283Accesses
103Citations
Abstract
A large topographic high commonly occurs near the intersection of a rifted spreading center and a transform fault. The high occurs at the inside of the 90° bend in the plate boundary, and is called the ‘high inside corner’, while the area across the spreading center, the ‘outside corner’, is often anomalously low. To better understand the origin of this topographic asymmetry, we examine topographic maps of 53 ridge-transform intersections. We conclude the following: (1) High inside corners occur at 41 out of 42 ridge-transform intersections at slow spreading ridges, and thus should be considered characteristic and persistent features of rifted slow spreading ridges. They are conspicuously absent at fast spreading ridges or at spreading centers that lack a rift valley. (2) High inside corners occur wherever an axial rift valley is present, and an approximate 1:1 correlation exists between the relief of the rift valley and the magnitude of the asymmetry. (3) Large high inside corners occur at both long and short transform offsets. (4) High inside corners at long offsets decay off-axis faster than predicted by the square root of age cooling model, precluding a thermalisostatic origin, but consistent with dynamic or flexural uplift models.
These observations support the existing hypothesis that the asymmetry is due to the contrast in lithospheric coupling that occurs in the active transform versus the inactive fracture zone. Active faulting in the transform breaks the lithosphere along a high angle fault, permitting vertical movement of the inside corner block, whereas the inactive fracture zone forms a weld that couples the outside corner to the adjacent block, preventing it from rising. Large asymmetry at very short transform offsets appears to be caused by the added effect of a second uplift mechanism. Young lithosphere in the rift valley couples to the older plate, and when it leaves the rift valley it lifts the older plate with it. At very short offsets, this ‘coupled uplift’ acts upon the high inside corner; at long offsets, it may upwarp the older plate or its expression may be muted.
This is a preview of subscription content,log in via an institution to check access.
Access this article
Subscribe and save
- Get 10 units per month
- Download Article/Chapter or eBook
- 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
- Cancel anytime
Buy Now
Price includes VAT (Japan)
Instant access to the full article PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
AbramsL. J., DetrickR. S., and FoxP. J., 1988, Morphology and Crustal Structure of the Kane Fracture Zone Transverse Ridge,J. Geophys. Res.93, 3195–3210.
AtwaterT. M. and MudieJ. D., 1973, Detailed Near-Bottom Geophysical Study of the Gorda Rise,J. Geophys. Res.78, 8665–8686.
BryanW. B. and MooreJ. G., 1977, Compositional Variations of Young Basalts in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Rift Valley near Lat. 36°49′ N,Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.88, 556–570.
Caytrough, 1979, Geological and Geophysical Investigation of the Mid-Cayman Rise Spreading Center: Initial Results and Observations, in M.Talwani, C. G.Harrison, and D. E.Hayes (eds.),Deep Drilling Results in the Atlantic Ocean: Ocean Crust, Maurice Ewing Series 2, Amer. Geophys. Union, Wash., D.C., pp. 66–93.
ChenY. J., 1988. A Mechanical Model for Producing the Topographic Feature of ‘Inside Corner High’ at a Ridge-Transform Fault Intersection,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS69, 489.
ColletteB. J., 1986, Fracture Zones in the North Atlantic: Morphology and a Model,J. Geol. Soc. London143, 763–774.
CraneK. L., AikmanF., EmbleyR., HammondS., MalahoffA., and LuptonJ., 1985, The distribution of hydrothermal fields on the Juan de Fuca Ridge,J. Geophys. Res.90, 727–744.
DeffeyesK. S., 1970, The Axial Valley: A Steady State-Feature in the Terrain, in J.Johnson and B.C.Smith (eds.),Megatectonics of Continents and Oceans, Rutgers Univ. Press, Brunswick, N.J., pp. 194–222.
FoxP. J. and GalloD. G., 1984, A Tectonic Model for Ridge-Transform-Ridge Plate Boundaries: Implications for the Structure of Oceanic Lithosphere,Tectonophysics104, 205–242.
FoxP. J., GrindlayN. R., MacdonaldK. C., BicknellJ., and ForsythD. W., 1985, The Morphotectonic Character of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 31° S and 34° S: Implications for Plate Accretion,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS66, 1091.
