REGIONAL GRAVIMETRIC RESPONSE OF THE HAWAIIAN MANTLE PLUME

Abstract

An interpretation of the regional gravimetric field of the Northern Pacific Ocean is presented, with particular emphasis on the region adjacent to the Hawaii-Emperor islands. The goal is to verify the location of the mantle plume that inhabits the mantle under the area. The data used in this research were extracted from the database of the SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY, UC SAN DIEGO. The Total Bouguer Anomaly was computed and Upward Continuation filter was applied to different heights to observe the regional behavior of the anomaly. The regional maps show that the mantle plume sits at the southwest of the Hawaii Big Island, in contradiction to the general believe that it is located underneath it. The Necker crest, the Pacific Ocean Mountains and the Clarion, Molokai and Murray Fracture Zones present interesting gravimetric response and are not properly characterized in previous studies.