The South Pacific Superswell

这种“基于成就的更新”为麦克纳特博士提供了资金，使她能够继续研究麦格理集团授予她的两个密切相关的项目。两者都与研究太平洋下面海洋地壳的异常高度有关。这些特征中的第一个是南太平洋超级井，这是一片大面积的海底，比根据帕森斯和斯克拉特的125公里厚的冷却板模型所预测的要浅750米。McNutt博士先前的分析忽略了局部密度和动态应力场异常是根本原因；薄至75 km并伴有下层软流层小尺度对流的板块模式是有利的。这次更新将允许她完成分析的撰写阶段，并通过编写计算机代码来评估该模型，该代码将模拟该对流流并测试其稳定性。达尔文隆起是此前一个奖项研究的第二个深度异常，麦克纳特博士及其同事认为，它的形成过程与超级井的形成过程相同。她将继续分析在最近一次穿越达尔文隆起的巡航中调查的中生代地层周围的均衡补偿，目的是更好地了解地幔动力学。

This "accomplishment-based-renewal" provides funds for Dr. McNutt to continue research on two closely related projects awarded her by MG&G; both pertain to the study of anomalous elevations of ocean crust beneath the Pacific. The first of these features is the South Pacific Superswell, a large area of seafloor as much as 750m shallower than predicted by its age relative to the 125km-thick cooling plate model of Parsons and Sclater. Previous analysis by Dr. McNutt discount both local density and dynamic stress field anomalies as the fundamental cause; a plate model thinned to 75 km and accompanied by small- scale convection in the underlying asthenosphere is favored. This renewal will allow her to complete the write-up phase of this analysis, and to evaluate the model by writing computer code that will model this convective flow and test its stability. The Darwin Rise is a second depth anomaly studied under a previous award, and Dr. McNutt and colleagues argue it was formed by the same processes that created the Superwell. She will continue analysis of isostatic compensation surrounding Mesozoic guyots surveyed on a recent cruise across the Darwin Rise with the objective of gaining better understanding of mantle dynamics.