Ridge Segmentation, Plate Boundary Architecture and Behaviorof Non-Rigid Discontinuities Along the MAR in the South Atlantic

这是一个绘制南大西洋中大西洋脊的一段地图的项目，旨在回答一些基本问题，并检验一些假设，这些假设对于理解南大西洋中大西洋脊系统的缓慢到中等扩散速度至关重要。需要解决的问题包括：1)南大西洋中大西洋洋脊的分割几何形状是怎样的？一级和二级不连续面的相对丰度是多少？2)在一阶和二阶不连续面分布方面，沿有代表性的脊长观察到的分割几何形状与南大西洋早期的分割特征如何比较？3)与板块边界几何形状变化和二阶不连续产生相关的结构和运动学特征是什么？4)与一阶不连续向二阶不连续转变相关的结构和形态特征是什么？当边界不再具有刚性行为时，偏移的年龄是多少？5)二级结构面向三级结构面演化的形态构造特征是什么？6) 22S - 34S之间的裂谷和非裂谷脊段在MAR上的分布是怎样的？

This is a project to map a section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the South Atlantic and is designed to answer fundamental questions and to test hypothese central to understanding of a slow to intermediate spreading rate ridge system in the South Atlantic. The questions to be addreses include: 1) What is the segmentation geometry of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the South Atlantic and what is the relative abundance of first and second order discontinuities? 2) How does the segmentation geometry observed along a representative length of ridge compare with the early segmentation character of the South Atlantic in terms of the distribution of first and second order discontinuities? 3) What are the structual and kinematic characteristics associated with a change in plate boundary geometry and the creation of a second-order discontinuity? 4) What are the strutural and morphologic characteristics associated with the trnsfromation of a first-order discontinuity to a second-order discontinuity and what is the age of the offset when the boundary no longer behaves rigily? 5) What are the morphotectonic characteristics associated with evolution of a second-order discontinuity to a third-order discontinuity? 6) What is the distribution of rifted and non- rifted ridge segments along the MAR between 22S and 34S?