A Unique Strip of Seismicity on the Western Flank of the Equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge 13-14.5 degrees N

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

The region between the Fifteen Twenty and Marathon fracture zones in the equatorial Atlantic has a complex tectonic history associated with movement of the North American-South American-African triple junction and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Hydrophone-recorded seismicity shows a unique off-axis band of seismicity within this region between 13 and 14.5 degrees north. This project will fill in the gaps in multibeam bathymetric data for the area. Magnetic and gravity data will also be collected. This is a reconnaissance effort and the ultimate goals are to understand the tectonic history of the region and to establish whether the triple junction is located between the Fifteen Twenty and the Marathon fracture zones.