JOURNALO' GOPHYSlC.L RSE.

RCH

VOLUME 64, No. 1

JANUARY, 1959

Rapid Gravity Computations Two-Dimensional for Bodieswith Application to the MendocinoSubmarine Fracture Zone*

MANIX TALWANI,LAMAR-WORZEL, J. AND MARK LANDISMAN

Lamont Geological Observatory, (Columbia University) Palisades, New York

Abstract--Expressions derivedfor the vertical and horizontalcomponents the gravitaare of

tional attraction due to a two-dimensional body of arbitrary shape by approximating it to an

n-sidedpolygon.Theseexpressions put in forms suitablefor solutionby a high-speed are digital computer. an example the application this method,the crustalsection As of of across Mendocino the fracture zone is deducedfrom the gravity anomalies.Assumingthe crust to consistof a single homogeneous layer, overlain by water and sediment,it is found to be about three km thicker
to the north of the fracture zone than to the south of it.

Many geological structures approximately are linear, and the problemsconnected with them can be solved with two-dimensionalforms of analysis. For gravity computations, Nettleton [1940] has determinedthe criteria for making an adequatetwo-dimensional computation.Various methods existfor the computation the gravitaof tional attraction causedby irregularly shaped
two-dimensional bodies. These methods can be

individual contributionsat distant points are neglectedeven though the total sum of their small contributions is appreciable. This may causeconsiderable error in computations. The periphery of any two-dimensionalbody can be approximated closely by a polygon, by making the number of sides of this polygon
sufficiently large. Analytical expressions can be
obtained for both the vertical and horizontal

divided into two categories. th.efirst category In lie those that involve the use of graticules,dot charts, or other suchgraphicalcomputingaids. While in theory thesemethodscan be made as

components the gravitational attraction due of to this polygonat any givenpoint. Theseexpressions,then, can be usedwithout any limitations to the size or positionof the body. The present

precise onepleases, as merely increasing methodinvolves use of theseexpressions. by the the

scale to which the graticule is constructed,in The accuracydependsonly on how closelythe actual practice this may be difficult, if not polygon the givenbody, and can be increased fits impossible. by increasing numberof sides the polygon. the of In the second categorylie thosemethodsthat It will be recognized that an irregularly shaped involvebreakinguptheirregularlyshapedbodies two-dimensionalbody can be more easily into severalsmallerbodiesof differentsizesbut approximated a polygonthan by rectangular by of shapesthat are regular and for which the blocks. The computationsinvolved in solving gravitationalattractioncan be easilycomputed. the expressions obtain the components to of A convenient form of regularbody to useis the gravitational attractionare lengthyand tedious,

rectangularblock, as proposedby Vening but beingiterativeare readilyprogrammed for

Meinesz and others[1934]. Here againthe method solution a digitalcomputer. programfor use by A can be madeas precise onepleases usinga with the IBM 650 has been made, and. the as by sufficientlylarge number of small blocks [see, machine time required for obtaining both the for example, Shutbet and others,1956].However, vertical and horizontal components grayiraof the computations become increasingly more tional attraction for an n-sided polygon at a tediousas the number of blocksis increased. single point is approximatelyequal to 2.5n Further, the blocksmay be so small that their seconds.

No. 318

* Lamont Geological Observatory ContributionLet ABGDEF (Fig.1) be a given polygon

with n sidesand let P be the point at whichthe
49

50

TALWANI,

WORZEL, AND LANDISMAN

or

fc zdOf tantantan idOZi, -- ai --O 0 _-tan

Similarly it can be shownthat

fs xdOfr tana'-- 0 dO---tan X . c tan

The verticalcomponent gravitationalattracof

tion V andthe horizontal component dueto H,

the wholepolygon, then givenrespectively are by
z

V- 2Gp"Z
i--1

Fro.

