Structural analysis of the gravity field over the American-Antarctic Ridge

This paper discusses the structure of the American-Antarctic Ridge based on analysis of the gravity field. Analysis of the gravity field in different reductions and its transforms allowed the revelation of zonal, regional, and local specific features in the field’s structure and their correlation with contemporary notions on the tectonic zoning of the American-Antarctic Ridge and adjacent regions. The lineament structures of the field allowed locating the areas of spreading zones and principal transform and fracture zones. Comparison between the location of these structural features and the interpretation results of shipboard magnetic measurements confirmed the reliability of the received data. Results of the performed investigations presented in the form of structural schemes are a basis for constructing a model of the tectonosphere under the American-Antarctic Ridge.     

Geochronology of the American-Antarctic Ridge

A new map of chrons for the American-Antarctic Ridge area has been compiled. Its analysis and the calculations performed showed that the seafloor spreading with respect to its axis started before 85 My B.P. The spreading directions were 115° (chrons C34-C29), 145° (chrons C29-C21), 110° (chrons C21-C5C), and 85° (chrons C5C-C1). The maximum rates of about 4 cm/year were reached earlier than 52 My B.P.; subsequently, a progressive general decrease in the spreading rate has been observed. According to our forecast, the spreading may cease in the following 3.5 My.     

The information content of gravity and magnetic data for a survey of the structure and evolution of the tectonosphere of the South Atlantic region

The evolution of the American-Antarctic spreading system is a part of the common evolution of the South Atlantic. Structural analysis that was performed by the authors across the South Atlantic region shows that not only valuable information about the tectonosphere structure but useful complementary information can be obtained on its basis. This information improves the reliability of the interpretation of the physical, tectonic, and geological processes that are taking place within the evolution of the tectonic provinces and regions according to the reconstruction model. The results of the structural analysis, together with reconstructions of the South Atlantic, allowed us to connect them with the evolution of the region and define the place of the American-Antarctic ridge spreading system in the evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean, as well as its interaction with adjacent tectonic structures.     

Transtension and alkaline magmatism of the Romanche Fracture Zone

New magnetometric, petrological, and geochemical data on basalts from the central Romanche Fracture Zone (FZ) allow us to classify these rocks into two groups. The igneous rocks from the active part of the fracture zone that experienced transtension are referred to as alkaline rocks. According to some indications, they are younger that the oceanic tholeiites of the southern fault-line ridge, which were affected by elevated pressure in the past. These data indicate with a high probability that the Romanche FZ belongs to a rare group of magmatically active demarcation transform lines that separate large oceanic domains different in structural and geochemical features.     

Structure of the lithosphere of the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean according to results of two-dimensional structural-density modeling

From a gravitational field analysis, the lithosphere was regionalized and a structural schematic map of the eastern part of the Indian Ocean was compiled. The area adjacent to the western margin of Australia was studied. The region is characterized by a complex lithospheric structure. It includes heterogeneous blocks of varying age, framed by structures with different morphological and geophysical expression and varying genesis. To clarify the peculiarities of tectonic structures of various genetic types, structural-density modeling was performed. This made it possible to establish certain gravimetric indicators characteristic of structures of various genesis.     

Features of the crustal structure of the Arabian Sea

An analysis of the gravity field and geoid heights allowed us to distinguish a third buried basin filled with sediments located in the southwestern part of the sea in the regions adjacent to the Carlsberg Ridge. From the previously known basins, it is separated by saddles. The saddles correspond to a series of faults and are possibly related to the pulse character of the northwestward prograding of the spreading axes of the Carlsberg Ridge. The continental origin of the Laxmi ridge is confirmed. The results of an analysis of the gravity field and its transformants, together with the two-dimensional density modeling, agree with the possibility of the existence of a spreading type of the crust (I) in the region of the Laxmi Basin. An analysis of the geoid height anomalies allows us to suggest that, with respect to the upper layers of the lithosphere, the Laxmi Ridge is not connected with the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.     

Transtension of the Romanche transform fault

Areas of transtension are discovered in the western part of the Romanche transform fault. Geodynamical parameters of the transtension are calculated on the basis of three-dimensional modeling of the inversive magnetic layer using survey data. The interval spreading rates calculated on this basis appeared to be smaller (1.65 cm/y for paleoanomalies C1-C5E on the northern side of the fault and 1.56 cm/y for paleoanomalies C6–C24 on the southern side) than those derived from the theoretical concepts based on the NUVEL-1 and NUVEL-1A models.     

Studies of the deep structure in transition zones from oceans to continents

Studies of the deep structure of the earth’s crust, lithosphere, and asthenosphere (tectonosphere) of transition zones from continents to oceans is one of the urgent issues of present-day geology and geophysics. The most important information on the deep structure of such zones is provided by seismic and seismological methods. Meanwhile, a comparison between gravity data and results of seismic studies showed that the gravity anomalies observed in the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean cannot be explained solely by changes in the thickness and composition of the earth’s crust. In order to estimate the internal structure of the Pacific type of transition zones, the authors performed an analysis of the anomalous gravity field and the field of geoid heights in the Indonesian region, which also included calculations of the values of the gravity field and geoid heights in different reductions (Bouguer, Glenny, and isostatic), their transformations, and compilation of density models of the tectonosphere of the transition zone of this region compatible with the geological and geophysical data available. As a result of these studies, we performed zonation of the Indonesian region with respect to the gravity field and defined particular features of the areas distinguished. Based on the analysis performed, we inferred the existence of differences in the structure of individual zones both in the upper layers of the tectonosphere and in deeper layers. Detailed characteristics of the anomalous gravity fields typical of the objects distinguished are presented.     

Instrumental Determination of the Earth’s South Magnetic Pole Position During the Round-the-World Antarctic Expedition on Board the Russian Navy ORV Admiral Vladimirsky

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—The round-the-world Antarctic expedition of the Russian Navy that took place from December 2019 to June 2020 on board the Russian Navy...     

A 3D-density simulation of the structure of the tectonosphere in the SW Indian Ocean

The method and results of 3D simulation of the structure of the tectonosphere in the SW Indian Ocean based on gravity field data are presented. The study included the formation of 3D-density models for several areas covering large tectonic structures in the SW Indian Ocean. The formation of 3D-density models of the structure of the tectonosphere was based on the results of structural analysis, which had been performed earlier for the gravity and anomalous magnetic fields, and 2D-density simulation along profiles crossing large structures in the study region. As a result of the 3D simulation, maps of the Moho discontinuity and maps of the density distribution in the oceanic crust were built for the largest structures of the region.