Free-air Anomalies Research Articles

Displacement-length ratios and contractional strains of lunar wrinkle ridges in Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis

Wrinkle ridges are complex thrust faults commonly found in lunar mare basalts and caused by compressional stresses from both local basin and global Moon. In this paper, we select 59 single wrinkle ridges in Mare Serenitatis and 39 single wrinkle ridges in Mare Tranquillitatis according to WAC mosaic image. For each wrinkle ridge, several topographic profiles near its midpoint are generated to measure its height and maximum displacement (Dmax) through LOLA DEM data. Then we make 2D plots of displacement-length (L) for ridge population in the two maria. The Dmax-L ratios (γ) are derived by a linear fit method according to the D-L data. The γ value (2.13 × 10−2) of ridges in Mare Tranquillitatis is higher than the γ value (1.73 × 10−2) of ridges in Mare Serenitatis. In the last, the contractional strains (ε) in Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis are estimated to be ∼0.36% and 0.14% (assuming the fault plane dip θ is 25°). The values of the free-air gravity anomalies in Mare Serenitatis range from 78 to 358 mGal higher than those of the gravity anomalies in Mare Tranquillitatis which range from −70 to 120 mGal. The average thickness of basalts in Mare Tranquillitatis is 400 m, while that of basalts in Mare Serenitatis is 798 m. Moreover, the average age for ridge group in Mare Serenitatis is bigger than the wrinkle ridge's age in Mare Tranquillitatis. The formation of ridge group in Mare Serenitatis takes longer time than that in Mare Serenitatis. Therefore, we think the higher value of gravity anomalies, thicker basaltic units and longer formation time for wrinkle ridge in Mare Serenitatis maybe result in the higher value of contractional strain, although the formation of Tranquillitatis basin is earlier than that of Serenitatis basin.

Pre and post Mount Merapi eruption of free air anomaly in 2010

Mount Merapi eruption in 2010 was one type of eruption with large scale during the last 100 years. Eruptions that was occurred resulting topographic changes in the peak of Mount Merapi, and the possibility of changing the subsurface structure. The research was part of a large study that has been conducted to assess the subsurface changes of pre-and post-eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010. The study discussed observations of free air anomalies pre and after the 2010 eruption. There were grouped into three periods. Processing of air anomalies was free to use using the 2nd orde calculation method. The results obtained were the changes in the contours of the FAA Mount Merapi in 1988, 1998, and 2011 as a result of topographic changes that occurred in the peak area and the alleged dynamics of the surface. The dynamics at Mount Merapi in the 1988 to 2011 period occurred in the northwest, southeast, east, and northeast of the study area and southeast of the peak of Mount Merapi.

New gravity anomaly map of Taiwan and its surrounding regions with some tectonic interpretations

In this study, we compiled recently collected (from 2005 to 2015) and previously reported (published and open access) gravity data, including land, shipborne and satellite-derived data, for Taiwan and its surrounding regions. Based on the cross-over error analysis, all data were adjusted; and, new Free-air gravity anomalies were obtained, shedding light on the tectonics of the region. To obtain the Bouguer gravity anomalies, the densities of land terrain and marine sediments were assumed to be 2.53 and 1.80 g/cm3, respectively. The updated gravity dataset was gridded with a spacing of one arc-minute. Several previously unnoticed gravity features are revealed by the new maps and can be used in a broad range of applications: (1) An isolated gravity high is located between the Shoushan and the Kaoping Canyon off southwest Taiwan. (2) Along the Luzon Arc, both Free-air and Bouguer gravity anomaly maps reveal a significant gravity discontinuity feature at the latitude of 21°20′N. (3) In the southwestern Okinawa Trough, the NE-SW trending cross-back-arc volcanic trail (CBVT) marks the low-high gravity anomaly (both Free-air and Bouguer) boundary.

Gravity Anomalies and Isostasy Deduced From New Dense Gravimetry Around the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet

AbstractWe built the first dense gravity network including 107 stations around the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet, one of the hardest places in the world to reach, and conducted a gravity and hybrid GPS observation campaign in 2016. We computed the Bouguer gravity anomalies (BGAs) and free‐air gravity anomalies (FGAs) and increased the resolution of the FGAs by merging the in situ data with EIGEN‐6C4 gravity model data. The BGAs around the Tsangpo Gorge are in general negative and gradually decrease from south (−360 mGal) to north (−480 mGal). They indicate a uniformly dipping Moho around the Tsangpo Gorge that sinks from south to north at an angle of 12°. We introduced a method to compute the vertical tectonic stress of the lithosphere, a quantitative expression of isostasy, using BGA and terrain data, and applied it to the area around the Tsangpo Gorge. We found that the lithosphere of the upstream of the Tsangpo Gorge is roughly in an isostatic state, but the lithosphere of the downstream exhibits vertical tectonic stress of ~50 MPa, which indicates the loss of a large amount of surface material. This result does not support the deduction of the valley bottom before uplift of the Tsangpo Gorge by Wang et al. (2014).

