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A preliminary tectonic fabric chart of the Indian Ocean

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Abstract

We present a preliminary tectonic chart of the Indian Ocean based on a joint compilation of bathymetric data, magnetic anomaly data and Geosat altimetry data. Satellite altimeters such as Geosat map the topography of the equipotential sea surface or marine geoid. Our interpretation of the GEOSAT data is based on an analysis of the first derivative of the geoid profiles (i.e. deflection of the vertical profiles). Because of the high correlation between the vertical deflection (at wavelength <200 km) and the seafloor topography, the Geosat profiles can be used to delineate accurately numerous tectonic features of the ocean floor such as fracture zones, seamounts and spreading ridges. The lineations in the Geosat data are compared with bathymetric data and combined with magnetic anomaly identifications to produce a tectonic fabric chart of the Indian Ocean floor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Geophysics, The University of Texas at Austin, 8701 MOPAC Blvd, 78759-8345, Austin, TX, USA

    Jean-Yves Royer, John G Sclater & David T Sandwell

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 78713, Austin, TX, USA

    John G Sclater

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  1. Jean-Yves Royer
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  2. John G Sclater
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Royer, JY., Sclater, J.G. & Sandwell, D.T. A preliminary tectonic fabric chart of the Indian Ocean. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth Planet Sci.) 98, 7–24 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02880373

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