Brief description
The EarthByte Group presents a global community dataset of fracture zones (FZs), discordant zones, propagating ridges, V-shaped structures and extinct ridges, digitized from vertical gravity gradient (VGG) maps. A semi-automatic FZ tracking program was used to test the precision of hand-digitized traces and find a Mean Absolute Deviation of less than 3.4 km from the raw VGG minima that most clearly delineate each feature, and less than 5.4 km from the FZ location predicted by fitting model profiles to the VGG data that represent the morphology of the individual FZs. Offsets were small considering gravity data only provide an approximation for the underlying basement morphology. The origin of non-FZ seafloor fabric was investigated by combining published abyssal hill heights computed from gravity anomalies with global half-spreading rates. A residual abyssal hill height grid, with spreading rate effects removed, combined with an interpreted tectonic fabric revealed several types of seafloor fabric distinct from typical abyssal hills. Where discordant zones do not overprint abyssal hill signals, residual abyssal hill height anomalies correspond to seafloor that accreted near mantle thermal anomalies or zones of melt-depletion. Analysis revealed several areas where residual abyssal hill height anomalies reflect pseudo-faults and extinct ridges associated with ridge propagation and/or microplate formation in the southern Pacific Ocean.
The tectonic fabric of the ocean basins dataset is available for download from the EarthByte website. File formats include .gpml and .kml, and the dataset may be read using GPlates software and Google Earth. The dataset was created as part of The Global Seafloor Fabric and Magnetic Lineation Data Base Project. A copy of the original dataset is stored in a continually maintained database hosted by the GSFML website.
For further information, please refer to the associated publication.
