Correlation between mud volcanism and active strain

   Combination of quantitative studies of expelled mud volumes over the western part of the Mediterranean Ridge and active fault kinematics. Mud volume computations are based on image analysis of backscatter intensity (reflectivity, left) of the seafloor, while kinematics of major faults was modeled by combining structural mapping of fault traces with far-field kinematic boundary conditions obtained by GPS and orientation of seamount tracks traveling into the wedge.



   The quantitative analysis allows a direct comparison between data analysis and modeling results, in our case, a high degree of correlation between the mud output rate (below, left) and the shear component of the strain rate field (below, right).

Illustrations taken from Rabaute and Chamot-Rooke, JGR, submitted and Chamot-Rooke, Rabaute, and Kreemer, Geology, in press. Project funded by TOTAL and EXXON.