Continuous Coverage of Recent High Resolution Seismic and Magnetic Data gives New Insight into the Early Development of the Gulf of Mexico

Extensive coverage of the entire Mexican Gulf of Mexico (MGoM) by long offset 2D marine seismic data, processed in time and depth, along with gravity and magnetic shipborne data were acquired on an evenly space survey grid during 2015–16 and enable a better understanding of the deep structure of the entire GoM. A correction of the GoM oceanic spreading transform fault locations, previously only diffusely identifiable on a Vertical Derivative version of the Sandwell Free Air Anomaly Map was carried out and a refinement of existing models of the extinct Jurassic-Early Cretaceous GoM spreading ridge locations was undertaken by coupling the above with gravity and magnetic grids and profile plots of seismic depth of top oceanic crust vs. distance. Due to thick sediment (up to 13 km) overlying the oceanic crust in the GoM, the magnetic anomaly signal and, therefore, the spreading anomaly pattern are more difficult to identify than those in younger and wider oceanic basins. Nonetheless, the location of the magnetic isochrons are readily identifiable by forward modelling of transform parallel transects within each spreading segment, and we are able to review existing models of oceanic opening time, rotation poles and spreading rates.