RIDGE OFFSETS, NORMAL FAULTING, AND GRAVITY-ANOMALIES OF SLOW-SPREADING RIDGES

We develop a model relating mid-ocean ridge normal faulting and crusta l structure by examining recently available high-resolution gravity an d multibeam bathymetric data of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and other sprea ding centers. Results of the analysis reveal a consistent pattern of p ositive residual gravity anomalies along the crust paralleling all maj or Atlantic offsets studied, especially along the inside corner side o f the offsets. Individual residual gravity anomaly spikes (local peaks ), which have amplitudes of up to 20 mGal and typical across-axis spac ing of 10-30 km, often coincide with individual major fault scarps, su ggesting crust thinned by normal faulting. Theoretical calculations in dicate that the amplitude and spacing of the observed residual gravity spikes are consistent with the presence of successive, ridge-parallel low-angle faults that originate episodically at inside corners of rid ge offset intersections. Fault scarp heights and the amounts of crusta l thinning (as inferred from gravity anomalies) are consistently large r at inside corners than at outside corners, supporting a model in whi ch tectonic extension near ridge offsets is asymmetric with low-angle faults occurring preferentially at inside corners. These results on sp atial variations in seafloor morphology and gravity anomalies further support a three-dimensional tectonic faulting model at oceanic spreadi ng centers with three major characteristics: (1) Low-angle faults form preferentially at inside corners, where the mantle lithosphere is the strongest and the lithospheric plates are sufficiently decoupled acro ss ridge axis offsets; (2) low-angle faults decrease in throw toward m idpoints of long ridge segments, where large low-angle faults may not be sustained by a weak lithosphere; and (3) the residual gravity peaks are statistically larger at transform than near nontransform offsets, indicating that the length of a ridge offset and its tectonic style c ontrol the development of low-angle faults.