GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH

Seismic and gravity anomaly data have been used to examine the long-term mechanical properties of the lithosphere beneath the Baltimore Canyon Trough, a 15 km deep sedimentary basin in the rifted U.S. Atlantic margin. Seismic data constrain the crustal structure at the time of rifting as well as the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Watts, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1988
_version_ 1826262628697112576
author Watts, A
author_facet Watts, A
author_sort Watts, A
collection OXFORD
description Seismic and gravity anomaly data have been used to examine the long-term mechanical properties of the lithosphere beneath the Baltimore Canyon Trough, a 15 km deep sedimentary basin in the rifted U.S. Atlantic margin. Seismic data constrain the crustal structure at the time of rifting as well as the amount of sedimentation and erosion that has occurred. The gravity effect of the initial crustal structure, sedimentary loading and erosional unloading have been computed and compared to the observed free-air gravity anomaly. The best fitting model is one in which the elastic thickness of the lithosphere (Te) changes at the East Coast magnetic anomaly. Landward of the anomaly, Te is significantly smaller than previously reported values for continental or oceanic lithosphere of the same thermal age. Seaward of the anomaly, however, Te follows the depth to the 450°C oceanic isotherm which also describes the response of oceanic lithosphere to seamount and oceanic island loads. These results are interpreted as indicating that the shelf part of the trough is underlain by continental lithosphere which, following rifting, did not acquire any significant long-term strength. © 1988.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T19:39:14Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:2015e939-4818-486e-a7b7-5240c8fa435a
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T19:39:14Z
publishDate 1988
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:2015e939-4818-486e-a7b7-5240c8fa435a2022-03-26T11:25:38ZGRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGHJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2015e939-4818-486e-a7b7-5240c8fa435aEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1988Watts, ASeismic and gravity anomaly data have been used to examine the long-term mechanical properties of the lithosphere beneath the Baltimore Canyon Trough, a 15 km deep sedimentary basin in the rifted U.S. Atlantic margin. Seismic data constrain the crustal structure at the time of rifting as well as the amount of sedimentation and erosion that has occurred. The gravity effect of the initial crustal structure, sedimentary loading and erosional unloading have been computed and compared to the observed free-air gravity anomaly. The best fitting model is one in which the elastic thickness of the lithosphere (Te) changes at the East Coast magnetic anomaly. Landward of the anomaly, Te is significantly smaller than previously reported values for continental or oceanic lithosphere of the same thermal age. Seaward of the anomaly, however, Te follows the depth to the 450°C oceanic isotherm which also describes the response of oceanic lithosphere to seamount and oceanic island loads. These results are interpreted as indicating that the shelf part of the trough is underlain by continental lithosphere which, following rifting, did not acquire any significant long-term strength. © 1988.
spellingShingle Watts, A
GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title_full GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title_fullStr GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title_full_unstemmed GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title_short GRAVITY-ANOMALIES, CRUSTAL STRUCTURE AND FLEXURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE AT THE BALTIMORE CANYON TROUGH
title_sort gravity anomalies crustal structure and flexure of the lithosphere at the baltimore canyon trough
work_keys_str_mv AT wattsa gravityanomaliescrustalstructureandflexureofthelithosphereatthebaltimorecanyontrough