Gordon, Richard G.2009-06-042009-06-042006Mutnuri, Kartik. "Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries: Kinematic observations and rheological constraints." (2006) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17900">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17900</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17900We use a thin viscous sheet model to interpret the observed shortening along a seismic reflection profile collected on the Phedre cruise (on the deforming oceanic lithosphere in the central Indian Ocean). We determine the 95% confidence region of the 1/e fall-off distance of strain rate to be between 7.1&deg; and 20.4&deg;, the vertically averaged power-law exponent to be between 1.6 and 18.5, and the ratio of the strength of the upper lithosphere to the lower lithosphere to be between 1 and 5.5. We calculate a simplified strength envelope of a two layered oceanic lithosphere based on the lower lithosphere deforming in accordance with the Dorn equation. This model estimates a range of between 0.2 and 20 TN m-1 for the strength of the oceanic lithosphere. The ratio of the strength of the upper lithosphere with respect to the lower lithosphere ranges between 8.6 and 13.98.86 p.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.GeologyGeophysicsThesisTHESIS GEOL. 2006 MUTNURI