Rupture evolution of the 2006 Java tsunami earthquake and the possible role of splay faults

The 2006 Mw 7.8 Java earthquake was a tsunami earthquake, exhibiting frequency-dependent seismic radiation along strike. High-frequency global back-projection results suggest two distinct rupture stages. The first stage lasted ∼65s with a rupture speed of ∼1.2km/s, while the second stage lasted from ∼65 to 150s with a rupture speed of ∼2.7km/s. High-frequency radiators resolved with back-projection during the second stage spatially correlate with splay fault traces mapped from residual free-air gravity anomalies. These splay faults also colocate with a major tsunami source associated with the earthquake inferred from tsunami first-crest back-propagation simulation. These correlations suggest that the splay faults may have been reactivated during the Java earthquake, as has been proposed for other tsunamigenic earthquakes, such as the 1944 Mw 8.1 Tonankai earthquake in the Nankai Trough.

Применение глобальных моделей гравитационного поля для обработки высокоточного нивелирования

The article studies the properties of the high-degree gravity field model EGM-2008 in the calculation of integral characteristics at large distances several times greater than the spatial resolution of the model. As an example of an indirect evaluation of a high-degree model, a gravimetric correction was computed into the sum of the measured elevations along the line of the high-precision I class leveling of the Krasnovodsk – Chardzhou line located in Turkmenistan. Using the calculator ICGEM, the Bouguer anomalies were calculated at each point of the line, then the attraction of the Bouguer layer (used heights are from catalog) excluded for the transition to free-air anomalies. In parallel, for a direct evaluation of the model, a regular grid of Bouguer anomalies with a step of 2 angular minutes within line area was also obtained, which were then compared with the anomalies from the gravity map J-40 of scale 1

The major tectonic boundaries of the Northern Red Sea rift, Egypt derived from geophysical data analysis

AbstractIn the present study, we have attempted to map the plate boundary between Arabia and Africa at the Northern Red Sea rift region including the Suez rift, Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform and southeastern Mediterranean region by using gravity data analysis. In the boundary analysis method which was used; low-pass filtered gravity anomalies of the Northern Red Sea rift region were computed. Different crustal types and thicknesses, sediment thicknesses and different heat flow anomalies were evaluated. According to the results, there are six subzones (crustal blocks) separated from each other by tectonic plate boundaries and/or lineaments. It seems that these tectonic boundaries reveal complex structural lineaments, which are mostly influenced by a predominant set of NNW–SSE to NW–SE trending lineaments bordering the Red Sea and Suez rift regions. On the other side, the E–W and N–S to NNE–SSW trended lineaments bordering the South-eastern Mediterranean, Northern Sinai and Aqaba-Dead Sea transform regions, respectively. The analysis of the low pass filtered Bouguer anomaly maps reveals that the positive regional anomaly over both the Red Sea rift and South-eastern Mediterranean basin subzones are considered to be caused by the high density of the oceanic crust and/or the anomalous upper mantle structures beneath these regions whereas, the broad medium anomalies along the western half of Central Sinai with the Suez rift and the Eastern Desert subzones are attributed to low-density sediments of the Suez rift and/or the thick upper continental crustal thickness below these zones. There are observable negative anomalies over the Northern Arabia subzone, particularly in the areas covered by Cenozoic volcanics. These negative anomalies may be attributed to both the low densities of the surface volcanics and/or to a very thick upper continental crust. On the contrary, the negative anomaly which belongs to the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform zone is due to crustal thickening (with limited heat flow values) below this region. Additionally in this study, the crustal thinning was investigated with heat flow, magnetic and free air gravity anomalies in the Northern Red Sea rift region. In fact, the crustal thinning of the study area was also proportional to the regions of observable high heat flow values. Finally, our results were found to be well correlated with the topography, free air, aeromagnetic and heat flow dataset profiles crossing most of the study area.