1--Geometrical

elements

involved

in

the

gravitational attraction of an n-sided polygon

and

H = 2Gp
attraction due to this polygonhas to be determined. Imagine P to be the origin of an xz the summationsbeing made over the n sidesof system of coordinates,where the polygon also the polygon. lies in the xz plane. Let z be defined positive It now remainsto solvethe integralsinvolved downwards(vertical) and let 0 be measuredfrom in the expressions Zi and X. for the positivex axis towardsthe positivez axis. In the most general caseit can be shown that It has been shownby Hubbert[1948] that the vertical component of gravitational attraction due to such a two-dimensional body is, at the origin, equal to

2GpdO, fz

the line integral beingtaken alongits periphery, where G is the universal constantof gravitation and p is the volume densityof the body. It can be shown by a method similar to Hubbert's that the corresponding expression the horizontal where for component of gravitational attraction is given by 2Gpf x dO. Let us evaluate the two integralsf z dOand f x dOfor the above polygon.The contribution to f z dOfrom, say, the sideBC of the polygon can be first computed.ProduceCB to meet the x axis at Q at an angle. Let PQ = a. Now
z = x tan 0

Z a cos;IO= sinai Oi+l q- log O(tan) ] tan cosO+(tan0+ --tan cos O tan b) -X a b b[tan--03 = sin cos b(O+ cos O,tanb,) Og(tan ]' -q- log

Oi= tan z__ - ,

tan
-1 Zi + - i+ --

Zi
Xi

Oi+ tan Zi+l = -

(1)
and
Xi+l

for any arbitrary point R on BC. Also

z = (x -- a,) tan
From (1) and (2)
Z --

(2)

ai = i+1 + Zi+l

i+1
Zi --

--

'

Zi+

a tan 0 tan i

tan

-- tan 0'

Also seeFigure 1. The expressions Z and X reduceto simpler for expressions the followingcases: in

GRAVITY

COMPUTATIONS

FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL

BODIES

51

CaseA--If

x -- 0

Z :

--a sin

cos

X = a sin

og, 0,+,(tan { 0,+, tan -- loge{cos 8+,(tan 8+, tan]. b)}

cos
2

CaseB--If x+, -- 0

z's, we are able to obtain expressions both for V and H solely in terms of the x's and the z's. This is especially advantageous, sinceone of the simplest ways of defining the periphery of a body is to specify the coordinatesof adjacent points at the verticesof the body. These are the coordinates and z's usedin the computation. x's In addition, of course,it is necessary specify to the density of the body and the positionof the pointsat which the attraction is to be calculated. This method is illustrated by the following example in which the crustal structure along a profile in the Pacific crossing the Mendocino
fracture The zone has been deduced. Mendocino fracture zone has been de-

gi a qb; Io 7r = Sin b-cos tan {cos 0 tan] positionof the Mendocinoescarpmentand the b, O,(tanb)} loge ---asin cos[tan [i-- , ()i log8,(tan {cos 0 tan -scribed by Menard and Dietz [1952] and by Menard [1955]. The map in Figure 2 showsthe
and on the USS Rasher and USS Raton in 1954

submarinegravity stationsin the area made on USS Redfish in 1952 [Worzel and others, 1955]

[Harrison and others, 1957]. The gravity values at the Redfish stations and at those of the Harrison stations that were used in this study
1.

are listed in Table

CaseC--if zi = Zi+l

=
o

Cruise

TABLE lqGravity stations

Free-air

sin + X = zi log sin 8

Case D--If x =

anomaly mgal

Zi -- Xi ]og
Xi --

cos 8 cos

Redfish (first cruise)

--29 --44

--17
--46

--38
--12 --15 --19

Case E--If

0 =
Zi=O

--22

--19

+1 -]-11

Case F--If

x = Z=0
Zi = 0
Harrison

--44 --19

and
others

+13 +19 +4
--79

Case xi+ z+, 0 G--If = =

Zi=O

[19571

--63
--45

--17

X=O.

a For

other

stations

in

this

area

see Harrison

and

others

Noting 8,8+,, and can be that b, a all

explicitlyexpressed terms of the x's and the in

[1957]. Based on soundings from U.S.C.G.S. Based on soundings from U.S.C.G.S.

Chart 9000. Chart 5002.

52

TALWANI,

WORZEL, AND LANDISMAN

o H(rrisn----hers(1957) _

, U.S.S. REDFISH 1952

os?

o 145

"

'

/. '

/!'.'".':'
44 .

t' :'":

,,.... I/lI'

MENDOCI NO Ol44 ESCARPMENT

GORDA ESCARPMENT ,28

'..
:'..:

J' OREGON 6.'

