Geophysical Investigation of Australian-Antarctic Ridge Using High-Resolution Gravity and Bathymetry

Abstract:

Much of the Australian-Antarctic Ridge (AAR) has been remained uncharted until 2011 because of its remoteness and harsh weather conditions. From 2011, the multidisciplinary ridge program initiated by the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) surveyed the little-explored eastern ends of the AAR to characterize the tectonics, geochemistry, and hydrothermal activity of this intermediate spreading system. In this study, we present a detailed analysis of a 300-km-long supersegment of the AAR to quantify the spatial variations in ridge morphology and axial and off-axis volcanisms as constrained by high-resolution shipboard bathymetry and gravity. The ridge axis morphology alternates between rift valleys and axial highs within relatively short ridge segments. To obtain a geological proxy for regional variations in magma supply, we calculated residual mantle Bouguer gravity anomalies (RMBA), gravity-derived crustal thickness, and residual topography for neighboring seven sub-segments. The results of the analyses revealed that the southern flank of the AAR is associated with shallower seafloor, more negative RMBA, thicker crust, and/or less dense mantle in comparison to the conjugate northern flank. Furthermore, this north-south asymmetry becomes more prominent toward the KR1 supersegment of the AAR. The axial topography of the KR1 supersegment exhibits a sharp transition from axial highs at the western end to rift valleys at the eastern end, with regions of axial highs being associated with more robust magma supply as indicated by more negative RMBA. We also compare and contrast the characteristics of the AAR supersegment with that of other ridges of intermediate spreading rates, including the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Galápagos Spreading Center, and Southeast Indian Ridge west of the Australian-Antarctic Discordance, to investigate the influence of ridge-hotspot interaction on ridge magma supply and tectonics.