Satellite-derived Bathymetry Prediction in Shallow Waters Using the Gravity-Geologic Method: A Case Study in the West Sea of Korea

The Satellite Altimetry-Derived Free-air Gravity Anomalies (SAFAGAs) are correlated with undulations of crustal density variations under the seafloor. In this study, shipborne bathymetry from the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC) and the SAFAGAs from Scripps Institution of Oceanography were combined to predict the bathymetry in shallow waters near shore around Saemangeum Seawall located on the southwest coast of the Korean Peninsula. The density contrast of 5.0 g/cm3 estimated by the checkpoints of the Gravity-Geologic Method (GGM) between the seawater and the seafloor topographic mass was applied to predict the bathymetry in shallow waters. The root mean square error of the bathymetry differences between GGM and KRC on the KRC shipborne tracks in shallow waters around Saemangeum Seawall is 0.6 m. The advantages of GGM in the short-wavelength components from the results of the power spectral density and coherency analysis in shallow waters proved that the satellite-derived bathymetry by GGM is highly correlated with shipborne bathymetry. The topographic effects in the off-tracks extracted from the SAFAGAs in GGM can be effectively utilized to improve the bathymetry by combining them with the shipborne depth data in shallow waters, where the shipborne depth data are limited.

Southwestern Africa on the burner: Pleistocene carbonatite volcanism linked to deep mantle upwelling in Angola

The origin of intraplate carbonatitic to alkaline volcanism in Africa is controversial. A tectonic control, i.e., decompression melting associated with far-field stress, is suggested by correlation with lithospheric sutures, repeated magmatic cycles in the same areas over several million years, synchronicity across the plate, and lack of clear age progression patterns. Conversely, a dominant role for mantle convection is supported by the coincidence of Cenozoic volcanism with regions of lithospheric uplift, positive free-air gravity anomalies, and slow seismic velocities. To improve constraints on the genesis of African volcanism, here we report the first radiometric and isotopic results for the Catanda complex, which hosts the only extrusive carbonatites in Angola. Apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He and phlogopite 40Ar/39Ar ages of Catanda aillikite lavas indicate eruption at ca. 500–800 ka, more than 100 m.y. after emplacement of abundant kimberlites and carbonatites in this region. The lavas share similar high-μ (HIMU)–like Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions with other young mantle-derived volcanics from Africa (e.g., Northern Kenya Rift; Cameroon Line). The position of the Catanda complex in the Lucapa corridor, a long-lived extensional structure, suggests a possible tectonic control for the volcanism. The complex is also located on the Bie Dome, a broad region of fast Pleistocene uplift attributed to mantle upwelling. Seismic tomography models indicate convection of deep hot material beneath regions of active volcanism in Africa, including a large area encompassing Angola and northern Namibia. This is strong evidence that intraplate late Cenozoic volcanism, including the Catanda complex, resulted from the interplay between mantle convection and preexisting lithospheric heterogeneities.

Mapas de anomalias gravimétricas da Cidade Universitária Armando Salles de Oliveira – USP/SP

A Cidade Universitária Armando de Salles Oliveira, da Universidade de São Paulo (CUASO –USP/SP), é considerada um laboratório natural de pesquisas em Ciências da Terra. Ao longo de mais de duas décadas, dados gravimétricos foram obtidos como forma de treinamento de alunos e técnicos, formando um conjunto de 787 pontos distribuídos em 8 km2. O mapa de anomalia ar-livre apresenta forte correlação com a topografia, enquanto o mapa de anomalia Bouguer não apresenta correlação com a topografia e a geologia. Este mapa permitiu identificar um gradiente EW centrado na área, revelando uma estrutura de subsuperfície, modelada, neste mesmo estudo, como uma falha praticamente vertical, com atitude 090/80 N e cerca de 50 m de deslocamento vertical.

