Testing sea bed variability using GOCO05s gravity gradients in the Intra-America Seas: a preliminary approximation

GOMEZ GARCIA MARIA ANGELA; MONSALVE GASPAR; BERNAL GLADYS; ALVAREZ ORLANDO

Praga

Simposio; European Space Agency - Living Planet Symposium; 2016

European Space Agency

Satellite gravity anomalies and gradients in marine environments have been commonly studied for a spatial description of tectonic features (trenches, ridges, oceanic and continental lithospheric boundaries, etc), crustal and lithospheric configuration and elastic properties, or to study the gravity signature of a mega-earthquake, but gave minimal attention to the temporal variability of these anomalies and gradients. Vertical gravity gradients (Tzz) have been commonly used for delineating the location of superficial anomalous masses, with better detail and accuracy than the gravity anomaly itself. Using the monthly solutions of GOCO05s, from November 2009 to October 2013, we are in the process of identifiying a link between vertical gravity gradients and sea bed density anomalies (specially great mass movements) associated with sedimentation, erosion and volcanic processes in the Intra-America seas, given the great variety of sea bed morphodynamic environments in this part of the world.Even though this research is ongoing, we aim to identify the gravity gradient signature of geomorphic features such as Mississipi and Magdalena fans, and to better understand the sedimentary processes derived from Orinoco and Amazon supply rates, that configure the morphology of the southern Lesser Antilles region. We also want to test the ability of the GOCO gravity gradients to detect other signals related to active thermal processes in the oceans like volcanism and diapirism.