Abstract
The most active volcanic zone on Earth occurs along the global mid-ocean ridge system where the lithosphere is pulled apart and new oceanic crust is created at rates between 10 and 200 km Myr−1. This volcanism is segmented, and is concentrated along the axial valleys and highs of slow- and fast-spreading ridges respectively, with transform fault zones separating, and generally offsetting, each active ridge segment. Volcanic activity may be nearly absent at the ridge transform intersection where a slow-spreading ridge is offset, and greatly reduced where a fast-spreading ridge is offset, implying thinner crust in these regions1. The source of magmas erupted along ocean ridges is the underlying mantle, which undergoes decompression melting when rising to fill the gap between the spreading plates. The resulting magma aggregates in the upper mantle and ascends to the crust due to its low density compared with the parent mantle rock. The melt is believed to pool in crustal magma chambers—whence it periodically erupts to the surface. Typically, the formation, ascent and aggregation of magmas along the mid-ocean ridges is regarded two-dimensionally and modelled in a section through the crust and mantle across the strike of the ridges (see ref. 2). Here, however, we consider the problem with a three-dimensional model for which we provide supporting geological evidence, in which the magmas rise as a result of a gravitational instability (modified Rayleigh–Taylor) in the underlying partial melt zone.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fox, P. & Gallo, D. G. Tectonophysics 104, 205–242 (1984).
Ahern, J. L. & Turcotte, D. L. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 45, 115–122 (1979).
Whitehead, J. A. Jr & Luther, D. S. J. geophys. Res. 80, 705–717 (1975).
Marsh, B. D. J. Geol. 87, 687–713 (1979).
Marsh, B. D. Am. Scient. 62, 161–171 (1979).
Sigurdsson, H. & Sparks, S. Nature 274, 126–130 (1978).
Richter, F. M. & Pearsons, B. J. geophys. Res. 80, 2529–2541 (1975).
Thayer, R. E., Bjornsson, A., Alvarez, L. & Hermance, J. F. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 65, 423–442 (1981).
Dick, H. J. B. & Fisher, R. L. in The Mantle and Crust-Mantle Relationships, Proc. 3rd. int. Kimberlite Conf. (ed. Kornprobst, J.) 295–308 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984).
Church, W. R. & Stevens, R. K. J. geophys. Res. 76, 1460–1466 (1971).
Dick, H. J. B., Fisher, R. L. & Bryan, W. B. Earth planet. Sci. Lett, (in the press).
Dick, H. J. B. & Bullen, T. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 86, 54–76 (1984).
Green, D. H. & Hibberson, W. Lithos 3, 209–221 (1970).
Schouten, H. & Klitgord, K. D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 59, 255–266 (1982).
Schouten, H. & White, R. S. Geology 8, 175–179 (1980).
Schouten, H. & Klitgord, K. D. Nature 303, 549–550 (1983).
White, R. S. & Matthews, D. H. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 61, 401–35 (1980).
Sinha, M. C. & Louden, K. E. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 75, 713–736 (1983).
Mutter, J. C., Detrick, R. S. & NAT Study Group, Geology (in the press).
Machado, A., Ludden, J. N., Brooks, C. & Thompson, G. Nature 295, 226–228 (1981).
Ringwood, A. E. Composition and Petrology of the Earth's Mantle (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1975).
Green, D. H., Hibberson, W. O. & Jaques, A. L. in The Earth: Its Origin, Structure and Evolution (ed. McElhinny, M. W.) 165–199 (Academic, New York, 1979).
Carter, J. L. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 81, 2021–2034 (1970).
Sigurdsson, H. J. geophys. Res. 86, 9483–9502 (1981).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Whitehead, J., Dick, H. & Schouten, H. A mechanism for magmatic accretion under spreading centres. Nature 312, 146–148 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/312146a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/312146a0
This article is cited by
-
Oceanic mantle beneath ultraslow spreading ridges metasomatized by variably evolved melts
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2024)
-
Seismic evidence for uniform crustal accretion along slow-spreading ridges in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean
Nature Communications (2022)
-
Generation and evolution of the oceanic lithosphere in the North Atlantic
La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento (2022)
-
The Atlantis Bank Gabbro Massif, Southwest Indian Ridge
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2019)
-
Mapping the evolving strain field during continental breakup from crustal anisotropy in the Afar Depression
Nature Communications (2011)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.