Evaluation of ASTER GDEM in the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau in gravity reduction

In this paper, we first transferred the normal height of ASTER GDEM v2 to GPS ellipsoidal height based on the EGM96, and analyzed the precision of this digital elevation model in the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau (NETP) combining with 89 ground GPS measurements. The results demonstrate that the standard deviation of the difference between ASTER GDEM and GPS results is 9.3 m, and the precision of ASTER GDEM in this region is approximately 10 m. We also calculated the free-air gravity anomalies using the relative gravity data and DEM model in NETP. The results show that the gravity anomalies are generally negative with local positive values, ranging from −156 to 43 mGal (10−5 m/s2). At last, we compared the EGM2008 free-air gravity anomalies (FGAs) with the ground gravity measurements, and their spatial patterns are similar. While the point-to-point difference between the modeling and measuring results shows great discrepancy. The free-air gravity anomalies of EGM2008 in this region range from −154 to 96 mGal, and the difference between EGM2008 and the ground measurements ranges from −102 to 50 mGal. The mean difference is −17.34 mGal, and the standard deviation is 46.69 mGal, which demonstrates that the EGM2008 has poor precision in the northeastern margin of Tibet Plateau.

Flexural bending of the Zagros foreland basin

We constrain and model the geometry of the Zagros foreland to assess the equivalent elastic thickness of the northern edge of the Arabian plate and the loads that have originated due to the Arabia–Eurasia collision. The Oligo-Miocene Asmari formation, and its equivalents in Iraq and Syria, is used to estimate the post-collisional subsidence as they separate passive margin sediments from the younger foreland deposits. The depth to these formations is obtained by synthesizing a large database of well logs, seismic profiles and structural sections from the Mesopotamian basin and the Persian Gulf. The foreland depth varies along strike of the Zagros wedge between 1 and 6 km. The foreland is deepest beneath the Dezful embayment, in southwest Iran, and becomes shallower towards both ends. We investigate how the geometry of the foreland relates to the range topography loading based on simple flexural models. Deflection of the Arabian plate is modelled using point load distribution and convolution technique. The results show that the foreland depth is well predicted with a flexural model which assumes loading by the basin sedimentary fill, and thickened crust of the Zagros. The model also predicts a Moho depth consistent with Free-Air anomalies over the foreland and Zagros wedge. The equivalent elastic thickness of the flexed Arabian lithosphere is estimated to be ca. 50 km. We conclude that other sources of loading of the lithosphere, either related to the density variations (e.g. due to a possible lithospheric root) or dynamic origin (e.g. due to sublithospheric mantle flow or lithospheric buckling) have a negligible influence on the foreland geometry, Moho depth and topography of the Zagros. We calculate the shortening across the Zagros assuming conservation of crustal mass during deformation, trapping of all the sediments eroded from the range in the foreland, and an initial crustal thickness of 38 km. This calculation implies a minimum of 126 ± 18 km of crustal shortening due to ophiolite obduction and post-collisional shortening.

Local gravity field modeling using spherical radial basis functions and a genetic algorithm

Spherical Radial Basis Functions (SRBFs) can express the local gravity field model of the Earth if they are parameterized optimally on or below the Bjerhammar sphere. This parameterization is generally defined as the shape of the base functions, their number, center locations, bandwidths, and scale coefficients. The number/location and bandwidths of the base functions are the most important parameters for accurately representing the gravity field; once they are determined, the scale coefficients can then be computed accordingly. In this study, the point-mass kernel, as the simplest shape of SRBFs, is chosen to evaluate the synthesized free-air gravity anomalies over the rough area in Auvergne and GNSS/Leveling points (synthetic height anomalies) are used to validate the results. A two-step automatic approach is proposed to determine the optimum distribution of the base functions. First, the location of the base functions and their bandwidths are found using the genetic algorithm; second, the conjugate gradient least squares method is employed to estimate the scale coefficients. The proposed methodology shows promising results. On the one hand, when using the genetic algorithm, the base functions do not need to be set to a regular grid and they can move according to the roughness of topography. In this way, the models meet the desired accuracy with a low number of base functions. On the other hand, the conjugate gradient method removes the bias between derived quasigeoid heights from the model and from the GNSS/leveling points; this means there is no need for a corrector surface. The numerical test on the area of interest revealed an RMS of 0.48mGal for the differences between predicted and observed gravity anomalies, and a corresponding 9cm for the differences in GNSS/leveling points.

