Crustal Thickness Variations Beneath the Western Indian Ocean Using Teleseismic P-Wave Coda Autocorrelations on Ocean-Bottom Seismic Data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26443/seismica.v5i1.2576Keywords:
Crustal thickness, Teleseismic P-wave coda autocorrelation, Ocean-bottom seismometers, Western Indian OceanAbstract
The western Indian Ocean is a key region for investigating lithospheric evolution, as it records a complex interplay of tectonic, magmatic, and mantle processes. Constraining crustal thickness across this area is therefore essential for understanding how these processes interact and shape the region's geodynamic development. In this study, we apply teleseismic P-wave coda autocorrelation to map crustal thickness across the western Indian Ocean using data from 54 ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs) and 7 land-based seismic stations. Our results reveal pronounced lateral variations in crustal thickness, ranging from ~4.3 km beneath young oceanic crust near the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) to ~25.85 km along the eastern margin of Madagascar. The oceanic domain exhibits a mean crustal thickness of ~7.01 ± 0.27 km, consistent with global oceanic averages. Volcanic islands within the Mozambique Channel show crustal thicknesses between ~11.21 and 23.98 km, whereas those in the Mascarene Basin display values of ~10.73 km and ~14.63 km. These localized zones of crustal thickening beneath volcanic islands likely reflect long-lived magmatic underplating and hotspot-related intrusions. Collectively, these findings provide new quantitative constraints on the tectono-magmatic processes that govern crustal formation, modification, and isostatic compensation in this geodynamically complex region.
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