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Fine-scale segmentation of the crustal magma reservoir beneath the East Pacific Rise

Nature Geoscience volume 6, pages 866–870 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

The global mid-ocean ridge is segmented in its seafloor morphology and magmatic systems, but the origin of and relationships between this tectonic and magmatic segmentation are poorly understood1,2,3,4,5. At fast-spreading ridges, tectonic segmentation is observed on a fine scale2,4,6,7,8, but it is unclear whether this partitioning also occurs in the magmatic system. Fine-scale tectonic segmentation could have a deep origin, arising from the distribution of upwelling mantle melt, or a shallow origin, linked to offset intruding dikes from long, more continuous crustal reservoirs2,9. Here we use seismic reflection data from the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise, between 8° 20′ N and 10° 10′ N, which includes a unique area where two documented volcanic eruptions have occurred10,11,12,13,14,15, to image the crustal magma bodies in high resolution. We find that the magma reservoirs form 5- to 15-km-long segments that coincide with the fine-scale tectonic segmentation at the seafloor and that three lens segments fed the recent eruptions. Transitions in composition, volume and morphology of erupted lavas coincide with disruptions in the lens that define magmatic segments. We conclude that eruptions at the East Pacific Rise are associated with the vertical ascent of magma from lenses that are mostly physically isolated, leading to the eruption of distinct lavas at the surface that coincide with fine-scale tectonic segmentation.

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Figure 1: Segmentation in seafloor structure, AML, lava geochemistry and eruption volume along the EPR 9° 35′–10° 06′ N.
Figure 2: Comparison of magma lens and bathymetric segmentation along the EPR 8° 20′–10° 10′ N.
Figure 3: Schematic representation of EPR magmatic system and 2005–2006 eruption.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Captain M. Landow, crew, and technical staff led by R. Steinhaus for the success of RV M.G. Langseth cruise MGL0812. We thank I. Grevemeyer for comments, R. Waters for assistance with the geochemical data, and K. C. Macdonald, R. M. Haymon and R. Buck for helpful discussions. This research was financially supported by NSF OCE0327872 to S.M.C. and J.C.M., OCE0327885 to J.P.C., and OCE0138088 to M.R.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA

    Suzanne M. Carbotte, Milena Marjanović, Helene Carton, John C. Mutter, Mladen R. Nedimović & Shuoshuo Han

  2. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA

    Juan Pablo Canales

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1, Canada

    Mladen R. Nedimović

  4. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainseville, Florida 32611, USA

    Michael R. Perfit

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  1. Suzanne M. Carbotte
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Contributions

All authors (except M.R.P. and S.H.) participated in the MCS field experiment. M.M. carried out the MCS data processing, S.M.C. and M.M. interpreted the data. M.R.P. contributed geochemical data and interpretation. S.M.C. wrote the paper with contributions from all co-authors.

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Correspondence to Suzanne M. Carbotte.

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Carbotte, S., Marjanović, M., Carton, H. et al. Fine-scale segmentation of the crustal magma reservoir beneath the East Pacific Rise. Nature Geosci 6, 866–870 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1933

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