Basement-involved faults and deep structures in the West Philippine Basin: constrains from gravity field

To reveal the basement-involved faults and deep structures of the West Philippine Basin (WPB), the gravitational responses caused by these faults are observed and analyzed based on the latest spherical gravity model: WGM2012 Model. By mapping the free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies, several main faults and some other linear structures are located and observed in the WPB. Then, by conducting a 2D discrete multi-scale wavelet decomposition, the Bouguer anomalies are decomposed into the first- to eighth-order detail and approximation fields (the first- to eighth-order Details and Approximations). The first- to third-order Details reflect detailed and localized geological information of the crust at different depths, and of which the higher-order reflects gravity field of the deeper depth. The first- to fourth-order Approximations represent the regional gravity fields at different depths of the crust, respectively. The fourth-order Approximation represents the regional gravity fluctuation caused by the density inhomogeneity of Moho interface. Therefore, taking the fourth-order Approximation as input, and adopting Parker-Oldenburg interactive inversion, We calculated the depth of Moho interface in the WPB. Results show that the Moho interface depth in the WPB ranges approximately from 8 to 12 km, indicating that there is typical oceanic crust in the basin. In the Urdaneta Plateau and the Benham Rise, the Moho interface depths are about 14 and 16 km, respectively, which provides a piece of evidence to support that the Banham Rise could be a transitional crust caused by a large igneous province. The second-order vertical derivative and the horizontal derivatives in direction 0° and 90° are computed based on the data of the third-order Detail, and most of the basement-involved faults and structures in the WPB, such as the Central Basin Fault Zone, the Gagua Ridge, the Luzon-Okinawa Fault Zone, and the Mindanao Fault Zone are interpreted by the gravity derivatives.

GRAIL gravity observations of the transition from complex crater to peak-ring basin on the Moon: Implications for crustal structure and impact basin formation

High-resolution gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission provide the opportunity to analyze the detailed gravity and crustal structure of impact features in the morphological transition from complex craters to peak-ring basins on the Moon. We calculate average radial profiles of free-air anomalies and Bouguer anomalies for peak-ring basins, protobasins, and the largest complex craters. Complex craters and protobasins have free-air anomalies that are positively correlated with surface topography, unlike the prominent lunar mascons (positive free-air anomalies in areas of low elevation) associated with large basins. The Bouguer gravity anomaly profiles of complex craters are highly irregular, with central positive anomalies that are generally absent or not clearly tied to interior morphology. In contrast, gravity profiles for peak-ring basins (∼200km to 580km) are much more regular and are highly correlated with surface morphology. A central positive Bouguer anomaly is confined within the peak ring and a negative Bouguer anomaly annulus extends from the edge of the positive anomaly outward to about the rim crest. A number of degraded basins lacking interior peak rings have diameters and gravity patterns similar to those of well-preserved peak-ring basins. If these structures represent degraded peak-ring basins, the number of peak-ring basins on the Moon would increase by more than a factor of two to 34. The gravity anomalies within basins are interpreted to be due to uplift of the mantle confined within the peak ring and an annulus of thickened crust between the peak ring and rim crest. We hypothesize that mantle uplift is influenced by interaction between the transient cavity and the mantle. Further, mascon formation is generally disconnected from the number of basin rings formed and occurs over a wide range of basin sizes. These observations have important implications for models of basin and mascon formation on the Moon and other planetary bodies.

Detection and characterization of buried lunar craters with GRAIL data

We used gravity mapping observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) to detect, characterize and validate the presence of large impact craters buried beneath the lunar maria. In this paper we focus on two prominent anomalies detected in the GRAIL data using the gravity gradiometry technique. Our detection strategy is applied to both free-air and Bouguer gravity field observations to identify gravitational signatures that are similar to those observed over buried craters. The presence of buried craters is further supported by individual analysis of regional free-air gravity anomalies, Bouguer gravity anomaly maps, and forward modeling. Our best candidate, for which we propose the informal name of Earhart Crater, is approximately 200 km in diameter and forms part of the northwestern rim of Lacus Somniorum, The other candidate, for which we propose the informal name of Ashoka Anomaly, is approximately 160 km in diameter and lies completely buried beneath Mare Tranquillitatis. Other large, still unrecognized, craters undoubtedly underlie other portions of the Moon’s vast mare lavas.

Gravity anomalies and lithospheric flexure around the Longmen Shan deduced from combinations of in situ observations and EGM2008 data

The current work describes the combined data of three field campaigns, spanning 2009–2013. Their joint gravity and GPS observations thoroughly cover the sites of lithospheric flexure between the Sichuan Basin and the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. The study area’s free-air gravity anomalies (FGAs) are updated by using a remove-and-restore algorithm which merges EGM2008 data with in situ observations. These new FGAs show pairs of positive and negative anomalies along the eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau. The FGAs are used to calculate effective elastic thickness (T e) and load ratios (F) of the lithosphere. Admittance analysis indicates the T e of Longmen Shan (LMS) to be 6 km, and profile analysis indicates that the T e of the Sichuan Basin excesses 30 km. The load ratio (F 1 = 1) confirms that the lithospheric flexure of the LMS area can be attributed solely to the surface load of the crust.

