Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Young formation age of a mantle plume source

Abstract

The Ninetyeast Ridge hotspot track displays strontium, neodymium and lead isotope variations over time that reflect simple radioactive decay in the plume source rather than a change in the mantle components present. The lead isotope variations indicate that the time spent by the plume source in a non-convecting mantle boundary layer was only a few hundreds of millions of years, contrary to the conventional view of individual plume sources as old (1–3 Gyr) or persistent features.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Morgan, W. J. Nature 230, 42–43 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sleep, N. H. J. geophys. Res. 95, 6715–6736 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Davies, G. F. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 99, 94–109 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wilson, J. T. Can. J. Phys. 41, 863–870 (1963).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Morgan, W. J. in The Sea, 7. The Oceanic Lithosphere (ed. Emiliani, C.) (Wiley, New York, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Duncan, R. A. & Richards, M. A. Rev. Geophys. 29, 31–50 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. White, W. M. Geology. 13, 115–118 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zindler, A. & Hart, S. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 14, 493–571 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Le Roex, A. P., Cliff, R. A. & Adair, J. I. J. Petrol. 31, 779–812 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Weis, D. & Frey, F. A. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 121, 591–610 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mahoney, J. J., Nicollet, C. & Dupuy, C. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 104, 350–363 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. O'Nions, R. K., Hamilton, P. J. & Evensen, N. M. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 34, 13–22 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Weis, D., Bassias, Y., Gautier, I. & Mennessier, J.-P. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 53, 2125–2131 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mahoney, J. J., Macdougall, J. D., Lugmair, G. W. & Gopalan, K. Nature 303, 385–389 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Barling, J. & Goldstein, S. L. Nature 348, 59–62 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Griffiths, R. W. & Campbell, I. H. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 99, 66–78 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Storey, M. et al. Nature 336, 371–374 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Gautier, I., Giret, A., Loubet, M., Vidal, P. & Weis, D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 100, 59–76 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Schlich, R. Mem. Hors Ser. Soc. Geol. Fr. 6, 103 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Royer, J.-Y. & Sandwell, D. T. J. geophys. Res. 94, 13,755–13,782 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Watkins, N. D., Gunn, B. M., Nougier, J. & Baksi, A. K. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 85, 201–212 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Giret, A., Cantagrel, J.-M. & Nougier, J. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 293, Serie II, 191–194 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Class, C., Goldstein, S. L., Galer, S. J. G. & Weis, D. V. M. Goldschmidt Conf. Abstr. 21 (Geochemical Society, 1992).

  24. Halliday, A. N. et al. Nature 359, 623–627 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Meijer, A., Kwon, T.-T. & Tilton, G. R. J. geophys. Res. 95, 433–448 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Qin, Z. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 112, 75–90 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tatsumoto, M. Earth planet. Sci. Lett 38, 63–87 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Newsom, H. E., White, W. M., Jochum, K. P. & Hofmann, A. W. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 80, 299–313 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hofmann, A. W., Jochum, K. P., Seufert, M. & White, W. M. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 79, 33–45 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Walker, D., Beattie, P. & Jones, J. H. Eos 73, 616 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Brooks, C., Hart, S. R., Hofmann, A. & James, D. E. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 32, 51–61 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Chase, C. G. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 52, 277–284 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Silver, P. G., Carlson, R. W. & Olson, P. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 16, 477–541 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Zindler, A., Jagoutz, E. & Goldstein, S. L. Nature 298, 519–523 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Rudnick, R. L. & Goldstein, S. L. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 98, 192–207 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Pallister, J. S., Stacey, J. S., Fischer, L. B. & Premo, W. R. Precambr. Res. 38, 1–54 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Sleep, N. H. J. geophys. Res. 97, 20007–20019 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Hofmann, A. W. & White, W. M. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 57, 421–436 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Hart, S. R. Nature 309, 753–757 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Christensen, U. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 95, 382–394 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Gurnis, M. & Davies, G. F. J. geophys. Res. 91, 6375–6395 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. Gurnis, M. & Davies, G. F. Geophys. Res. Lett. 13, 541–544 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. Hoffman, N. R. A. & McKenzie, D. P. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 82, 163–206 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Galer, S. J. G. & O'Nions, R. K. Nature 316, 778–782 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Goldstein, S. & Chauvel, C. V. M. Goldschmidt Conf. Abstr. 48 (Geochemical Society, 1990).

  46. McKenzie, D. & O'Nions, R. K. Nature 301, 229–231 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Arndt, N. T., & Goldstein, S. L. Tectonophysics 161, 201–212 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Zimmer, M. thesis. Johannes Gutenberg-Univ. Mainz (1989).

  49. Ben Othman, D., White, W. M. & Patchett, J. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 94, 1–21 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Heier, K. S. Phil. Trans. R Soc. Lond. A273, 429–442 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. Rudnick, R. L. in Continental Lower Crust (eds Fountain, D. M., Arculus, R. & Kay, R. W.) 269–316 (Elsevier, London, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Dudas, F. O., Carlson, R. W. & Eggler, D. H. Geology 15, 22–25 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Molnar, P. & Gray, D. Geology 7, 58–62 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. Houseman, G. A., McKenzie, D. P. & Molnar, P. J. geophys. Res. 86, 6115–6132 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. Laubscher, H. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 100, 1313–1328 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Tao, W. C. & O'Connell, R. J. J. geophys. Res. 97, 8877–8904 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  57. Davies, H. L. et al. Contrib. Miner. Petrol. 103, 457–469 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Saunders, A. D. et al. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 121, 559–591 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Stacey, J. S. & Kramers, J. D. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 26, 207–221 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Ben Othman, D., Polvé, M. & Allègre, C. J. Nature 307, 510–515 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Class, C., Goldstein, S., Galer, S. et al. Young formation age of a mantle plume source. Nature 362, 715–721 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/362715a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/362715a0

This article is cited by

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.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing