Stretching of the Central Pacific Lithosphere: En-echelon Ridges and Crossgrain Lineations on the Superwell

几种类型的地球物理观测表明， 太平洋中南部的岩石圈正在经历扩散 南北延伸。 作为对这一假设的部分检验， 首席调查员将调查一系列以前未知的 从东太平洋延伸2500公里的雁行脊 上升到土阿莫土群岛的北方边缘。 一个主要 拉伸假说的含义是一些火山 西太平洋的活动可能与 岩石圈，而不是众多的地幔柱。 的目标 调查将首先确定海脊存在的地方， 没有被绘制出来，而且它们是连续的。 脊 还将进行岩石学和年龄研究， 将确定脊的磁特征。

Several types of geophysical observations indicate that the lithosphere in the southcentral Pacific is undergoing diffuse north-south extension. As a partial test of this hypothesis, the Principle Investigator will survey a previously uncharted series of en-echelon ridges that extend for 2500 km from the East Pacific Rise to the northern edge of the Tuamotu archipelago. A major implication of the stretching hypothesis is that some volcanic activity in the west Pacific may be related to tensional failure of the lithosphere rather than numerous mantle plumes. The goals of the survey are to first establish that the ridges exist where they have not been charted, and that they are continuous. The ridges will also be dredged for petrologic and age studies, and the magnetic signature of the ridges will be determined.