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Tilmann et al. 2004
Tilmann, F., Flueh, E., Planert, L., Reston, T. and Weinrebe, W. (2004). Microearthquake seismicity of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 5°S: A view of tectonic extension. Journal of Geophysical Research 109: doi: 10.1029/2003JB002827. issn: 0148-0227.

We report measurements made with an ocean bottom array which was operated for 10 days on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just south of the 5¿S transform fault/fracture zone. A total of 148 locatable earthquakes with magnitudes ~0.5--2.8 were recorded; seismic activity appears to be concentrated within the western half of the median valley. The median valley seismic zone is bounded in along-axis direction by the transform fault to the north and the tip of the axial volcanic ridge to the south. A few scattered events occurred within the inside corner high, on the transform fault, and in the western sidewall close to the segment center. Earthquakes reach a maximum depth of 8 km below the median valley floor and appear to be predominantly in the mantle, although a few crustal earthquakes also occurred. The presence of earthquakes in the mantle indicates that it is not strongly serpentinized. We infer the median valley seismic activity to primarily arise from normal faulting.

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Abstract

Keywords
Seismology, Seismicity and seismotectonics, Seismology, Oceanic crust, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Midocean ridge processes, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Marine seismics, earthquake location, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, tectonic extension
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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