The Structure of the Tectonosphere of the Meteor and Islas Orcadas Rises Based on the Analysis of Potential Fields

Abstract—The features of potential fields characterizing the Islas Orcadas and Meteor undersea rises located in the South Atlantic are considered. The rises are located at approximately the same distance to the west and to the east from the axis of the southern segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Density modeling along the profiles intersecting the rises was carried out. The analysis of potential fields and the results of density modeling shows a generally similar structure of the crust and lithosphere of the Islas Orcadas Rise and the Meteor Rise, which supports the common nature of their formation as a result of the splitting of the lithosphere of the small Agulhas plate due to kinematic restructuring, which led to the extinction of the Agulhas Ridge and formation of the southern segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. However, some features in the density structure of these rises, both along their north-south trend where the influence of hot spots on the heating of the mantle is particularly evident, and along the conjugate profiles, indicate an asymmetric structure of the rises during the initial stage of their formation.