Processed multichannel seismic data off the Exmouth and Cuvier margin, northwestern Australia, acquired during the R/V Maurice Ewing survey EW0113 (2001)

The Exmouth and Cuvier margin system represents one of the best locales to study the differences between wide versus narrow rifts and to define the interplay between strain partitioning, volcanism, segmentation, and the continent-ocean transition. This geophysical investigation of the Exmouth and Cuvier margins was designed to test alternate models for continental margin development, and when these results are integrated with those from other margin studies, will lead to a better overall understanding and appreciation of: the strain partitioning across margins between the brittle upper crust and the ductile lower crust and lithospheric mantle (e.g., the upper plate paradox); the interplay between extensional style (rift architecture), magmatism and detachments; the continent-ocean transition, and the origin of magnetic anomalies observed off the Exmouth and Cuvier margin; the formation of seaward-dipping reflectors along the continent-ocean boundaries and the importance of faults in their formation. Funded by NSF grants OCE99-11877, OCE99-12007, OCE99-11962.

埃克斯茅斯边缘与居维耶边缘系统是研究宽裂谷与窄裂谷差异，以及阐明应变分配、火山作用、断裂分割与大陆-大洋转换带之间相互作用的最佳研究区域之一。本次针对埃克斯茅斯与居维耶边缘的地球物理调查，旨在验证大陆边缘发育的多种替代模型；将本次调查结果与其他边缘研究的成果相结合后，将有助于我们更全面地理解并认知以下内容：边缘带内脆性上地壳、韧性下地壳与岩石圈地幔之间的应变分配（例如上盘悖论）；伸展作用样式（裂谷结构）、岩浆作用与拆离断层之间的相互作用；大陆-大洋转换带，以及埃克斯茅斯与居维耶边缘海域观测到的磁异常成因；大陆-大洋边界处向海倾斜反射体（seaward-dipping reflectors）的形成机制，以及断层在其形成过程中的重要作用。本项目由美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation, NSF）的OCE99-11877、OCE99-12007、OCE99-11962号资助项目支持。