/:-'::.
I ol46

k_: ........
%
O.
2

42

o,,

:....': :'ALI FORNIA

ol7 ,
IqlIIIlll[

I/I l

'""'""

I 'O'l&lI I111IIIIIlII(?'MENDOCINO I 65 I 15e 66 ol48 79 0

I '

62

u,

N''%3 "'!':' CAPE

40

'....:'

38

134

1320.

130

128

126

124

122

Fzo. 2iposition of Mendocino and Gordaescarpments (modified from Menardand Dietz [1952];)gravity
stationswithin the box are used in this study

While there are three N-S Harrison profiles ticns 12 to 21) lies north of the escarpment in in this area, only the westernmost one (Stations comparativelysmooth topography.But it runs 61 to 67 and 85 to 90) can be considered typical in a NW-SE direction, a crossing E-W trending the gravity profileacross Mendocino the escarpment. escarpmentat an acute angle. This, again, is Of the remainingtwo profiles,one crosses the not very suitable for a two-dimensional gravity Mendocino escarpmentat its extreme eastern analysis. A compromise was effected by 'proedge,and the othercrosses Gordaescarpment jecting' the Redfishgravity profile on to a the rather than the Mendocino escarpment (see line (130W).The topographic profilealongthis Fig. 2). Even the first profile, north of the line was also made up from Redfish soundings. escarpment,soon passesinto the "Ridge and The minimumdepthat the top of the escarpment Trough Province" [Menard and Dietz, 1951], a is 3100m (1700fm), and the maximumdepthat province very roughtopography. of The situation the foot of the escarpment 4900 m (2700 fm). is is complicated the fact that while the topo- The averageslopeof the escarpment about 6. by is graphyin this area seems trend in an approxi- These figuresare in reasonable to agreement with mately SW-NE direction [Menard and Dietz, thosegiven by Menard and Dietz [1952]for their 1952],the tectonictrendsas described Heezen profiles along the latitudes (128 12'W and by (personal communication) run in a NW-SE 131W). The Harrison stationsand the Redfish direction. A deduction of structure based on a stations from the profile that containsStations two-dimensional gravity analysis,using gravity 143 to 149 were also'.projectedon to the same values obtained in such an area, would be profile. However, the Harrison Stations 61 and inadequate. 62 and the RedfishStations 146 and 147 are at However, some distance to the west of the considerably different depthsthan those correHarrison profile, the main Redfishprofile (Sta- sponding their respective to positions along the

GRAVITY

COMPUTATIONS

FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL

BODIES

53

profile.Thereforeit was decided not to usethese stations in making up the compositeprofile. They are discussed separately. Theecomposite profile was terminated on the north at 42N. The main Redfishprofile north of here divergesconsiderably from the line of projection, and the Harrisonprofile,asmentioned earlier, entersthe very roughRidge and Trough Province.Stationseast of 127W were also not usedin the composite profile.It wasfelt that the proximity of the continentaledge significantly affectedthe gravity valuesat thesestations. In the following calculations,the crust is assumed consistof the water layer underlain to by a single homogeneous layer of density 2.84 gm/cc, but of variable thickness.Beneath the crust,the mantleis assumed havea density. to of
3.27 gm/cc. The crust is taken as the layer bounded at the bottom by the Mohorovicic discontinuity.The problem,then, is to compute the attraction of the water layer and subtract
this from the observed anomalies. The differences

can be treated as 'residual anomahes' and can be ascribed to variations in the thickness of the crust.

layer. These are listed in Table 2. It shouldbe noticed that in this particular instance the coordinates most of the pointsare determined of by the actual corrected soundings and the positions which thesesoundings at were made. Thesedata are punched cardsand fed into on the IBM 650. It remainsto assigna density to this layer. It is found convenientto subtract the densitiesof all the layers from a constant densityof 2.84 gm/co. (This reduces density the of the crustal layer to zero, and one doesnot, then, have to make any calculationsfor it.) Assumingan actual density of 1.03 gin/co for sea water, the reduced density assignedto the layer abcdis 2.84 -- 1.03 -- 1.81 gm/cc. This value and the coordinates the points of at which the attraction is to be computed are also punchedon cards. These latter are points taken at small intervals along the length of the profile.The computedcurveis plotted in Figure 3c. This is the correction curvefor the water layer. The residualanomalies plotted in Figure 3d are obtained by adding the correctioncurve to the observed free-air anomalies. Figure 3d may now
be used to obtain the variations in crustal thickness. To the north of the section it is assumed that

