OCE-9401717 The geological structure of the oceanic crust is typically inferred from marine geophysical studies. Multichannel seismic techniques have been used with great success to study the crustal structure at fast spreading centers where the seafloor is relatively flat and in locations where the seafloor is covered by thick sediments. The rough seafloor topography and large seismic velocity gradients typically found at slow spreading centers such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge have limited the success of studies to determine crustal structure in these regions. Seismic processing techniques have been developed, at least in theory, to address these problems. If the processing techniques described in the proposal are successful, it should be possible to address a host of fundamental geological problems at slow and intermediate spreading ridges.
