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The dependence of seafloor roughness on spreading rate
Author(s) -
Hayes Dennis E.,
Kane Kimberlee A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/91gl01690
Subject(s) - geology , seafloor spreading , bathymetry , flank , ridge , wavelength , surface finish , amplitude , volcano , mid ocean ridge , mid atlantic ridge , scale (ratio) , geomorphology , seismology , geodesy , geophysics , oceanography , paleontology , optics , materials science , physics , quantum mechanics , sociology , anthropology , composite material
Bathymetric profiles taken parallel to flowlines across the mid‐ocean ridges of the South Atlantic and South Pacific strongly suggest an approximate linear relationship (slope 30–50 m cm −1 yr) between the RMS amplitude roughness of small scale features and spreading rate. This relationship is best demonstrated for spreading half rates <35 mm/yr. The RMS roughness‐spreading rate dependence is most clearly defined for that component of the ridge flank relief with spatial wavelengths of less than about 25 km. The RMS roughnesses calculated for constant spreading rate intervals of ∼10 my across a single flowline profile from the South Atlantic show that significant and consistent opposite flank roughness differences are typically associated with asymmetric spreading. This important observation has profound implications regarding the nature of the faulting and volcanic processes acting near the ridge axis to form the small scale asymmetric roughness.