Figure 3a showsthe observedfree-air anomalies; Figure 3b showsthe topography.The first step is to computethe attraction due to the water layer abcd.To do this, one has to specify the coordinates pointswhich,whenjoinedtogether of consecutively,will define the boundary of this
TABLE 2--List o! coordinates usedin the deduction the gravitationaleffecto! the water layer
Distance
kra
Xl

the water depth is constantat 3.8 km and that the free-air anomaliesare constantat --20 regal. This would require a depth to the Mohorovicic discontinuity 17.0 kin, to be in accordwith of
the standard section of Worzel and Shutbet

[1955]. Using this as a fixed level, an approximate estimate of thickness is made along the

Depth
kra

-- o -]- o -]- o 330

z z. z8 z4

0.00 0.00 4.40 4.40

1o

12

274 219 202 198 189 184 174 145 102

54 0 -- o

z z6 z7 zs zg z0 z, z z
zu z, z,

4.48 4.74 4.90 4.64 3.64 3.10 3.32 3.77 3.75

3.86 3.80 3.80

entire sectionby the sin x/x method developed by Tsuboiand Fuchida [1938] and Tomodaand Aki [1955]. (In the sin x/x method the gravity anomalies chosen along a profile at constant intervals are directly attributed to a mass distributionat a fixed depth. The massdistribution is interpretedas beingdueto the undulations of a surface, whichin this case the Mohorovicic is discontinuity). The IBM 650 is used for this calculation also. The estimated depths to the Mohorovicic discontinuity as determined by
Tsuboi's method are shown as the dashed curve

in Figure 3e. The gravity effect of this estimated crustal

14

;z16

317

-- o..... i

.Z"

0.00

thickness was evaluatedby the polygonmethod and compared with the residualanomalies. was It found that there was some disagreement. The depthsalongthe discontinuity werethenmodified

54

TALWANI,WORZEL, AND LANDISMAN

PROJECTED ' D/STANCE KILOMETERS /N ALONG /50W

0
i i i i i i

/00
i I i I i

200
i i i i i

500
i i i i i

400
,

(o}
O-

FREE - AIR

e

ANOMALIES
ee
-50

50

, USS REDFISH 1952

Harm'son oIhrs and

/00

I09

TOPOGRAPHY
.........

800

VERTICALEXAGGERATIONI 20

.........
(c) C O RREG T/ON FOR WATER

........ 74oo
LAYER

500
250

550
550

1550 00
250

(d} R E S I D U A L A NO MA L Y OOMPU TED A NOMALY

550
250

500 1
c

TO
FINAL

() DEPTH
_

MOHO RO VI O I O
TSUBOI'S
CURVE

DISCONTINUITY
-

.....

FIRST ESTIMATE
MODIFIED

METHOD

....... -o... c _ -o-.... \\

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION I0

I
I

, 42 ,

a/o

, 401

.l,

FIG.3--Various steps involved thededuction thedepth theMohorovicic in of to discontinuity the from

free-air anomalies

GRAVITY

COMPUTATIONS

FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL

BODIES

55

42

41

40

59

o
!

,
......

DISTANCE
IOO

, . .

KM
200
i

........... ALONG
, ,

IJO
300
, i

W
4.00
, , , , I

Ft--

A I t

A NOMA IS

-50

O mly _
Computed oho

ObserVed Udfish1952 anomaly

Obseed anomaly

'

-' 0
- - 50
0

Harrison others and 957)

0 .........

P=I.03

5IO -

.....

= 2.84

-5
- IO

15-

2oVecel
g5

P =3.27
Exoggerefion: I0 I
, ,

'
,

....

, ....

