Sensitivity of gravity anomalies to mantle rheology at mid-ocean ridge – transform fault systems

• Published in: Earth and planetary science letters 2023-11, Vol.622, p.118420, Article 118420
• Main Authors: Liu, Sibiao, Guo, Zhikui, Rüpke, Lars H., Morgan, Jason P., Grevemeyer, Ingo, Ren, Yu, Li, Chuanzhi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gravity anomaly; Mantle rheology; Mid-ocean ridge; Oceanic transform fault
• ISSN: 0012-821X; 1385-013X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118420

•3D rheology-dependent thermal structure impacts gravity calculations.•Rheology-dependent gravity differences are concentrated along transform faults.•Importance of mantle rheology scales with spreading rate and transform age offset. Marine gravity data can provide information on the distribution of mass anomalies in the oceanic crust and upper mantle. Computing corresponding gravity anomalies, especially so-called ‘residual’ gravity anomalies that directly reflect variations in the crustal structure, relies on gravity corrections of both seafloor relief and lithospheric thermal structure. The lithospheric thermal gravity correction involves either a plate cooling approximation or a mantle flow model with the latter typically done using simplified assumptions on mantle rheology. However, a detailed study of how differing rheological models affect the computed gravity anomalies is still missing. Here, we systematically examine the differences in residual mantle Bouguer anomalies (RMBA) caused by differing assumptions on mantle rheology for 16 mid-ocean ridge – transform fault systems. Our calculations show that isoviscous models tend to underpredict RMBA values within the transform deformation zone and overpredict them in the far field at older plate ages, when compared to plate cooling and nonlinear viscoplastic models. This discrepancy stems from isoviscous models failing to capture plate-like deformation, as well as their inability to resolve brittle failure and the associated strain localization that leads to warm upwelling beneath the transform fault. By exploring a wide parameter range, we find that the importance of mantle rheology scales with plate tectonic parameters at the mid-ocean ridge – transform fault system such as transform age offset, spreading rate, and transform fault length. These findings suggest that gravity thermal corrections at the intrinsically three-dimensional ridge – transform systems should employ mantle flow models that resolve plate-like deformation and brittle failure.