Three-dimensional crustal structure of Ascension Island from active source seismic tomography

Geophysical Journal International

Volumn 159, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 311-325

  Evangelidis, C P ^a   Minshull, T A ^a   Henstock, T J ^a  

^a NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

3D checkerboard; Flexure; High velocity Anomaly; Seismic tomography; South Atlantic ocean; Volcanic islands

Indexed keywords

CRUSTAL STRUCTURE; SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY; THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING;

ASCENSION ISLAND; ATLANTIC ISLANDS; ATLANTIC OCEAN;

EID: 5144224141     PISSN: 0956540X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02396.x     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. Atkins, F.B., Baker, P.E., Bell, J.D. & Smith, D.G.W., 1964. Oxford expedition to Ascension Island, 1964, Nature, 204, 722-724.
2. Blackman, D.K. & Forsyth, D.W., 1991. Isostatic compensation of tectonic features of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 25-27°30′S, J. geophys. Res., 96, 11 741-11 758.
3. Bourdon, E. & Hemond, C., 2001. Looking for the 'missing endmember' in South Atlantic Ocean mantle around Ascension Island, Mineralogy and Petrology, 71, 127-138.
4. Brozena, J.M., 1986. Temporal and spatial variability of sea-floor spreading processes in the northern South-Atlantic, J. geophys. Res., 91, 497-510.
5. Bruguier, N.J., Minshull, T.A. & Brozena, J.M., 2003. Morphology and Tectonics of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 7-12°, J. geophys. Res., 108, 2093.
6. Cande, S.C. & Kent, D.V., 1995. Revised calibration of the geomagnetic polarity timescale for the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic, J. geophys. Res., 100, 6093-6095.
7. Caress, D.W., McNutt, M.K., Detrick, R.S. & Mutter, J.C., 1995. Seismic imaging of hotspot-related crustal underplating beneath the Marquesas Islands, Nature, 373, 600-603.
8. Carlson, R.L. & Herrick, C.N., 1990. Densities and porosities in the oceanic-crust and their variations with depth and age, J. geophys. Res., 95, 9153-9170.
9. Carlson, R.L. & Raskin, G.S., 1984. Density of the ocean crust, Nature, 311, 555-558.
10. Charvis, P. et al., 1999. Spatial distribution of hotspot material added to the lithosphere under La Reunion, from wide-angle seismic data, J. geophys. Res., 104, 2875-2893.
11. Dash, B.P. & Milsom, J., 1973. Gravity field of Ascension Island, South Atlantic, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 21, 79-84.
12. Foulger, G.R. & Toomey, D.R., 1989. Structure and evolution of the Hengill-Grensdalur volcanic complex, Iceland - geology, geophysics, and seismic tomography, J. geophys. Res., 94, 17 511-17 522.
13. Grevemeyer, I., Weigel, W., Schussler, S. & Avedik, F., 2001. Crustal and upper mantle seismic structure and lithospheric flexure along the Society Island hotspot chain, Geophys. J Int., 147, 123-140.
14. Hammer, P.T.C., Dorman, L.M., Hildebrand, J.A. & Cornuelle, B.D., 1994. Jasper seamount structure - sea-floor seismic-refraction tomography, J. geophys. Res., 99, 6731-6752.
15. Hanan, B.B., Kingsley, R.H. & Schilling, J.G., 1986. Pb isotope evidence in the South-Atlantic for migrating ridge hotspot interactions, Nature, 322, 137-144.
16. Hearn, T.M. & Ni, J.F., 1994. Pn velocities beneath continental collision zones: the Turkish-Iranian Plateau, Geophys. J. Int., 117, 273-283.
17. Hieronymus, C.F. & Bercovici, D., 2001a. A theoretical model of hotspot volcanism: Control on volcanic spacing and patterns via magma dynamics and lithospheric stresses, J. geophys. Res., 106, 683-702.
18. Hieronymus, C.F. & Bercovici, D., 2001b. Focusing of eruptions by fracture wall erosion, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 1823-1826.
19. Hobro, J.W.D., 1999. Three-dimensional tomographic inversion of combined reflection and refraction seismic travel-time data, PhD thesis, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
20. Hobro, J.W.D., Singh, S.C. & Minshull, T.A., 2003. Three-dimensional tomographic inversion of combined reflection seismic travel-time data, Geophys. J. Int., 152, 79-93.
21. Hole, J.A. & Zelt, B.C., 1995. 3-D finite-difference reflection travel-times, Geophys. J. Int., 121, 427-434.
22. Hosford, A., Lin, J. & Detrick, R.S., 2001. Crustal evolution over the last 2 m.y. at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge OH-1 segment, 35 degrees N, J. geophys. Res., 106, 13 269-13 285.
23. Klingelhöfer, F., Minshull, T.A., Blackman, D.K., Harben, P. & Childers, V., 2001. Crustal structure of Ascension Island from wide-angle seismic data: implications for the formation of near-ridge volcanic islands, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 190, 41-56.
24. Krastel, S. & Schmincke, H.U., 2002. Crustal structure of northern Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, deduced from active seismic tomography, J. Volc. Geotherm. Res., 115, 153-177.