DEDUCED

S TtUC TUtOr-

5'EC TION

(a)

(with no sedimentary layer)

Fro. 4--Free-air anomalies and the deduced crustal structure (a) under the Mendocino fracture zone (with no sedimentarylayer)

in such a way as to reduce the disagreement. latter is obtained by subtractingthe water layer Alterations of crustal thickness were continued correction curve from the final curve computed until the computed curve fitted the residual to fit the residualanomaly.
anomalies as well as was desired. The final modified crustal thickness is shown as the solid

The

Harrison

Stations

61 and

62 and the

Redfish Stations 146 and 147, which were not next. The curve in Figure 3e. The computed residual usedin the profile, can be considered anomaly curve corresponding this is shownin soundingfor the Harrison Station 61 is 3330 m, to Figure3d andis seento fit mostof the pointsfairly and the free-air anomaly is -13 regal. The well. (No attempt was made to fit the gravity positionof this stationalongthe projectedprofile valueat Redfish Station 13, because unusually would be at 137 km south of 42N. I-Iere the the large negativeanomaly here seemsto be of local depth read off from the topographicprofile is origin.) It is emphasized here that while Tsuboi's 3750 m, which gives a differenceof 420 m. In method is very usefulin making an approximate order to make a rough allowancefor this depth estimate the crustalthickness, is by no difference,we can imagine a uniform plate of of it means essentialto the solution of the problem. water 420 m thick and of infinite areal extent. It is quite feasible to guessat an approximate The gravity effect of this layer (computedin the same way as the simple Bouguer correction), crustalthickness proceed and from there. Figure 4 shows the final deduced structure (a) using a density defect of 1.81 gm/cc, is 32 mgal.

and the computed free-air anomalycurve. The This has to be subtracted from the value of the

56

TALWANI,

WORZEL, AND LANDISMAN

in the previouscase, the only difference being that the sedimentarylayer as well as the water Then the approximate residualanomalyat the layer had to be removed. Figure 5 showsthe Harrison Station 61 is 13-]- 28632 = 267 deducedcrustal section (b) with the assumed regal. (The samenumbercan be obtained from sedimentarylayer taken into account. the value given for the Bougueranomaly by It can be seenthat in this case,as in the case Harrison and others [1957] at Station 61 after without the sedimentarylayer, the crust is allowing for the fact that they have used a thickerto the north of the scarpthan to the south different crustal density in making their com- of it by about three kin. The absolutethickness putations.)This number differs by only --5 of the crust may be subject to someuncertainty mgal from the value of the computed curveat because the values chosen for the densities and 137kin. Similarly, differences theHarrison the layer thicknessesare based on a standard the for Station 62 and the Redfish Stations146 and 147 oceanic sectionrather than on any seismic deter-

correction due to the water layer at 137 km. The latter can be read in Figure 3c as 286 mgal.

are-]-1, --13, and --8 mgal respectively. The minations in the area. It is of some interest, comparatively large difference for Station 146 therefore, to compare the crustal thickness
can be attributed to an actual difference in strucobtained here with those obtained at the closest

ture, whichis expected sincethe stationis at seismicrefraction stations, even though these distancefrom the gravity sucha greatdistance fromthe main Redfish line. are at a considerable
This alsopointsto the infeasibility usingboth profile. The only published determinations of the Redfishand the Harrison stations further available to the authors were Raitt's Stations M and M2 [Raitt, 1956]. The free-air anomalies north in a singlecomposite profile.
If additional data were available about further

in the vicinity of both these stationsare of the

layers(asfor example sedimentary a layer),the order of --20 mgal (unpublished Lamont gravity effectof suchlayerscouldbe 'removed' Observatory data). Thus a direct comparison
in the sameway as the water layer was removed in the above example.It shouldbe noted that the presenceof such layers could alter the deduced section considerably.For instance, a 1-km thickness sediment density2.1 gm/cc of of wouldrequirethe crustto be thinnerby about
with either end of the gravity profileis in order. At Station M (27 24' N, 121 35'W), which lies in Menard and Dietz's Baja California sea mount province, Raitt finds the following structure beneath the water layer: A first layer
of thickness 0.26 km and of assumed seismic

