GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN

Geoid heights derived from the Geos 3 satellite altimeter show relatively short wavelength (lambda z 280km) geoid highs of 5-12m over the crest of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain and geoid lows of 1-3m over flanking regions. These geoid undulations can be generally explained by a simple model in...

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Main Author: Watts, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1979
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author Watts, A
author_facet Watts, A
author_sort Watts, A
collection OXFORD
description Geoid heights derived from the Geos 3 satellite altimeter show relatively short wavelength (lambda z 280km) geoid highs of 5-12m over the crest of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain and geoid lows of 1-3m over flanking regions. These geoid undulations can be generally explained by a simple model in which the load of the seamount chain is supported by a strong, rigid lithospheric plate. The best fitting estimates of the effective elastic thickness of the plate based on data over the Hawaiian Ridge are in the range 25-37.5km. The elastic thickness cannot be reliably determined from altimeter data over the Emperor Seamounts, although it is probable that it is significantly lower than that obtained for the Hawaiian Ridge. These estimates of the differences in elastic thickness along the seamount chain are in general agreement with previous studies along the chain ad provide useful new constraints on the longterm (more than 106 yr) mechanical properties of the oceanic lithosphere. -Author
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spelling oxford-uuid:436baa20-ee75-4a28-8837-168e83845ff92022-03-26T14:55:13ZGEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAINJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:436baa20-ee75-4a28-8837-168e83845ff9EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1979Watts, AGeoid heights derived from the Geos 3 satellite altimeter show relatively short wavelength (lambda z 280km) geoid highs of 5-12m over the crest of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain and geoid lows of 1-3m over flanking regions. These geoid undulations can be generally explained by a simple model in which the load of the seamount chain is supported by a strong, rigid lithospheric plate. The best fitting estimates of the effective elastic thickness of the plate based on data over the Hawaiian Ridge are in the range 25-37.5km. The elastic thickness cannot be reliably determined from altimeter data over the Emperor Seamounts, although it is probable that it is significantly lower than that obtained for the Hawaiian Ridge. These estimates of the differences in elastic thickness along the seamount chain are in general agreement with previous studies along the chain ad provide useful new constraints on the longterm (more than 106 yr) mechanical properties of the oceanic lithosphere. -Author
spellingShingle Watts, A
GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title_full GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title_fullStr GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title_full_unstemmed GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title_short GEOID HEIGHTS DERIVED FROM GEOS-3-ALTIMETER DATA ALONG THE HAWAIIAN-EMPEROR SEAMOUNT CHAIN
title_sort geoid heights derived from geos 3 altimeter data along the hawaiian emperor seamount chain
work_keys_str_mv AT wattsa geoidheightsderivedfromgeos3altimeterdataalongthehawaiianemperorseamountchain