresponding to volcanic and tectonic provinces, are objectively determined. Also, coherent sub-regions of consistent spectral properties occur within the larger volcanic/tectonic divisions. The classification is extended to the Juan de Fuca Ridge system from 44°30 N to 47°20 N through combining these results with an a priori technique (K-means clustering). Broad-scale physiographic regions of the Juan de Fuca Ridge are delineated by the technique, which may aid geologists in the interpretation of crustal accretion processes at seafloor spreading centers.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive royaltyfree license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

EMRIDGE: The electromagnetic investigation of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

From July to November 1988, a major electromagnetic (EM) experiment, known as EMRIDGE, took place over the southern end of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeast Pacific. It was designed to complement the previous EMSLAB experiment which covered the entire Juan de Fuca Plate, from the spreading ridge to subduction zone. The principal objective of EMRIDGE was to use natural sources of EM induction to investigate the processes of ridge accretion. Magnetotelluric (MT) sounding and Geomagnetic Depth Sounding (GDS) are well suited to the study of the migration and accumulation of melt, hydrothermal circulation, and the thermal evolution of dry lithosphere. Eleven magnetometers and two electrometers were deployed on the seafloor for a period of three months. Simultaneous land-based data were made available from the Victoria Magnetic Observatory, B.C., Canada and from a magnetometer sited in Oregon, U.S.A.Changes in seafloor bathymetry have a major influence on seafloor EM observations as shown by the orientation of the real GDS induction arrows away from the ridge axis and towards the deep ocean. Three-dimensional (3D) modelling, using a thin-sheet algorithm, shows that the observed EM signature of the Juan de Fuca Ridge and Blanco Fracture Zone is primarily due to nonuniform EM induction within the ocean, associated with changes in ocean depth. Furthermore, if the influence of the bathymetry is removed from the observations, then no significant conductivity anomaly is required at the ridge axis. The lack of a major anomaly is significant in the light of evidence for almost continuous hydrothermal venting along the neo-volcanic zone of the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge: such magmatic activity may be expected to have a distinct electrical conductivity signature, from high temperatures, hydrothermal fluids and possible melt accumulation in the crust.Estimates of seafloor electrical conductivity are made by the MT method, using electric field records at a site 35 km east of the ridge axis, on lithosphere of age 1.2 Ma, and magnetic field records at other seafloor sites. On rotating the MT impedance tensor to the principal axis orientation, significant anisotropy between the major (TE) and minor (TM) apparent resistivities is evident. Phase angles also differ between the principal axis polarisations, and TM phase are greater than 90° at short periods. Thin-sheet modelling suggests that bathymetric changes accounts for some of the observed 3D induction, but two-dimensional (2D) electrical conductivity structure in the crust and upper mantle, aligned with the ridge axis, may also be present. A one-dimensional (1D) inversion of the MT data suggests that the top 50 km of Earth is electrically resistive, and that there is a rise in conductivity at approximately 300 km. A high conductivity layer at 100 km depth is also a feature of the 1D inversion, but its presence is less well constrained.     

Seamount chains formed near the crest of Juan de Fuca Ridge,northeast Pacific Ocean

Heck and Heckle are seamount chains trending approximately northwest on the western flank of Juan de Fuca Ridge near its northern end. Evidence from magnetic anomalies and from chemistry and relative ages of dredged basalt suggests that the seamounts in these chains are produced near the spreading centre on Juan de Fuca Ridge and do not continue to grow as they are carried away by sea-floor spreading. Their development is possibly related to transverse fractures on Juan de Fuca Ridge resulting from reorientation of the ridge from north to north-northeast which began about 8 m.y. ago, combined with tension in the Pacific Plate. In contrast the Eickelberg Chain to the south may have been produced by a fixed-mantle plume now located near Juan de Fuca Ridge, as suggested by limited basalt geochemistry and by the long and productive life of that chain. The Pratt-Welker Chain may also have been produced by a mantle plume, but most other seamounts on the western flanks of Juan de Fuca and Explorer ridges are thought to have formed at crustal fractures near the spreading centres in the same way as the seamounts of the Heck and Heckle chains.     

