Deep crustal structure of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: Implications for rift evolution and seafloor spreading

We image deep crustal structure using marine seismic refraction data recorded by a linear array of ocean-bottom seismometers in the Gulf of Mexico Basin Opening project (GUMBO Line 3) in order to provide new constraints on the nature of continental and oceanic crust in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. GUMBO Line 3 extends ~524 km from the continental shelf offshore Pensacola, Florida, across the De Soto Canyon and into the central Gulf basin. Travel times from long offset, wide angle reflections and refractions resolve compressional seismic velocities and layer boundaries for sediment, crystalline crust, and upper mantle. We compare our results with coincident multichannel seismic reflection data. Our velocity model recovers shallow seismic velocities (~2.0–4.5 km/s) that we interpret as evaporites and clastic sediments. A Cretaceous carbonate platform is interpreted beneath the De Soto Canyon with seismic velocities >5.0 km/s. Crystalline continental crust thins seaward along GUMBO Line 3 from 23–10 km across the De Soto Canyon. High seismic velocity lower crust (>7.2 km/s) is interpreted as extensive syn-rift magmatism and possibly mafic underplating, common features at volcanic rift margins with high mantle potential temperatures. In the central Gulf basin we interpret thick oceanic crust (>8 km) emplaced at a slow full-spreading rate (~24 mm/yr). We suggest a sustained thermal anomaly during slow seafloor-spreading conditions led to voluminous basalt flows from a spreading ridge that overprinted seafloor magnetic anomalies in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.