This award will support collaborative research between Dr. John Sclater, Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin and Dr. Roland Schlich, Institut de Physique du Globe, Strasbourg, France. The researchers propose a joint project to compile and interpret topographic, magnetic, deflection-of-the-vertical and gravity data in the Indian Ocean and contiguous Southern Ocean, and to bring such data to bear on geological and geophysical problems already identified in this region. These data can be used, where coverage is adequate, to produce high resolution plate reconstructions. Where coverage is less adequate but broad based, this data can still be used to determine a generalized tectonic history of an ocean. More than fifty percent of all magnetic anomaly and depth data collected in the Indian Ocean in the past 15 years has been recovered from non-U.S. research vessels. No attempt as yet has been made to compile this data on an international basis or to interpret it collectively. The principal investigators of this proposal request funding to cover the costs of collaboration with the Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, which holds one third of the magnetic and bathymetric data available on the Indian Ocean. This support will be devoted to coordinating the U.S. and French efforts in homogenizing and compiling their respective data sets. The compilations of all available magnetic anomaly, bathymetric and geoid data collected from satellites will be used to address the specific scientific problems that have been identified. In addition, tectonic histories and high resolution reconstructions deduced from these compilations will be of particular value to the Ocean Drilling Program in the Indian Ocean.
