Seafloor roughness varies considerably across the world’s ocean basins and is fundamental to controlling the circulation and mixing of heat in the ocean and dissipating eddy kinetic energy. Models derived from analyses of active mid-ocean ridges suggest that ocean floor roughness depends on seafloor spreading rates, with rougher basement forming below a half-spreading rate threshold of 30-35 mm/yr, as well as on the local interaction of mid-ocean ridges with mantle plumes or cold-spots.
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Southern Surveyor cruise takes the media by storm
Maria Seton and her team are back from the Southern Surveyor cruise in the Coral Sea, which was investigating the tectonic framework for the easternmost Coral Sea and northern extent of the Lord Howe hotspot for 25 days. The cruise has been featured on Radio Australia, which was then picked up by ABC News, Sydney … Read more…