The structure of the tectonosphere the Mozambique and Madagascar ridges by geophysical data

Abstract

The study area occupies the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, where the Mozambique and Madagascar ridges are located. Ideas about the tectonic structure of these ridges are still debatable. The anomalous structure of the crust of these ridges can be explained either by underplating — thickening of the oceanic crust from below due to magmatism, or by stretching and thinning of the continental crust. Based on the data on anomalous gravitational and magnetic fields, seismotomography, and other geological and geophysical information, density modeling was performed for four profiles, which revealed differences in the crustal structure and evolution of the Mozambique and Madagascar ridges.