| Publications | | » | 41. R2K Advances in Seismic Imaging Oceanography, 2012
 | | » | 40. R2K Seismic Studies Oceanography, 2012
 | | » | 39. Melt bodies off the EPR Nature Geoscience, 2012
 | | » | 38. JdF Plate: Gravity structure G-cubed, 2011
 | | » | 37. JdF Plate: Layer 2B structure G-cubed, 2011
 | | » | 36. Kane waveform tomography GRL, 2010
 | | » | 35. Kane Oceanic Core Complex G-cubed, 2009
 | | » | 34. Geophysical signatures of oceanic core complexes GJI, 2009
 | | » | 33. Accretion of the lower crust Nature, 2009
 | | » | 32. Faulting of the Juan de Fuca plate EPSL, 2009
 | | » | 31. Axial topography os the Galapagos Spreading Center G-cubed, 2008
 | | » | 30. Juan de Fuca Ridge flanks G-cubed, 2008
 | | » | 29. Seismic structure of oceanic core complexes G-cubed, 2008
 | | » | 28. Juan de Fuca Ridge: structure and hotspots G-cubed, 2008
 | | » | 27. Structure of the TAG segment, Mid-Atlantic Ridge G-cubed, 2007
 | | » | 26. Detachment faulting at TAG, Mid-Atlantic Ridge Geology, 2007
 | | » | 25. Structure of the Endeavour segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge JGR, 2007
 | | » | 24. Magma beneath Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Field Nature, 2006
 | | » | 23. Magma chamber of the Cleft segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge EPSL, 2006
 | | » | 22. Topography and magmatism at the Juan de Fuca Ridge Geology, 2006
 | | » | 21. Structure of the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge JGR, 2005
 | | » | 20. Sub-crustal magma lenses Nature, 2005
 | | » | 19. Constructing the crust at the Galapagos Spreading Center JGR, 2004
 | | » | 18. Atlantis core complex EPSL, 2004
 | | » | 17. Morphology of the Galapagos Spreading Center G-cubed, 2003
 | | » | 16. Crustal structure of the East Pacific Rise GJI, 2003
 | | » | 15. Plume-ridge interaction along the Galapagos Spreading Center G-cubed, 2002
 | | » | 14. Compensation of the Galapagos swellEPSL, 2002
 | | » | 13. Structure of Tenerife, Canary Islands JVGR, 2000
 | | » | 12. Underplating in the Canary Islands JVGR, 2000
 | | » | 11. Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MARK, 23?20'N) JGR, 2000
 | | » | 10. Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (35?N) JGR, 2000
 | | » | 9. Structure of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands J. Geodyn., 1999
 | | » | 8. Structure of overlapping spreading centers in the MELT area GRL, 1998
 | | » | 7. Crustal thickness in the MELT area Science, 1998
 | | » | 6. The MELT experiment Science, 1998
 | | » | 5. The Canary Islands swell GJI, 1998
 | | » | 4. Morphology of the Galapagos Spreading Center JGR, 1997
 | | » | 3. Faulting of slow-spreading oceanic crust Geology, 1997
 | | » | 2. Flexure beneath Tenerife, Canary Islands EPSL, 1997
 | | » | 1. Elastic thickness in the Canary Islands GRL, 1994
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Xu, M., J. P. Canales, B. E. Tucholke, and D. L. Dubois, Heterogeneus seismic velocity structure of the upper lithosphere at the Kane oceanic core complex, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst., 10, Q10001, 2009
Abstract
The Kane oceanic core complex (OCC) is a large, corrugated megamullion that was formed by a long-lived detachment fault at the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge adjacent to Kane Fracture Zone between 2.1 and 3.3 Ma. We use refracted arrivals recorded along a 6-km-long hydrophone streamer during a multichannel seismic survey to constrain the shallow seismic velocity structure of the OCC. Results are presented in high-resolution traveltime seismic tomographic models along six lines that cover all of the main morphological features of the megamullion. The models show large lateral variability in P wave velocity within the upper ∼0.5–2.0 km of the lithosphere, and these variations correlate to first order with observed variations in lithology, documented by in situ basement samples and seafloor morphology. Lithological interpretation of the velocity models indicates that there is marked lateral variability in distribution of gabbroic intrusions, serpe
ntinized peridotites, and basalts at scales of a few kilometers to ∼10 km. Serpentinized peridotites appear to domin
ate the central and older parts of the OCC. High-velocity gabbros are consistently (b
u
t not exclusively)
present closer to the termination of the Kane detachment fault and toward the ends of the OCC. The structure of the lithosphere exhumed by the Kane detachment fault is far from the standard ophiolite-based Penrose model, and it does not show segment-centered magmatism that is commonly interpreted at slow spreading ridges. If the gabbros exhumed toward the termination of the OCC were emplaced deep (∼10 km) beneath the spreading axis, they may have constituted a weak zone that focused initiation of the Kane detachment fault. Alternately, as the OCC footwall was being exhumed the gabbros may have been emplaced because of dynamic changes in melt supply, changes in mantle fertility, or decompression melting. Late stage volcanism is clearly associated with a major high-angle normal fault that cuts the detachment surface; this volcanism may have been stimulated or enhanced by bending stresses in the bending footwall. The shape of the large-scale corrugated morphology of the OCC is nearly invariant in the dip direction across major changes in basement lithology, indicating that once established, the form of the Kane detachment fault was highly resistant to modification.
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