Computer simulation of multibeam echo sounding over rough seafloor

A computer code that simulates multibeam echo‐sounding over realistic (three‐dimensional) bathymetry was used to compare available sounding systems. Two‐dimensional modeling dealt with the resolution of seafloor bathymetry and with the effect of postprocessing algorithms for some typical multibeam systems. The 2‐D bathymetric inputs were idealized bottom features. Three‐dimensional modeling dealt with the gross character of the seafloor, as detected by echo‐sounding systems. The 3‐D bathymetric inputs were realizations of terrain generated by a stochastic model of seafloor roughness. Three‐dimensional modeling indicated that the sounding system may slightly shift the location of peaks within the beam footprint. In addition, the simulated measurements were more sensitive to low‐wavenumber features (i.e., large‐scale roughness) than to high‐wavenumber features (i.e., small‐scale roughness). Resolution gradually decreased with increasing distance from centerline, due to the increasing footprint size of beams at increasing angular distance from the vertical. Lineated terrain was also smoothed by simulated echo‐sounding; lineations may indeed remain undetected if sounding system parameters are not properly selected. Inversion of the simulated measurements indicated that echo‐sounding measurements are dependent not only on the characteristics of the sounding system itself, but on other factors such as the character of the roughness and the orientation of the survey relative to the strike of lineations. The modeling technique provides a way to quantify the system response of a multibeam echo‐sounding system. This work resulted in recommendations as to the most appropriate system for an application in an area of rough bathymetry, and it led to the establishment of criteria for comparing multibeam systems in future applications.     

Shallow-water longshore drift-fed submarine fan deposition (Moisie River Delta, Eastern Canada)

Submarine canyons and associated submarine fans are in some cases located at the end of a littoral cell where they act as conduits for the transfer of eroded terrigenous sediments to the marine environment. Such fans are generally found in deep-water settings at >500 m water depth. Offshore the Moisie River Delta (NW Gulf of St. Lawrence, Eastern Canada), high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and seismic data led to the discovery of an unusually shallow submarine fan (≤60 m) located at the end of a littoral cell. Sediment is transported westward on the shallow coastal shelf, as demonstrated by the downcurrent displacement of oblique nearshore sandbars where the shelf narrows to less than 1 km. The steep slope near the end of the littoral cell is incised by a channel that feeds a submarine fan composed of smaller channels and depositional lobes. According to existing Holocene evolution models for the region, the fan formed within the last 5,000 years. Its evolution is largely due to the transport of sediment by longshore drift. Multibeam echosounder and seismic data also reveal that the gravity-driven accretion of the submarine fan is characterized mainly by two processes, i.e., frequent small-scale, downslope migration of sandwaves on the slope, and more episodic slumping/turbidity-current activity in the deeper part of the fan. This study documents that, besides their common deep-water location, smaller-scale submarine fans can occur also in very shallow water, implying that they could be more frequent than previously thought both in modern environments and in the rock record.     

Mounded seismic units in the modern canyon system in the Shenhu area,northern South China Sea: Sediment deformation,depositional structures or the mixed system?

The canyon system, including 17 small slope-confined canyons in the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea, is significantly characterized by mounded or undulating features on the canyon flanks and canyon heads. However, the mechanism underlying the formation of these features has yet to be elucidated. In previous studies, most of them were interpreted as sediment deformation on the exploration seismic profiles. In this paper, we collected high-resolution bathymetric data, chirp profiles and geotechnical test data to investigate their detailed morphology, internal structures, and origin. The bathymetric data indicated that most mounded seismic units have smooth seafloors and are separated by grooves or depressions. The distance between two adjacent mounded units is only hundreds of meters. On chirp profiles, mounded seismic units usually exhibit chaotic reflections and wavy reflections, of which the crests migrate upslope. The slope stability analysis results revealed that the critical angle of the soil layers in the study area tends to be 9°, indicating that most mounded seismic units on the canyon flanks and heads are stable at present. The terrain characteristics and seismic configurations combined with the slope stability analysis results indicated that most mounded seismic units are not sediment deformation but depositional structures or mixed systems composed of deformation and depositional structures.     

The Cosmonaut Sea Wedge

A set of multi-channel seismic profiles (∼15,000 km) is used to study the depositional evolution of the Cosmonaut Sea margin of East Antarctica. We recognize a regional sediment wedge, below the upper parts of the continental rise, herein termed the Cosmonaut Sea Wedge. The wedge is situated stratigraphically below the inferred glaciomarine section and extends for at least 1,200 km along the continental margin with a width that ranges from 80 to about 250 km. The morphology of the wedge and its associated depositional features indicate a complex depositional history, where the deep marine depositional sites were influenced by both downslope and alongslope processes. This interaction resulted in the formation of several proximal depocentres, which at their distal northern end are flanked by elongated mounded drifts and contourite sheets. The internal stratification of the mounded drift deposits indicates that westward flowing bottom currents reworked the marginal deposits. The action of these currents together with sea-level changes is considered to have controlled the growth of the wedge. We interpret the Cosmonaut Sea Wedge as a composite feature comprising several bottom current reworked fan systems. The wide spectrum of depositional geometries in the stratigraphic column reflects dramatic variations in sediment supply from the continental margin as well as varying interaction between downslope and alongslope processes.     

