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Death and Transfiguration of a Triple Junction in the South Atlantic
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9092470     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Three major lithospheric plates-Antarctic, South American, and African-meet in the South Atlantic near Bouvet Island where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), and the American Antarctic Ridge converge toward a fast evolving triple junction. A major magmatic pulse has recently built a new, swollen segment of the SWIR (Spiess Ridge) that is propagating toward the MAR at a rate of 4 to 5 centimeters per year, disrupting a former ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) triple junction. A new triple junction will be established about 70 kilometers to the north when the propagating SWIR/Spiess segment will impact with the MAR, probably within the next 1 million years. The American Antarctic Ridge will take advantage of the MAR/SWIR duel by capturing an approximately 70-kilometer stretch of MAR, whereas the Antarctic plate will increase its size.
Authors:
Ligi; Bonatti; Bortoluzzi; Carrara; Fabretti; Penitenti; Gilod; Peyve; Skolotnev; Turko
Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Science (New York, N.Y.)     Volume:  276     ISSN:  1095-9203     ISO Abbreviation:  Science     Publication Date:  1997 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1997-04-11     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0404511     Medline TA:  Science     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  243-5     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
M. Ligi, G. Bortoluzzi, G. Carrara, P. Fabretti, D. Penitenti, Istituto Geologia Marina, CNR, via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna, Italy. E. Bonatti, Istituto Geologia Marina, CNR, via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna, Italy, and Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964-8000, USA. D. Gilod, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. A. A. Peyve, S. Skolotnev, N. Turko, Geology Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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