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Deep Structure of the Grenada Basin From Wide‐Angle Seismic, Bathymetric and Gravity Data
Author(s) -
Padron Crelia,
Klingelhoefer Frauke,
Marcaillou Boris,
Lebrun JeanFrédéric,
Lallemand Serge,
Garrocq Clément,
Laigle Mireille,
Roest Walter R,
Beslier MarieOdile,
Schenini Laure,
Graindorge David,
Gay Aurelien,
Audemard Franck,
Münch Philippe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.983
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 2169-9356
pISSN - 2169-9313
DOI - 10.1029/2020jb020472
Subject(s) - geology , crust , structural basin , island arc , oceanic crust , ridge , sedimentary basin , paleontology , seismology , back arc basin , sedimentary rock , volcanic arc , subduction , tectonics
Abstract The Grenada back‐arc basin is located between the Aves Ridge, which hosted the remnant Early Paleogene “Great Caribbean Arc,” and the Eocene to Present Lesser Antilles Arc. Several earlier studies have proposed different modes of back‐arc opening for this basin, including N‐S and E‐W directions. The main aim of this study is to constrain the circumstances leading to the opening of the basin. Three combined wide‐angle and reflection seismic profiles were acquired in the Grenada basin. The final velocity models from forward travel time and gravity modeling image variations in thickness and velocity structure of the sedimentary and crustal layers. The sedimentary cover has a variable thickness between 1 km on top of the ridges to ∼10 km in the basin. North of Guadeloupe Island, the crust is ∼20 km thick without significant changes between Aves Ridge, the Grenada basin, and the Eocene and present Lesser Antilles arc. South of Guadeloupe Island the Grenada basin is underlain by a oceanic crust of mainly magmatic origin over a width of ∼80 km. Here, the western flank of the Lesser Antilles Arc, the crust is 17.5‐km thick. The velocity structure of the Lesser Antilles Arc is typical of volcanic arcs or oceanic plateaus. West of the basin, the crust thickens to 25 km at Aves Ridge in an 80–100 km wide arc‐ocean transition zone. The narrowness of this transition zone suggests that opening might have proceeded in a direction oblique to the main convergence. Opening probably was accompanied by moderate volcanism.