Free-air gravity anomaly map of the Gulf of Mexico and its tectonic implications, 1963 edition

Abstract

Abstract The 1963 free-air anomaly map of the Gulf of Mexico indicates that the Gulf is essentially in isostatic equilibrium but contains local mass anomalies. Two crustal sections are presented, based on the gravity observations and published seismic refraction results that show marked variations in structures and thicknesses, particularly across the Gulf Coast geosyncline, Sigsbee Deep, and Campeche and West Florida escarpments. The main Gulf appears to consist of oceanic crust overlain by sediments and surrounded by continental crusts from Florida to Texas, Mexico, and the Yucatan Peninsula. Faulting is not a major factor in formation of the Gulf.