Date of Award
12-17-2006
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge is an aseismic ridge bisecting the Amerasian Basin, Arctic Ocean. There is no widely accepted theory of formation. Gravity and bathymetry data from the poorly understood ridge are used to constrain the isostatic compensation of the feature in the frequency domain. Spectral analysis of the cross correlation between gravity and bathymetry along nine data transects collected from submarines and ice breakers over the ridge yield an average crustal thickness estimate of 30 km and density estimate of 2.75 g-cm⁻³. It also suggests compensation by local isostasy, as a near-ridge oceanic plateau or an extended fragment of continental shelf. These parameters are used to constrain gravity models of crustal structure. The analysis suggests no difference between the compensation of the Alpha and Mendeleev Ridges. These results are discussed in the broader tectonic context of the Amerasian Basin, in light of the current controversy over the formation of the ridge.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Christina C., "Isostasy and origin of the Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge, Arctic Ocean" (2006). Geosciences . 122.
https://ualaska.researchcommons.org/uaf_grad_geosci/122
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6940