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Oceanic crustal thickness versus spreading rate
Abstract
A compilation of oceanic crustal thickness from seismic observations collected over the past two decades shows that the average crustal thickness, away from plateaus, is 6 km; no systematic increase of crustal thickness with spreading rate is observed. Instead, the data show large variations in crustal thickness at slow spreading ridges (3 – 8 km for half rates < 20 mm/yr) and small variations in thickness at fast rates (5 – 7 km for half rates > 30 mm/yr). The large variations at slow ridges and small variations at fast ridges are consistent with the results inferred from recent gravity studies of mid‐ocean ridges. Both data sets support the speculation of a transition from a 3‐D structure of crustal accretion at slow ridges to a 2‐D accretion pattern at fast ridges.
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“Specifically, very slow (< 2 cm/yr) and slow (< 5.5 cm/yr) spreading ridges have deep median rift valleys and thin oceanic crust at the spreading axis (Michael et al., 2003), whereas intermediate (> 5.5 cm/yr) and fast (> 10 cm/yr) spreading ridges have more subdued topography at the ridge axis and generate relatively thicker crust (Chen, 1992).”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Chen, 1992
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Metadata
- Authors
- Chen, Y. J.
- Affiliations
- Oregon State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Yongshun John
- ORCID
- Chen, Yongshun John
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 1992-04-24
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 753-756
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W2092103829
- Cited by
- 213
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 16.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geology › Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › earthquake and tectonic studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Keywords
- oceanic crustal thickness, spreading rate, mid-ocean ridge, slow-spreading ridge, fast-spreading ridges, crustal accretion, gravity anomalies
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