Tectonism within the axial valley walls of an intermediate spreading center: south Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

使用一种新技术，研究人员将重新分析现有的海底大地测量数据，这些数据来自一个部署在中速胡安·德富卡扩张中心裂缝段轴向山谷的6个转发器阵列。 通过将船上的水听器作为GPS定位点之一，并考虑其运动和声速分层，研究人员先前已经证明了改善海洋大地测量网络速度估计的能力。 应用这种方法的裂缝段的数据将限制整个扩张脊的变形模式，包括解决这个地区是否是不对称扩张的轨迹，区分地壳运输假说，并确定板块运动开始。 更广泛的影响包括：精细分析有助于推进海洋大地测量研究、培训研究生和提高我们对地壳形成区变形过程的认识。

Using a new technique, researchers will re-analyze existing seafloor geodetic data from a 6-transponder array deployed across the axial valley at the Cleft Segment of the intermediate rate Juan de Fuca spreading center. By adding the ship's hydrophone as one of the GPS-located points and accounting for its motion and sound speed stratification, the researchers have previously demonstrated the capacity to improve velocity estimates from marine geodetic networks. The application of this method to the Cleft Segment data will constrain the pattern of deformation across the spreading ridge, including resolving whether this area is the locus of asymmetric spreading, distinguishing among crustal transport hypotheses, and determining where plate motion initiates. Broader impacts include the contributions of the refined analyses to advancing marine geodetic studies, training of a graduate student, and enhancement of our understanding of deformational processes in the zone of crustal formation.