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Appalachians and Onshore Margin that heterogeneity in source mantle fertility could explain along-
strike crustal thickness variations. John Green (TAMU) presented
Lara Wagner (Carnegie) provided a thorough tectonic and literature refined magnetic anomaly correlations throughout the offshore
background for ENAM research; she emphasized that for a “passive”
margin, ENAM looks surprisingly active, with ongoing seismicity, ENAM and assigned updated ages and chron numbers to M0-M25
and eight pre-M25 anomalies, identifying five correlated magnetic
Eocene volcanics near Harrisonburg, and steep relief. Patrick Duff
(U South Carolina) used magnetic and gravity modeling along with anomalies between the East Coast Magnetic Anomaly (ECMA)
legacy seismic datasets to argue for ~370 km of shortening during and the BSMA. His results suggest that, if the BSMA source is
Appalachian orogenies. He showed that lower-crustal variability oceanic crust, the BSMA may have formed ~168.5 Ma and represent
was not necessarily needed in order to account for the gravity the initiation of oceanic crust formation. Joshua Davis (LDEO)
signal. Lindsay Worthington (U. New Mexico) showed new results presented his modelling of ECMA SDR emplacement, seeking to
from the on-land component of the ENAM-CSE active source explain the paradoxical observations that this feature is a single
experiment. Her results show a surprisingly simple lower-crustal positive magnetic anomaly. James Gibson (LDEO) expanded deep
structure beneath the onshore portion of the margin, with elevated water allostratigraphy observations to show that bottom-current
supra-Moho velocities perhaps indicating crustal underplating erosion rates vary along the margin.
related to the initial formation of the ENAM on one of the two lines. Discussions focused primarily on the location of initiation of oceanic
Rachel Marzen’s (LDEO) work on the SUGAR lines (South Georgia crustal formation and on the best ways to assimilate offshore results
Basin) crosses Mesozoic rift basins and multiple potential suture with onshore data.
zones between accreted terranes. They observed high Vp and Vs
within the Inner Piedmont and Carolina accreted terranes that are Margin Overview
underlain by a low velocity zone at ~5 km depth. Cong Li’s (UMass, Roger Buck (LDEO) gave an expansive overview of the large
Amherst) P-s receiver function study (presented in his absence by outstanding geodynamic questions in the context of rifts: Are
Xiaotao Yang) indicates good correlation between Bouger gravity plumes important for rift initiation? What role does pre-existing
and Moho topography in New England, suggesting that Mesozoic structure play? Roger discussed the rarity of a rift directly abutting
terrane boundaries still control today’s Moho gradients with a large orogenic province such as the Appalachians, and discussed
significant offsets in Moho topography associated with the northern implications of this juxtaposition. Xiaotao Yang (UMass, Amherst)
Appalachians. Ben Murphy (U. Oregon) presented magnetotelluric showed results of his full-waveform ambient noise Vs tomography in
(MT) evidence for a deep, electrically-resistive body beneath the the Adirondacks, where accreted terranes inboard of the Appalachian
piedmont, spanning the region from Georgia to Virginia and orogen are co-located with a Bouger gravity high. He showed
extending from just east of the mountain belt to the coastline.
localized low VS in the upper mantle in this region; when modeled,
Much of the discussion for this session focused on the discrepant the associated density structure explains the high topography,
tomographic and MT results beneath the coastal plain. Whereas perhaps related to edge-driven convection. Erin Cunningham
tomographic images clearly delineate a thin piedmont seismic (U. Maryland) presented S-p and P-s receiver function common
lithosphere, the MT data indicates almost the exact opposite, with conversion point maps that reveal crustal thickening beneath the
thick resistors outboard of the orogen. There was also significant eastern Tennessee seismic zone.
discussion regarding the differences between lower crustal active
source lines. The conclusion of the Margin Overview session served as both a
discussion of the overall structures and processes associated with
We concluded this section with the questions: 1) Is there such a thing the ENAM and of mature passive margin formation worldwide. As
as a type locale for a magmatic (or really any type) of passive margin? one of the GeoPRISMS primary sites, inferences made at ENAM
2) What is the necessary scale of an experiment to capture all of the should be applied more broadly to advance our understanding of
complexities and variability of a passive margin? 3) What does the rifting processes. This lead to significant discussion as to whether
lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary look like across the ENAM? such applications are justified, given the variability and discordant
Offshore Margin results observed along the margin. Even the most basic questions,
such as: What is the Moho topography? What is the LAB structure?
Anne Bécel (LDEO) presented high quality MCS and wide- Where did rifting begin? Is there magmatic underplating beneath the
angle refraction results spanning the entire continental margin. margin? seem to have answers that strongly depend on the specific
Among the notable features were a continuously map-able Moho,
erosional unconformities demarcating rift-related sedimentation, seismic lines, imaging techniques, and geophysical observables
well-captured seaward-dipping reflectors (SDRs) and thick ocean- being used.
continent transitional crust in the region of the East Coast Magnetic The ENAM is more complex and recently active than was previously
Anomaly (ECMA). Brandon Shuck (UT Austin) presented OBS appreciated and there may be no such a thing as a ‘type-locale’ for
results that were in strong agreement with Anne’s findings. He a passive margin. The ENAM community has more discovery and
used petrological modelling to argue that thickened Blake Spur discussion lying ahead as we reconcile diverse observations and
Magnetic Anomaly (BSMA) crust implies Tp ~ 1450˚C, positing begin to unravel the controls on the variable nature of the margin.

Spring 2018 Issue No. 40 GeoPRISMS Newsletter • 41

Visit the GeoPRISMS website
for more information about
the Mini‐Workshops at the
AGU Fall Meeting