Structure and evolution of the Eastern part of the Southwest Indian Ridge

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Abstract

The structure and evolution of eastern part of the Southwest Indian ridge is discussed. Based on geological-geophysical data and cartographic materials, analysis of spatial and temporal changes of ridge morphostructure was performed. Analysis of the data made it possible to recognize the stages of ridge evolution and delineate its sections differing in tectonics, structure, morphostructural segmentation of the rift zone and the ridge flanks. It is shown that crust in the axial zone of the ridge formed under repeatedly changing spreading kinematics, degree of hotspot activity, and underlying mantle along-axis temperatures. The temporal variations in these characteristics along the rift zone are established, with consideration of their influence on its segmentation and tectonic structural features.

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About the authors

A. V. Kokhan

LLC SVAROG

Email: edubinin08@rambler.ru
Russian Federation, 119021, Moscow

E. P. Dubinin

Lomonosov Moscow State University 

Author for correspondence.
Email: edubinin08@rambler.ru

Museum of Earth Sciences

Russian Federation, 119991, Moscow

N. M. Sushchevskaya

Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry

Email: edubinin08@rambler.ru
Russian Federation, 119991, Moscow

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Structural elements of the South-West Indian Mid-Ocean Range and the south of the central part of the Indian Ocean on the map of gravitational anomalies (using data [35]).

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3. Fig. 2. The structure of the southern sector of the central part of the Indian Ocean (using data [22, 25, 35]). 2. The structure of the southern sector of the central part of the Indian Ocean (using data [22, 25, 35]).

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4. Fig. 3. Morphometric characteristics of the segments of the rift zone of the eastern part of the South-West Indian Range.

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5. Fig. 4. Geological and geophysical characteristics of the segments of the rift zone of the eastern part of the South-West Indian Range.

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6. Fig. 5. The evolution of the lithosphere of the eastern part of the South-West Indian Mid-Ocean Range in the range from 68 to 18 million years ago (using data [3, 4, 20]).

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7. Fig. 6. Tectonic diagram of the lithosphere of the eastern part of the South-West Indian Range.

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