RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 3, NO. 1, PAGES 59–78, doi:10.2205/2001ES000055, 2001

Computer technologies used to obtain new information on crustal structure in oceanic fracture zones: A case study on the active segment of São Paulo Fracture Zone, Central Atlantic

Abstract

[1]  The paper deals with the possibility of obtaining innovative scientific information based on computer processing of data for a well-known area, the active segment of the S a o Paulo Fracture Zone (FZ), Central Atlantic, by means of digitizing a bathymetric map and an isopach map of sedimentary cover and supplementing the resultant mathematical models with satellite altimetry data. Our in-depth interpretation of the data resulted in the detection of structural heterogeneities in the rift zones and active segments of the fracture zones, of a tract of sedimentary cover that shows evidence of several deformation phases, and of previously unreported volcanic edifices. In addition, a system of NW-SE trending strike-slip faults was established. The study shows that converting information from paper carriers to a digital format and combining the results with Internet resources and deep sea sampling data creates an entirely new dataset amenable to state-of-the-art processing techniques eventually leading to unexpected corollaries.

Received 19 July 2001; published 24 July 2001.

Keywords: Transform faults, computer technology, Atlantic Ocean.

Version of this paper in Russian