FrancheteauJ., ChoukrouneP., RanginC., and SeguretM., 1979, Bathymetric Map of the Tamayo Transform Fault, in B. T. R. Lewis, P. Robinsonet al.,Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Leg 65, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C., color map supplement.
Gallo, D. G. and Fox, P. J. 1988, A Seabeam Investigation of the Garret Fracture Zone: Constraints on the Tectonics of Very-Fast-Slipping Transforms,Marine Geophys. Res. (submitted).
GalloD. G., FoxP. J., and MacdonaldK. C., 1986a, A Sea Beam Investigation of the Clipperton Transform Fault: The Morphotectonic Expression of a Fast Slipping Transform Boundary,J. Geophys. Res.91, 3455–3467.
GalloD. G., FoxP. J., MadsenJ. A., MacdonaldK. C., and ForsythD. W., 1986b, Fast-Slipping Ridge-Transform Intersections: Morphototectonic Evidence for Thermal Rejuvenation of Old Lithosphere by Ridge Axis Processes,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS66, 1092.
GibertD. and CourtillotV., 1988, Seasat Altimetry and the South Atlantic Geoid, 1, Spectral Analysis,J. Geophys. Res.92, 6235.
GrindlayN. R., FoxP. J., and MacdonaldK. C., 1985, A Sea Beam Investigation of Christmas and Easter Transform Faults: A Geophysical Investigation of Two Recently Discovered Offsets of the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS66, 1289.
GrindlayN. R., FoxP. J., CandeS. C., ForsythD., MacdonaldK. C., and VogtP., 1987, Ridge Axis Discordant Zones in the South Atlantic: Morphology, Structure, Evolution, and Significance,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS68, 1491.
HolcombeT. L., VogtP. R., MatthewsJ. E., and MurchisonR. R., 1973, Evidence for Sea-Floor Spreading in the Cayman Trough,Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.20, 357–371.
KarsonJ. A. and DickH. J. B., 1983, Tectonics of Ridge-Transform Intersections at the Kane Fracture Zone,Marine Geophys. Res.6, 51–98.
KuoB.-Y. MorganW. J., and ForsythD. W., 1984, Asymmetry in Topography of the Crestal Mountains near a Ridge-Transform Intersection,Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, EOS65, 274.
LachenbruchA. H., 1973, A Simple Mechanical Model for Oceanic Spreading Centers,J. Geophys. Res.78, 3395–3417.
LachenbruchA. H., 1976, Dynamics of a Passive Spreading Center,J. Geophys. Res.81, 1883–1901.
MacdonaldK. C. and LuyendykB. P., 1977, Deep-Tow Studies of the Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Crest near Lat. 37° N.: Preliminary Observations,Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.88, 621–636.
MacdonaldK. C., CastilloD. A., MillerS. P., FoxP. J., KastensK. A., and BonattiE., 1986, Deep-Tow Studies of the Vema Fracture Zone 1. Tectonics of a Major Slow-Slipping Transform Fault and its Intersection with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,J. Geophys. Res.91, 3334–3354.
MadsenJ., FoxP. J., and MacdonaldK. C., 1986, Morphototectonic Fabric of the Orozco Transform Fault: Results from a Sea Beam Investigation,J. Geophys. Res.91, 3439–3454.
Mammerickx, J., Reichle, M. S., and Reid, I. D., 1978, Bathymetry of the Rivera Fracture Zone. IMR Technical Report Series TR 62, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
OTTER, 1984, The Geology of the Oceanographer Transform: The Ridge-Transform Intersection,Marine Geophys. Res.6, 109–141.
ParmentierE. M. and ForsythD. W., 1985, Three Dimensional Flow Beneath a Slow-Spreading Ridge Axis: A Dynamic Contribution to the Deepening of the Median Valley Toward Fracture Zones,J. Geophys. Res.90, 678–684.
ParsonsB. and SclaterJ. G., 1977, An Analysis of the Variation of Ocean Floor Bathymetry and Heat Flow with Age,J. Geophys. Res.82, 803–827.
