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Electromagnetic Images of the South and Central American Subduction Zones

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The Earth's Magnetic Interior

Part of the book series: IAGA Special Sopron Book Series ((IAGA,volume 1))

Abstract

Current and fossil plate margins offer some of the most rewarding targets for geophysical studies. Particularly, the fluid/melt cycle in subduction zones continues to be of major interest for seismological as well as deep electromagnetic (EM), specifically magnetotelluric investigations. In this contribution we describe a number of experiments which have been conducted in several ocean-continent convergence zones around the world, with a focus on the Andes and Central America, respectively. Zones of potentially high electrical conductivity range from bending-related faulting near the outer rise, the subduction channel at the tip of the continental plate, the dehydration-hydration cycles in and above the downgoing plate, the assumed melting of the asthenospheric wedge to the rise of melts toward the volcanic arc and the magma chambers beneath the volcano edifices. Further targets include fault zones in the forearc, accommodating tensional stress, as well as hydrothermal and mineral deposits, to mention a few. The following chapters emphasize on a variety of structures along continental margins and show the potential of deep EM in this geodynamic setting.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Hybrid cases are the so-called VLF (very low frequency) and RMT (radio magnetotelluric) methods which use the radiation from distant transmitters for communication with submarines and LF radio stations, respectively.

  2. 2.

    If the spatial structure of the field is known, an extension of the methods described above may be used to estimate conductivity of the Earth.

  3. 3.

    The impedance is defined here via the magnetic induction B as is common in MT, yielding an unit of m/s. By replacing induction B with the magnetic field H the expected unit of Ω is obtained.

  4. 4.

    Although the term vector is often used (also in this text), note that, for coupled anomalies the “vectors” can’t simply be added (Siemon 1997).

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Acknowledgements

The author wants to thank the partner institutions in Chile (Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad de Concepción), Bolivia (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés), Argentina (Universidad Nacional de Salta, Universidad de Buenos Aires), Costa Rica (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) and Nicaragua (Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales); without their logistical support this work would not have been possible. The help of many members and students from these institutions and the Free University of Berlin is also gratefully acknowledged. Funding was provided by German Science Foundation (DFG) through numerous grants to the author.

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  1. Freie Universität Berlin, Fachrichtung Geophysik, 12249, Berlin, Germany

    Heinrich Brasse

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  1. Geophysical Institute, ASCR Praha, Bocni II / 1401, Praha 4, 141 31, Czech Republic

    Eduard Petrovský

  2. School of Mathematics & Statistics, Dept. Pure Mathematics, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, New South Wales, Australia

    David Ivers

  3. National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India

    T Harinarayana

  4. School of Ocean & Earth Science &, Technology (SOEST), University of Hawaii, East-West Road 1680, Honolulu, 96822, Hawaii, USA

    Emilio Herrero-Bervera

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Brasse, H. (2011). Electromagnetic Images of the South and Central American Subduction Zones. In: Petrovský, E., Ivers, D., Harinarayana, T., Herrero-Bervera, E. (eds) The Earth's Magnetic Interior. IAGA Special Sopron Book Series, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0323-0_4

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