1.7 km in order to reconcile the computed velocity2.15 km/sec, a second layer of thickness

velocity is 8.41 kin/sec. Assumingdensitiesof 2.1, 2.6, 2.84 gm/cc for the three layers respecfelt that an assumption a sedimentary of layer tively, and of 3.27 gm/cc for the materialbelow would make the section geologically more the Mohorovicicdiscontinuity, and noting that probable. Accordingly,the computationswere the water depth hereis 4.18 kin, onecanconsider re-doneafter a sedimentary layer of density2.1 the isostatic balance of this sectionagainst the gm/ccwasaddedto the section the base the sectionat the south end of the gravity profile. at of waterlayer.This wasan average valueof density, There the water depth is 4.40 kin, and a simple chosen the basisof curvesgiven by Nafe and calculation shows that a balance with the on Drake [1957] which relate the compressional seismicallydeterminedsectionat M requiresa velocityanddensity ocean of sediments. value depth to the Mohorovicicdiscontinuityof 11.65 (A of 2.15 km/sec for the compressional velocity km considering singlecrustallayer of density a was assumedafter Raitt [1956].) The thickness 2.84gm/cc. If allowance madefor an additional is of this sedimentary layer wasassumed be sedimentary layer of density 2.1 gm/cc and to is km overareas smallrelief,somewhat of greater thickness kin, the depthto the discontinuity is thankm at the footof the scarp, andnegligible reducedto 10.8 kin. A discrepancy apparent on the scarpitself.The depthsto the Mohorovicic between these crustal thicknesses and those in (a) discontinuitywere obtainedin the sameway as deduced the gravitysections" and (b), the
modificationsto the deduced structure, it was

gravity curvewith the observed points. While, in the absence any seismic of determinationsof depth and velocity in this region, it was not possible introduceany complex to

0.93 km and velocity 5.88 kin/see, and a third layer of thickness 6.24 km and velocity 6.96
kin/sec. Below the Mohorovicicdiscontinuitythe

GRAVITY COMPUTATIONS FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL

N

BODIES
S

42'

41'

40'

39'

o !

ioo !

200 !

....

5oo i

....

Ft -O-

A l t

A NO MA I I-S
-0

_ -5o
J ---- Computed ano

- -5o
Observed anomaly Harrison o nd others(1957)

-I00
,,

Observed edfish anomaly 1952 USS //

?=1.03

- -I00

0 ....

5- '.........
P:2.84
IO-

-P: 2.2 I--"'

--"

--' 5
-

202.5

P :5.27
Vertical Exaggeration = I0 I
.

.
25 ,.

' , ....
*
.

,& ....
41 .

,.

....
40*

,5o....
SECTION (b)

DEDUCED

STRUCTURE

(with

ossurned sedimentary

Ioyer )

(with assumed sedimentarylayer)

latter giving depths of 15.5 km and 14.65 km respectively. This discrepancy has also been pointed out by Menard [1955]. (His choice of densities and the different water depthsin the areas for which he has made the comparison leadshim to an even greater discrepancy.) However, if the comparisonis made with Raitt's Station M. rather than M, the situation is somewhat improved.Proceeding before,it can as be shownthat the sectionat M is 'equivalent' to a section at the south end of the gravity profile having a total crustal thicknessof 13.6 km in the absence a sedimentary of layer, and of 12.8 km in the presence one. of The southend of the gravity profileliesin the abyssalplain. (Menard terms this the "Deep Plains Province.") Sincethe crustalthickness as deducedhere would be in even better agreement with Raitt's seismicdeterminations the deep at

oceanstations,this might suggest that it is not the deepstructureunder the abyssal plain that is unusual,as has been proposed Menard, but by that it is the deep structure under the Baja California sea mount province that might be considered especiallyas one approaches so, the continental edge. More seismic work in both areasis needed beforethis point can be definitely
settled. The crustal thickness determination
under the

Mendocinoscarp itself is also of interest. We note that, as determined from the gravity computations, the Mohorovicic discontinuity here seems have a very steepslopejust south to of the scarp. Some of this may possiblybe a spuriouseffect arising out of the attempt to explaina gravity anomalyof shalloworigin by deeperstructure. If a volcaniclayer of density 2.60 gm/cc and a prismatic shape should be

