@iag.usp.br
Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences
University of São Paulo
In this project, I will investigate the oceanic crustal structure and lithospheric dynamics of the Vema Channel through a comprehensive analysis of residual gravity anomaly and interpretation from geodynamic modeling. I will first calculate the residual mantle Bouguer anomaly of the oceanic crustal regions of the Vema Channel by removing from free-air gravity anomaly the predicted gravitational attractions of water-sediment, sediment-crust and crust-mantle interfaces, as well as the effects of lithospheric plate cooling. I then calculate the gravity-derived crustal thickness constraining them with depth values from available seismic data over the area. The crustal thickness model is then used for the computational geodynamic modeling to study the effects of one to four ridge jumps on melt production and resultant crustal structure. The few previous works over the area have reported a possible aborted ridge, crustal asymmetry and the occurrence of a ridge jumps. Despite of these suggest