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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/335217a0
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