This is an investigation of the mechanics of ridge faulting. The Principal Investigators will develop lithospheric deformation models that explicitly consider faulting processes on a set of discrete faults. Three phases of the investigation are: (1) to examine the basic mechanics of a single normal fault under ridge tectonic stresses and subsequent lithospheric deformation, (2) to investigate the mechanical interaction among multiple faults in the crust and its effects on faulting patterns near a mid- ocean ridge, and (3) to apply the theoretical results from phase 1 and 2 to determine the characteristics of faulting in well surveyed areas of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The objectives of studying a multiply-faulted system are to test the hypothesis that the close spacing of near-ridge faults os the result of mechanical interactions between faults, and that the width of the rift valley at a slow-spareding ridge is controlled by the thickness of the lithospheric plate.
