Effects of Seafloor Bathymetry on the Imaging of Magma Chamber Reflectors

洋中脊是火山活动的场所，因为新的海洋地壳产生了。关于这一活动的一个重要问题是，当岩浆上升时，岩浆是否聚集在山脊轴线以下的一个岩浆室中，如果是这样，岩浆室的大小和范围是多大。最近在东太平洋隆起收集的地震数据显示，有一个反射器被解释为岩浆房的顶部。这种反射器存在于沿轴和跨轴剖面上。在山脊轴相对较宽和平坦的位置，反射器宽度为3-4公里，而在山脊轴较窄和粗糙的位置，反射器宽度小于1公里。该项目的目的是确定所观察到的反射器宽度的差异是否确实是由于岩浆房宽度的差异，或者可能是由于海底对地震能量的折射和衍射。首席研究员将使用一种可以解释海底能量折射和衍射的技术重新分析地震数据。

Mid-ocean ridges are the site of volcanic activity as the new ocean crust is generated. An important question about this activity is whether as it ascends the magma collects in a chamber below the axis of the ridge, and if so, what is the size and extent of the chamber. Recent seismic data collected on the East Pacific Rise show a reflector that has been interpreted as the top of a magma chamber. This reflector is present on along-axis and cross-axis profiles. At locations where the ridge axis is relatively broad and flat the reflector is 3-4 km wide while in locations where the ridge axis is narrow and rough the reflector is less than 1 km wide. The objective of this project is to determine if the observed difference in the width of the reflector is due indeed to a difference in the width of the magma chamber or might instead be due to refraction and diffraction of the seismic energy by the seafloor. The principal investigator will reanalyze the seismic data using a technique that can account for energy refractiona and diffraction at the seafloor.