Automated drainage extraction in mapping the Monterey submarine drainage system,California margin

Drainage-extraction algorithms traditionally used for extracting river networks and watersheds from gridded land topography are applied to gridded multibeam bathymetry of the mid-California margin. The algorithms are used to automatically map two regional tributary networks of submarine canyons and deepsea channels draining Monterey Bay, the principal conduits of which are Acension and Monterey Canyons. The algorithms reliably map subaqueous drainage areas, but are prone to error in mapping the extent of submarine canyon and channel thalwegs due to operator subjectivity and algorithm limitations. A geomorphic comparison of the Acension and Monterey Canyon networks, with 12 river networks in the continental U.S., illustrates both the potential and weaknesses of using drainage extraction algorithms to analyze sediment pathways in gridded bathymetry.     

Geomorphological evidence for upslope canyon-forming processes on the northern KwaZulu-Natal shelf,SW Indian Ocean,South Africa

A geomorphological and statistical analysis of slope canyons from the northern KwaZulu-Natal continental margin is documented and compared with submarine canyons from the Atlantic margin of the USA. The northern KwaZulu-Natal margin is characterized by increasing upslope relief, concave slope-gradient profiles and features related to upslope growth of the canyon forms. Discounting slope-gradient profile, this morphology is strikingly similar to canyon systems of the New Jersey slope. Several phases of canyon incision indicate that downslope erosion is also an important factor in the evolution of the northern KwaZulu-Natal canyon systems. Despite the strong similarities between the northern KwaZulu-Natal and New Jersey slope-canyon systems, key differences are evident: (1) the concavity of the northern KwaZulu-Natal slope, contrasting with the ∼linear New Jersey slope; (2) the relative isolation of the northern KwaZulu-Natal canyons, rather than the dense clustering of the New Jersey canyons; and (3) the absence of strongly shelf-breaching canyons along the northern KwaZulu-Natal margin. In comparison with the New Jersey margin, we surmise a more youthful stage of canyon evolution, a result of either the canyons themselves being younger or the formative processes being less active. Less complicated patterns of erosion resulting from reduced sediment availability have developed in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The reduction in slope concavity on the New Jersey margin may be the result of grading of the upper slope by intensive headward erosion, a process more subdued—or less evident—on the KwaZulu-Natal margin.     

Pleistocene tectonic accretion of the continental slope off Washington

Interpretation of reflection profiles across the Washington continental margin suggests deformation of Cascadia basin strata against the continental slope. Individual reflecting horizons can be traced across the slope-basin boundary. The sense of offset along faults on the continental slope is predominantly, but not entirely, west side up. Two faults of small displacement are seen to be west-dipping reverse faults. Magnetic anomalies on the Juan de Fuca plate can be traced 40–100 km eastward under the slope, and structural interpretation combined with calculated rates of subduction suggests that approximately 50 km of the outer continental slope may have been formed in Pleistocene time. Rocks of Pleistocene age dredge from a ridge exposing acoustic “basement” on the slope, plus the results of deep-sea drilling off northern Oregon, are consistent with this interpretation. The question of whether or not subduction is occurring at present is unresolved because significant strain has not affected the upper 200 m of section in the Cascadia basin. However, deformation of the outer part of the slope has been episodic and may reflect episodic yield, deposition rate, subduction rate, or some combination of these factors.     

基于EGM模型的多波束无验潮测深技术应用

多波束水深测量中受潮汐因素的影响,测量垂直基准是变化的,具有瞬时性。传统多波束测量,需在测区内设立一个或多个验潮站进行同步水位观测,最终将水深归算到深度基准面上。针对多波束水深测量中垂直基准转换的复杂性问题,文中基于地球重力场模型,结合测区内实测的GNSS/水准数据,通过插值算法建立了测区范围内似大地水准面精化模型,构建了多波束无验潮水深测量的垂直基准转换模型。通过实例表明,该方法有效地消除了潮汐、动态吃水及涌浪等因素影响,直接获取深度基准面的水深值,提高工作效率,可满足近岸多波束水深测量的工作需求。     

东海陆坡不同类型海底峡谷的分布构造响应

利用1997-2001年在东海海域获得的多波束全覆盖测深数据和收集的部分高分辨率单道地震剖面,对东海陆坡海底峡谷的地形要素,如长度、弯曲度、平均坡度、剖面特征、头部和末端的水深等进行了详细的分析和统计.根据平面形态将海底峡谷划分为3种类型:直线型、蛇曲型和树枝型.海底峡谷主要分布于中段和南段的东海陆坡之上,平面形态特征总体上自北向南趋于复杂(直线型→蛇曲型→树枝型),规模逐渐增大,不同平面类型代表了峡谷不同的演化阶段.峡谷的分布格局和变化趋势主要受控于冲绳海槽扩张背景下的构造活动.