58

TALWANI,

WORZEL, AND LANDISMAN

interposedin the section (with the narrow edge of the prism outcropping at the scarp and the base about 100 km wide extending down to the Mohorovicic discontinuity), this would obviate the necessityof thickening the crust under the escarpment, and wouldreducethe southernslope of the discontinuity. In any event, it is clear that a massdeficiency existsunder the Mendocino escarpment, it seems and probablethat the depth at which this deficiency existsis not greater than the depth to the Mohorovicicdiscontinuity.This should be taken into consideration in any theoriesexplainingthe origin of the Mendocino escarpment. Also, it should be noted that the mass deficiencyor 'root' is somewhatdisplaced from the theoretical'root' whichcan be computed from the topography on the Airy hypothesis. Undoubtedly, this is the cause of the large isostatic anomalies computed for Stations 64 and 65 by Harrison and others [1957].
So far we have assumed that the anomalies

Fig. 3). Let us assume that a constantchangeof density in the mantle occursacrossa vertical interface directly below the Mendocino scarp and extendsfrom a depth of 20 km to 200 kin. A simple calculation can then be made to show that a density difference of 0.00583 gm/cc is requiredto accountfor the difference residual of anomaly at large distanceson either side. Using this density contrast, the gravity curve was computed for the mantle configurationoutlined above (Fig. 6). We notice that it fails to fit the anomalies large amountsin the vicinity of the by Mendocino scarp. This further showsthat these anomalies must have a shallow origin. While complexmodificationof the crust,in addition to the density changein the mantle, can probably be made to fit the residualanomalycurve, it is clear that a change of density in the mantle
alone cannot account for the observed anomalies.

across the Mendocino escarpment have their origin in the crust. It would be of someinterest to seeif variationsof densityin the mantle could account for these anomaliesequally well. At the two endsof the profilethere is a difference of 44 mgal in the residual anomaly (see

The actual running time for the computations made in this problem on the IBM 650 was three hours. On a faster computer, the IBM 704, for instance,the runningtime would be reducedby a factor of at least 30. Of course, more corna plicated problem, one involving more layers, for instance, would require correspondingly more time.

42
i

4/
I

40
i

J
I

S
i i

P/OJEC?ED
o

DISTANCE
I00

IN
200

HILOMETE/S

LONG
300

130
4oo

Fe/dual 4nornal/
Cornpuled 4nornaly ( Var/a//on of densi/y /n Manile)

350
0
42

0
41

0
40 3.9

4O0

Fro. 6--Attempt to fit the residual anomaliesacrossthe Mendocino scarp by a changeof density in the mantle (extendingto a depth of 200 km)

GRAVITY

COMPUTATIONS

FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL

BODIES

limitation

1952. problemfor a large numberof structures suchas prospecting [or oil, continental margins,ocean trenches, mountain NErLE?ON, L. L., Geophysical or McGraw-Mill, 444 pp., 1940. ranges,it might be a handicapfor small scale NAFE, JOHNE., AND CHARLES DRAKE, Variation L. work. A similar method for rapid calculationof with depth in shallow and deep water marine the gravitational attraction of three-dimensional sediments of porosity, density and the velocities bodies beingdeveloped. is of compressional and shearwaves,Geophysics, 22,

geology of the Gulf of Alaska, Geol. Soc. A mer. Bul., 52, 1263-1285, 1951. MSNARD, H. W., AND R. S. DIE?Z, Mendocino dimensionaltry.Though this is not a serious submarine escarpment, J. Geol., 50, 266-278,

In conclusion,one must point out that a

of this method is the assumed two-

Acknowledgments--Theauthors wish to thank Charles L. Drake, Maurice Ewing, J. E. N afe, Jack Oliver, and GeorgeSutton for critically reading the manuscript and making many valuable suggestions. Bruce Heezen interested himself keenly in the paper and the authors are indebted to him for many profitable discussions. The computations were made on an IBM 650, made available by the Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory. For that, as well as for the use of other facilities, the authors wish to expresstheir grateful appreciation. Elizabeth S. Skinner helped in making the computations, and Betty Quest, and Annette E. Trefzer drafted the illustrations. The researchwas supported by the Office of Naval Research,Department of the Navy, under Contract N6-Onr-271, Task Order 8.

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