25. Ludwig, W.J., Nafe, J.E. & Drake, C.L., 1970. Seismic Refraction, in The Sea, Vol. 4, pp. 53-84, Wiley-Interscience, New York.
26. MacFarlane, D.J., 1968. The structure of some Atlantic islands as deduced from gravity and other geophysical data, PhD thesis, Imperial College, London.
27. McCaughey, M. & Singh, S.C., 1997. Simultaneous velocity and interface tomography of normal incidence and wide-aperture seismic traveltime data, Geophys. J. Int., 131, 87-99.
28. Minshull, T.A. & Brozena, J.M., 1997. Gravity anomalies and flexure of the lithosphere at Ascension Island, Geophys. J. Int., 131, 347-360.
29. Minshull, T.A. & Charvis, P., 2001. Ocean island densities and models of lithospheric flexure, Geophys. J. Int., 145, 731-739.
30. Minshull, T.A., Bruguier, N.J. & Brozena, J.M., 1998. Ridge-plume interactions or mantle heterogeneity near Ascension Island? Geology, 26, 115-118.
31. Minshull, T.A., Bruguier, N.J. & Brozena, J.M., 2003a. Seismic structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 8-9°S, J. geophys. Res., 108, 2513, doi:10.1029/2002JB002360.
32. Minshull, T.A., Ishizuka, O., Mitchell, N. & Evangelidis, C., 2003b. Vertical motions and lithosphere rheology at Ascension Island, EOS, Trans. Am. geophys. Un., 84, Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract V11B-06.
33. Mitchell, N.C., 2003. Susceptibility of mid-ocean ridge volcanic islands and seamounts to large-scale landsliding, J. geophys. Res., 108, 2397 doi:10.1029/2002JB001997.
34. Nielson, D.L. & Stiger, S.G., 1996. Drilling and evaluation of Ascension #1, a geothermal exploration well on Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean, Geothermics, 25, 543-560.
35. Okubo, RG., Benz, H.M. & Chouet, B.A., 1997. Imaging the crustal magma sources beneath Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes, Hawaii, Geology, 25, 867-870.
36. Parker, R.L., 1972. The Rapid Calculation of Potential Anomalies, Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc., 31, 447-455.
37. Schilling, J.G., Thompson, G., Kingsley, R. & Humphris, S., 1985. Hotspot - migrating ridge interaction in the South Atlantic, Nature, 313, 187-191.
38. Sleep, N.H., 1984. Tapping of magmas from ubiquitous mantle heterogeneities - an alternative to mantle plumes, J. geophys. Res., 89, 29-41.
39. Smith, W.H.F. & Sandwell, D.T., 1997. Global sea floor topography from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings, Science, 277, 1956-1962.
40. Staudigel, H. & Schmincke, H.U., 1984. The Pliocene Seamount Series of La Palma/Canary-Islands, J. geophys. Res., 89, 1195-1215.
41. Vidale, J.E., 1990. Finite-difference calculation of traveltimes in 3 dimensions, Geophysics, 55, 521-526.
42. Virieux, J. & Farra, V., 1991. Ray tracing in 3-D complex isotropic media - an analysis of the problem, Geophysics, 56, 2057-2069.
43. Watts, A.B., 1994. Crustal structure, gravity-anomalies and flexure of the lithosphere in the vicinity of the Canary Islands, Geophys. J. Int., 119, 648-666.
44. Watts, A.B. & ten Brink, U.S., 1989. Crustal structure, flexure, and subsidence history of the Hawaiian Islands, J. geophys. Res., 94, 10 473-10 500.
45. Watts, A.B., ten Brink, U.S., Buhl, P. & Brocher, T.M., 1985. A multichannel seismic study of lithospheric flexure across the Hawaiian - Emperor seamount chain, Nature, 315, 105-111.
46. Watts, A.B., Peirce, C., Collier, J., Dalwood, R., Canales, J.P. & Henstock, T.J., 1997. A seismic study of lithospheric flexure in the vicinity of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 146, 431-447.
47. Weaver, B., Kar, A., Davidson, J. & Colucci, M., 1996. Geochemical characteristics of volcanic rocks from Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean, Geothermics, 25, 449-470.
48. Weigel, W. & Grevemeyer, I., 1999. The Great Meteor Seamount: seismic structure of a submerged intraplate volcano, J. Geodyn., 28, 27-40.
49. Wessel, P. & Smith, W.H.F., 1995. New version of the Generic Mapping Tools released, EOS, Trans. Am. geophys. Un., 76, 329.
50. White, R.S., McKenzie, D. & Onions, R.K., 1992. Oceanic crustal thickness from seismic measurements and rare earth element inversions, J. geophys. Res., 97, 19 683-19 715.
51. Zelt, C.A., 1989. Seismic structure of the crust and upper mantle in the Peace River Arch region, PhD thesis, Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
52. Zelt, C.A. & Barton, P.J., 1998. Three-dimensional seismic refraction tomography: A comparison oftwo methods applied to data from the Faeroe Basin, J. geophys. Res., 103, 7187-7210.
53. Zindler, A., Staudigel, H. & Batiza, R., 1984. Isotope and trace-element geochemistry of young Pacific Seamounts - implications for the scale of upper mantle heterogeneity, Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 70,