Improved Geoid Modeling Using Observed and Modeled Gravity Gradients in Taiwan

The authors present a new geoid modeling procedure that can greatly improve relative geoid accuracy in mountainous areas, leading to improved applications for modern geodetic techniques, such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR), in mapping orthometric heights over steep terrain on which precise slopes are needed to assess the risk of landslides and the suitability of industrial development. The new procedure (1) measures gravity gradients or computing modeled gravity gradients from a regular grid of gravity anomalies, (2) uses these gradients to refine gravity anomalies, and (3) uses the gravity anomalies to compute geoidal undulations. This new procedure was tested in Taiwan. In situ gravity gradients were measured at approximately 4,000 gravity sites to compare the modeled gravity gradients. In the test, ground gravity observations are reduced to gravity anomalies at mean sea surface using three types of gravity gradients: normal, modeled, and observed. The researchers’ geoid modeling uses the method of least-squares collocation (LSC) with the remove-compute-restore (RCR) procedure. Free-air gravity anomalies, as reduced using the observed and modeled gravity gradients, deviate from those using normal gradients by up to 100 mgal in high mountains. Using free-air gravity anomalies derived from observed and modeled gravity gradients, the authors can improve the relative geoid accuracies by up to 17 and 18 cm, respectively, for Route 3 (an area with high mountains) in Taiwan.

Erosion-driven uplift in the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains of East Antarctica

The relative roles of climate and tectonics in mountain building have been widely debated. Central to this debate is the process of flexural uplift in response to valley incision. Here we quantify this process in the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, a paradoxical tectonic feature in cratonic East Antarctica. Previous studies indicate that rifting and strike-slip tectonics may have provided a key trigger for the initial uplift of the Gamburtsevs, but the contribution of more recent valley incision remains to be quantified. Inverse spectral (free-air admittance and Bouguer coherence) methods indicate that, unusually for continents, the coherence between free-air gravity anomalies and bedrock topography is high (>0.5) and that the elastic thickness of the lithosphere is anomalously low (<15 km), in contrast to previously reported values of up to ∼70 km. The isostatic effects of two different styles of erosion are quantified: dendritic fluvial incision overprinted by Alpine-style glacial erosion in the Gamburtsevs and outlet glacier-type selective linear erosion in the Lambert Rift, part of the East Antarctic Rift System. 3D flexural models indicate that valley incision has contributed ca. 500 m of peak uplift in the Gamburtsevs and up to 1.2 km in the Lambert Rift, which is consistent with the present-day elevation of Oligocene–Miocene glaciomarine sediments. Overall, we find that 17–25% of Gamburtsev peak uplift can be explained by erosional unloading. These relatively low values are typical of temperate mountain ranges, suggesting that most of the valley incision in the Gamburtsevs occurred prior to widespread glaciation at 34 Ma. The pre-incision topography of the Gamburtsevs lies at 2–2.5 km above sea-level, confirming that they were a key inception point for the development of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Tectonic and/or dynamic processes were therefore responsible for ca. 80% of the elevation of the modern Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains.

New analytic solutions for modeling vertical gravity gradient anomalies

Modern processing of satellite altimetry for use in marine gravimetry involves computing the along-track slopes of observed sea-surface heights, projecting them into east-west and north-south deflection of the vertical grids, and using Laplace's equation to algebraically obtain a grid of the vertical gravity gradient (VGG). The VGG grid is then integrated via overlapping, flat Earth Fourier transforms to yield a free-air anomaly grid. Because of this integration and associated edge effects, the VGG grid retains more short-wavelength information (e.g., fracture zone and seamount signatures) that is of particular importance for plate tectonic investigations. While modeling of gravity anomalies over arbitrary bodies has long been a standard undertaking, similar modeling of VGG anomalies over oceanic features is not commonplace yet. Here we derive analytic solutions for VGG anomalies over simple bodies and arbitrary 2-D and 3-D sources. We demonstrate their usability in determining mass excess and deficiency across the Mendocino fracture zone (a 2-D feature) and find the best bulk density estimate for Jasper seamount (a 3-D feature). The methodologies used herein are implemented in the Generic Mapping Tools, available from gmt.soest.hawaii.edu.