Investigation of the Andrew Bain transform fault zone (African-Antartctic Region)

• Published in: Doklady Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: PEYVE A. A., SKOLOTNEV S. G., LIGI M., TURKO N. N., BONATTI E., KOLODYAZHNYI S. Y., CHAMOV N. P., TSUKANOV N. V., BARAMYOKOV Y. E., ESKIN A. E., GRINDLAY N., SCLATER J. G., PERTSEV A. N., BORTOLUZZI G., MERCURI R., MUCCINI F., TAKEUCHI C., ZAFFAGNINI F., DOBROLYUBOVA K. O., BRUNELLI, Daniele, CIPRIANI, Anna, PAGANELLI, Emanuele
• Other Authors: Peyve, A. A., Skolotnev, S. G., Ligi, M., Turko, N. N., Bonatti, E., Kolodyazhnyi, S. Y., Chamov, N. P., Tsukanov, N. V., Baramyokov, Y. E., Eskin, A. E., Grindlay, N., Sclater, J. G., Brunelli, Daniele, Pertsev, A. N., Cipriani, Anna, Bortoluzzi, G., Mercuri, R., Paganelli, Emanuele, Muccini, F., Takeuchi, C., Zaffagnini, F., Dobrolyubova, K. O.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: South West Indian Ridge; ultraslow spreading; oceanic crust; Andrew Bain Fracture zone; peridotite; Antarctic; Indian; Bain; Bain Fracture Zone; Andrew Bain Fracture Zone; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11380/594110; https://doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X07070021

The Andrew Bain FZ is among the longest oceanicfaults with the active part extending over about 750 km.Since this mid-oceanic ridge (MOR) region is characterizedby very low spreading rates (16 mm/yr), itsactive part is one of the oldest in the whole MOR system. The study of the fault is of great importance forunderstanding the geodynamics and evolution of Circum-Antarctic regions of the World Ocean. Theresults of previous bathymetric and magnetic investigationsand the spatial distribution of earthquakes showedthat the Andrew Bain FZ includes numerous differentsecond-order structures. This feature is typical of continentalstrike-slip fault zones. Such megatransform fault zones can emerge in slowspreading ridges at a relative displacement of the lithosphere, which is thicker and colder than in most transformfaults. The aim of the present work was to substantiatethis suggestion with factual material.