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Segmentation of mid-ocean ridges attributed to oblique mantle divergence

Nature Geoscience volume 9, pages 636–642 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

The origin of mid-ocean ridge segmentation—the systematic along-axis variation in tectonic and magmatic processes—remains controversial. It is commonly assumed that mantle flow is a passive response to plate divergence and that between transform faults magma supply controls segmentation. Using seismic tomography, we constrain the geometry of mantle flow and the distribution of mantle melt beneath the intermediate-spreading Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Our results, in combination with prior studies, establish a systematic skew between the mantle-divergence and plate-spreading directions. In all three cases studied, mantle divergence is advanced with respect to recent changes in the plate-spreading direction and the extent to which the flow field is advanced increases with decreasing spreading rate. Furthermore, seismic images show that large-offset, non-transform discontinuities are regions of enhanced mantle melt retention. We propose that oblique mantle flow beneath mid-ocean ridges is a driving force for the reorientation of spreading segments and the formation of ridge-axis discontinuities. The resulting tectonic discontinuities decrease the efficiency of upward melt transport, thus defining segment-scale variations in magmatic processes. We predict that across spreading rates mid-ocean ridge segmentation is controlled by evolving patterns in asthenospheric flow and the dynamics of lithospheric rifting.

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Figure 1: Tectonic segmentation of fast-, intermediate- and slow-spreading ridges.
Figure 2: Location and geometry of the ETOMO experiment and tomographic image of the mantle velocity structure.
Figure 3: Mean Pn delay times versus azimuth.
Figure 4: Skew of mantle anisotropy by spreading rate.
Figure 5: Proposed model of magmatic segmentation for fast- and intermediate-spreading ridges.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the officers and crew of the RV Marcus G. Langseth as well as the OBS teams from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for their assistance in the acquisition of the seismic data. Additional assistance was provided by onboard passive acoustic technicians and marine mammal observers to ensure that data collection was accomplished in compliance with guidelines set forth by marine environmental assessments and permits. The experiment and analysis were supported by the NSF under grants numbered OCE-0454700 to the University of Washington and OCE-0454747 and OCE-0651123 to the University of Oregon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA

    Brandon P. VanderBeek, Douglas R. Toomey & Emilie E. E. Hooft

  2. School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

    William S. D. Wilcock

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  1. Brandon P. VanderBeek
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Contributions

D.R.T., E.E.E.H. and W.S.D.W. designed the experiment and participated in data collection and processing. B.P.V. conducted the tomographic analysis. B.P.V. and D.R.T. wrote the initial manuscript with comments from co-authors. All authors discussed the results and their implications and assisted in revising the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Brandon P. VanderBeek.

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VanderBeek, B., Toomey, D., Hooft, E. et al. Segmentation of mid-ocean ridges attributed to oblique mantle divergence. Nature Geosci 9, 636–642 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2745

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