Russian Journal of Earth Sciences
Vol. 3, No. 2, May 2001
The anomalous structure of Knipovich Ridge
E. A. Gusev and S. I. Shkarubo
Abstract
The study of bathymetric, single-channel seismic and CDP
profiling data, and modern seismicity for the Knipovich Ridge reveals its
discordance with respect to the surrounding structural grain, suggesting
that it is a recent, superimposed feature. The available geological and
geophysical data constrain the inception of the Knipovich Ridge as an
oceanic rift to the Miocene. The trend of lineaments, emphasized by the
deep structure and present-day seafloor topography on the west flank of
the ridge and along its crest, most likely reflects a stress field geometry
and a dynamic pattern of tectonic movements dissimilar to the modern
structural plan. From the degree of development of structural features of
the Knipovich Ridge and from the changes in the mode of its tectonic
evolution, which are atypical of mid-oceanic ridges, it is an oceanic rift
that is still, structurally, in its formative phase.