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A new view of the mid-ocean ridge from the behaviour of ridge-axis discontinuities

Nature volume 335, pages 217–225 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

High-resolution images covering large areas of the seafloor reveal numerous discontinuities along the mid-ocean ridge. These discontinuities occur at a range of scales (10–1,000 km) and define a fundamental segmentation of seafloor spreading centres. Some are transient; others persist for millions of years, migrating along the mid-ocean ridge and disrupting the structural and geochemical character of approximately 20% of the oceanic lithosphere.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    Ken C. Macdonald, L. J. Perram, R. M. Haymon, S. P. Miller, S. M. Carbotte & M.-H. Cormier

  2. Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, 02882, USA

    P. J. Fox & M. F. Eisen

  3. Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2525 Correa Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    A. N. Shor

Authors
  1. Ken C. Macdonald
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  2. P. J. Fox
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  4. M. F. Eisen
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  5. R. M. Haymon
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  6. S. P. Miller
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  7. S. M. Carbotte
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  8. M.-H. Cormier
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  9. A. N. Shor
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Macdonald, K., Fox, P., Perram, L. et al. A new view of the mid-ocean ridge from the behaviour of ridge-axis discontinuities. Nature 335, 217–225 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/335217a0

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