Emplacement of Afanasy-Nikitin seamount based on transfer function analysis of gravity and bathymetry data

Abstract The nature of compensation of the Afanasy-Nikitin seamount in the Central Indian Ocean lithosphere is examined through transfer function analysis of gravity and bathymetry data along five profiles across the seamount. The seamount appears to be regionally compensated by the bending of an elastic plate of only 2–5 km thickness. From this low elastic thickness, it is inferred that the seamount is formed near a spreading axis-transform junction.