PhillipsJ. D., and FlemingH. S., 1978, Multi-beam Sonar Study of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Rift Valley, 36–37° N,Geol. Soc. Am. Map Ser.MC-19, 1–5.
Phipps MorganJ., ParmentierE. M., and LinJ., 1987, Mechanisms for the Origin of Mid-Ocean Ridge Topography: Implications for the Thermal and Mechanical Structure of Accereting Plate Boundaries,J. Geophys. Res.92, 12 823–12 836.
PockalnyR. A., DetrickR. S., and FoxP. J., 1988, The Morphology and Tectonics of the Kane Transform from Sea Beam Bathymetry Data,J. Geophys. Res.93, 3179–3193.
Prince, R. A. and Forsyth, D. W., 1988, Three Dimensional Modelling of Gravity Anomalies at the Vema Fracture Zone-Mid-Atlantic Ridge Intersection: Crustal Thickness and the Extent of Local Isostatic Compensation,J. Geophys. Res. (in press).
PurdyG. M., RabinowitzP. D., and SchoutenH., 1978, The Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 23° N: Bathymetry and Magnetics, in W. G. Melson, P. D. Rabinowitzet al.,Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Leg 45, U. S. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C., pp. 119–128.
RonaP. A. and GrayD. F., 1980, Structural Behavior of Fracture Zones Symmetric and Asymmetric about a Spreading Axis: Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Latitude 23° N to 27° N),Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.91, 485–494.
RosendahlB. R., 1980, Bathymetry of the East Pacific Rise and the Siqueiros Fracture Zone, in B.R. Rosendahl, R. Hekinianet al.,Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Leg 54, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Wash., D.C., color map supplement.
RowlettH., 1981, Seismicity at Intersections of Spreading Centers and Transform Faults,J. Geophys. Res.86, 3815–3820.
RowlettH. and ForsythD. W., 1984, Recent Faulting and Microearthquakes at the Intersection of the Vema Fracture Zone and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,J. Geophys. Res.89, 6079–6094.
SandwellD. T., 1984, Thermomechanical Evolution of Oceanic Fracture Zones,J. Geophys. Res.89, 11 401–11 413.
SearleR. C., 1979, Side-Scan Sonar Studies of North Atlantic Fracture Zones,J. Geol. Soc. London136, 283–292.
SearleR. C. and LaughtonA. S., 1977, Sonar Studies of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Kurchatov Fracture Zone,J. Geophys. Res.82, 5313–5328.
SleepN. H., 1969, Sensitivity of Heat Flow and Gravity to the Mechanism of Seafloor Spreading,J. Geophys. Res.74, 542–549.
SleepN. H. and BiehlerS., 1970, Topography and Tectonics at the Intersections of Fracture Zones with Central Rifts,J. Geophys. Res.75, 2748–2752.
SykesL. R., McCannW. R., and KafkaA. L., 1982, Motion of Caribbean Plate During Last 7 Million Years and Implications for Earlier Cenozoic Movements,J. Geophys. Res.87, 10 656–10 676.
TapponierP. and FrancheteauJ., 1978, Necking of the Lithosphere and the Mechanics of Slowly Accreting Plate Boundaries,J. Geophys. Res.83, 3955–3970.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Dept. of Geological Sciences, U.C. Santa Barbara, 93106, CA, USA
Jeff P. Severinghaus & Ken C. Macdonald
Marine Sciences Institute, U.C. Santa Barbara, 93106, CA, USA
Jeff P. Severinghaus & Ken C. Macdonald
- Jeff P. Severinghaus
You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
- Ken C. Macdonald
You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Severinghaus, J.P., Macdonald, K.C. High inside corners at ridge-transform intersections.Marine Geophysical Researches9, 353–367 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315005
Received:
Issue Date:
Share this article
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
Keywords
- mid-ocean ridge
- spreading centers
- tectonics of spreading centers
- transform faults
- tectonics of transform faults
- seafloor topography
- median valley
- axial valley
- origin of topography
- ridgetransform intersections
- topography due to strike-slip faults
- lithospheric flexure
- asymmetry in topography of the median valley
- tectonics