Lithospheric Compression in the Central Indian Ocean in the Light of New, Deep-Penetration MCS Data

An along axis profile of 3-D magnetic inversions for the Mid- Atlantic Ridge 31 to 35 degrees south, show low magnetization at the mid-sediments and high magnetizations at the sigment tips for three adjacent spreading segments. This project will measure rock magnetic properties to determine if the calculated axial magnetization low at the mid-segment, and the sigment tip highs, results from thickened crust with weakly magnetized sources, average crustal thickness and magnetic strength, or normal magnetization but thinned crust. With the rock magnetic data and the finer scale 3-D inversions, the questions of to what extent the hypothesized mantle plume depress magnetization amplitudes, and are slow spreading centers near discontinuities strongly magnetized because of fractionation processes, will be addressed.