The Shallow Structure of the East Pacific Rise near Latitude9 Degrees 30' North

海底扩张中心产生的浅海地壳的性质很难受到现有地球物理数据的制约。最近的研究表明，地壳最浅的层以极低的地震速度为特征，但速度随着深度的增加而迅速增加。了解控制这些变化的过程对于确定地壳的孔隙度、地壳岩石的蚀变以及地壳钻探数据的局部和区域意义非常重要。本奖项将支持对赤道东太平洋东太平洋隆起部分的近底折射研究。该项目将利用部署在海底的接收器和声源，对浅层地壳进行详细研究。这项技术将提供比正常水面舰船观测更高的分辨率研究。实验数据将与计划在同一段山脊上进行的钻探结果进行比较。该项目的主要调查人员在地壳数据的实验和理论分析方面都有杰出的记录。

The nature of the shallow oceanic crust produced at seafloor spreading centers is poorly constrained by available geophysical data. Recent studies suggest that the shallowest layers of the crust are characterized by extremely low seismic velocities, but that the velocity increases rapidly with depth. Understanding the processes that control these variations are important in determining the porosity of the crust, alteration of crustal rock, and the local and regional significance of crustal drilling data. The present award will support a near bottom refraction study of a segment of the East Pacific Rise in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The project will allow a detailed study of the shallow crust by using both a receiver and acoustic source deployed at the seafloor. This technique will provide a higher resolution study than is available from normal surface ship observations. Data from the experiment will be compared to drilling results which are planned along this same section of ridge. The principal investigators on this project have distinguished records in both experimental and theoretical analysis of crustal data.