DOI: 10.21455/GPB2017.4-10

ON GEODYNAMIC ASPECTS OF EVOLUTION
OF THE INDIAN OCEAN NORTHWESTERN PART

V.K. Illarionov, A.N. Boyko

Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of the structure of the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean. We used the primary geological and geophysical materials of the area geological and geophysical survey in the southern part of the mid-oceanic ridge of Karlsberg (marine science research ship «Explorer» («Issledovatel»), production geological association (PGO) «Yuzhmorgeologiya», 1987), as well as the results of unique studies of the Equator ridge (Somali basin) from the board of the inhabited underwater vehicle. At the southern extremity of the Karlsberg range, we revealed the «Rodrigues block», that is anomalous in its morphological characteristics. It is concluded that this block is the connecting link of the existing «continental bridge» between the Seychelles and the Maldivian ridge. It is suggested that the Carlsberg ridge was laid on the transitional crust. A comprehensive analysis of all data on the structure of the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean convincingly demonstrates that the leading geodynamic factor in its evolution were differentiated tectonic movements.

Keywords: rifting, graben, morphostructure, arching, transverse (transform) fracture.

ILLARIONOV Vladimir K. – cand. of geol. and mineral. sci., senior researcher, Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow, Russia. Tel.: +7 (499) 254-68-95. E-mail: vkillar@mail.ru

BOYKO Anatoly N. – cand. of techn. sci., leading researcher, Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow, Russia. Tel.: +7 (499) 254-68-95. E-mail: boyko@ifz.ru