Magnetic anomalies over fracture zones in the central North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

The offset of a fracture zone leads to a configuration in which a strip of oceanic crust of one age will be juxtaposed axially to a strip of another age. Consequently, the polarity of the magnetic layer may be different on either side of the fracture zone. Next to this magnetic contrast the fracture zone may have a finite width; the magnetic source layer for oceanic crust may be altered or absent within the fracture zone.