Electrical structure across a major ice-covered fault belt in northern Victoria Land (East Antarctica)

A Geomagnetic Depth Sounding profile was performed across the glaciated Rennick Graben and the adjacent fault-bounded terranes of northern Victoria Land in East Antarctica. Induction arrows analysis and a 2D inversion model provide a unique deep electrical resistivity window beneath these fault zones. The electrical resistivity break across the Lanterman Fault is apparently restricted to the upper crust, suggesting that this strike-slip fault may not represent a deep lithospheric suture. Further east, a westward-dipping conductor is traced to a depth of 40 km beneath the Robertson Bay Terrane. It may image a remnant of the paleo-Pacific oceanic plate, which subducted beneath the Bowers Terrane. Within the Wilson Terrane, the Rennick Graben is an upper-crust resistive block. The Rennick Graben lacks a deep crustal or upper mantle conductor, in contrast to several continental rifts. However, similar resistive lower crust underlies some other major strike-slip fault belts.

Details

Publication status:
Published
Author(s):
Authors: Armadillo, E., Ferraccioli, F., Tabellario, G., Bozzo, E.

On this site: Fausto Ferraccioli
Date:
1 January, 2004
Journal/Source:
Geophysical Research Letters / 31
Page(s):
4pp
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):
https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL019903