VARIATIONS IN CRUSTAL THICKNESS OF THE KANE TRANSFORM IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

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 on to the relief onthat 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 4.5kin thick and in the nodal basins the crust may be as thin as 3 kin. 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 comerhighs 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.     

Crustal structure in the Western Somali Basin

Summary. As part of integrated marine geophysical studies in the Western Somali Basin, we performed 118 sonobuoy experiments to define better the crustal structure of the margins and basin created by the separation of Madagascar and Africa. After using T ²/ X ², conventional slope-intercept methods, and slant-stacked t-p techniques to analyse the data, we combined our solutions with all previous velocity information for the area. Velocity functions were derived for the sediment coiumn, and we detected a high-velocity (4.58 ± 0.29 km s^–1) sediment layer overlying acoustic basement. We confirmed that the crust is indeed seismically oceanic, and that it may be considered either in terms of a layered model – layers 2B (5.42 ± 0.19 km s^–1), 2C (6.23 ± 0.22 km s^–1), 3 (7.03 ± 0.25 km s^–1), and mantle (7.85 ± 0.32 km s^–1) were identified – or a more complex gradient model in which layer 2 is marked by a steeper velocity gradient than underlying layer 3. Integrated igneous crustal thicknesses (1.62 ± 0.22 s, 5.22 ± 0.64 km) are significantly less than what is considered normal. We present a revised seismic transect across the East African margin, as well as total sediment thickness, depth to basement and crustal thickness maps.     

Ball Lightning: Manifestation of Cosmic Little Black Holes

A case is made that in encounters with the earth's atmosphere, astrophysical little black holes (LBH) can manifest themselves as the core energy source of ball lightning (BL). Relating the LBH incidence rate on earth to BL occurrence has the potential of shedding light on the distribution of LBH in the universe, and their velocities relative to the earth. Most BL features can be explained by a testable LBH model. Analyses are presented to support this model. LBH produce complex and many-faceted interactions in air directly and via their exhaust, resulting in excitation, ionization, and light due to processes such as gravitational tidal force, bremsstrahlung, pair production and annihilation, orbital electron near-capture by interaction with a charged LBH. Gravitational tidal force interaction of LBH with polarization and atmospheric atoms can result in an enhanced cross-section for polarization and ionization. An estimate for the power radiated by BL ∼ Watts is in agreement with observation. An upper limit is found for the largest masses that can produce ionization and polarization excitation. It is shown that the effects of LBH high power exhaust radiation are consistent with observations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF OVER TEN YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC OCEAN DRILLING

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Using exploration history to estimate undiscovered resources

Inference about deposits left to be discovered in a partially explored oil field that require only assumptions about the randomness in the exploration procedure are considered. Unbiased estimators, estimators based on partial likelihood methods and confidence procedures are proposed.     

Spreading rate dependence of the axial topography and gravity of the Mid‐Atlantic ridge between 22°N and 38°N

A method is developed to quantify the relationship between the ridge axial topography and gravity and the spreading rate along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge between 22 and 38°N. This relationship reflects the variations of slope of the best‐fit line of topography and gravity spectra with the spreading rate of the ridge segments. The slope of the best‐fit line of topography spectrum becomes smaller as the spreading rate increases, indicating that with increasing spreading rate more energy of the ridge axial topography shifts into high‐frequency bands. The spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial topography may be explained by an anomalous thermal structure beneath the ridge. No significant correlation was found between the slope of the best‐fit line of gravity spectrum and the spreading rate in this region. The lack of spreading rate dependence of the ridge axial gravity may be attributable to the isostatic compensation of the spreading center.     

Residual depth and residual geoid anomalies of the South Atlantic ocean

Abstract

We have obtained the residual depth and residual geoid anomalies of the South Atlantic Ocean and interpreted them in terms of upper mantle processes. Starting from the 5’ X 5’ SYNBAPS data, we computed the 1° X 1° mean water depth. We digitized a recent sediment thickness map of the South Atlantic and corrected for the isostatic sediment loading effects. A plot of the corrected basement depth against crustal ages shows a good match to the depth‐age curve of the plate model. We then subtracted the predicted plate model depths from the corrected basement depths and obtained the 1° X 1° residual depth. The residual depth anomalies have positive values over the topographic highs and relative negative values over the ocean basins. A prominent asymmetry is observed between the residual depth over the Argentine Basin and that over the Cape Basin.

We have obtained the 1° X 1° residual geoid of the South Atlantic by subtracting both the long wavelength features and the geoid variations due to the plate cooling from the 1° X 1° Seasat altimeter derived geoid. The long wavelength features are represented by the degree and order 10 geoid of GEM1OC, and the geoid variations due to the plate cooling effects are predicted by the plate model geoid‐age relationship. The residual geoid anomalies also show an asymmetry although weaker than the case of the residual depth, between the Argentine and Cape basins.

By taking the 5° X 5° averages, we removed possible plate bending effects on the depth and geoid anomalies. We then compared those two data sets with respect to the reported hot spot tracks in the South Atlantic. The residual depth generally shows positive values over the hot spot tracks, whereas the residual geoid does not show any sign of them. A prominent asymmetric feature of depth and geoid anomalies is observed over the Argentine and Cape basins. This asymmetry is probably caused by hotter and less dense materials beneath the Cape Basin. Hot spots or other mantle upwellings may be the heat sources.     

FAST APPROXIMATE INVERSION OF MAGNETOTELLURIC(FAIMT) DATA FOR A HORIZONTALLY LAYERED EARTH WITH NEAR-SURFACE INHOMOGENEITIES

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A sonic well log of the basement complex of the Walvis Ridge

A sonic well log was obtained within the basement complex of the Walvis Ridge during Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 74. The top of the basement complex is characterized by smooth acoustic reflectors. The rocks recovered within the basement complex consist of basalts with intercalated sediments. According to the log ∼-50% of the upper 75 m of basement are igneous rocks and the other 50% sedimentary. Sonobuoy results indicate that the ratio of sediments to basalt increases with depth for an additional 225 m until a typical oceanic velocity structure is observed. Paleontological results suggest that the processes forming this upper 300 m of the basement complex was accomplished within a short time interval.     

The Palomar‐Quest digital synoptic sky survey

We describe briefly the Palomar‐Quest (PQ) digital synoptic sky survey, including its parameters, data processing, status, and plans. Exploration of the time domain is now the central scientific and technological focus of the survey. To this end, we have developed a real‐time pipeline for detection of transient sources.We describe some of the early results, and lessons learned which may be useful for other, similar projects, and time‐domain astronomy in general. Finally, we discuss some issues and challenges posed by the real‐time analysis and scientific exploitation of massive data streams from modern synoptic sky surveys. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)