Search

As relics of ancient ocean lithosphere, ophiolites are the most important petrological evidence for marking the sutures and also play a key role in reconstructing plate configuration. They also provide valuable windows for studying crustal accretion and mantle processes occurring at modern ocean ridges. Abundant ophiolites are distributed along the Yarlung-Tsangpo suture and represent the relics of ocean lithosphere of the Neo-Tethys. They are characterized by an incomplete litho-stratigraphy, of which the mantle section is much thicker than the crustal section. Ocean crustal rocks outcropped in the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites are much thinner than normal ocean crusts (~ 7 km) or even absent. Tectonic settings from which the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites originated remain highly controversial, although an origin of the supra-subduction zone is prevailing. Moreover, their incomplete litho-stratigraphy has been commonly attributed to tectonic dismemberment during the late-stage emplacement after their formation. Nevertheless, such an incompleteness resembles the ocean lithosphere generated at modern ultraslow spreading ridges, such as the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). In this paper, we present several lines of evidence that support the formation of the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites at ultraslow spreading ridges, during which detachment faults were developed. This suggests that the Yarlung-Tsangpo ophiolites might represent the ocean core complexes (OCC) in the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The OCC with high topography in the seafloor were clogged in the trench and preserved as ophiolites through Indo-Eurasia collision. The clogging resulted in the demise of an old subduction and a new subduction was re-initiated beneath the clogged OCC.

The Shatsky Rise ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction is an ancient triple junction in the Western Pacific Ocean whose initial geodynamic process is poorly understood and can only be inferred based on indirect geological and geophysical constraints. In this paper, we present three-dimensional numerical models that simulate the Shatsky Rise triple junction and calculate its coupled mantle flow and temperature structure. The mantle flow velocity field shows several distinctive features: 1) stronger mantle upwelling closer to the ridge axis and triple junction; 2) greater upwelling velocity at the faster-spreading ridges; and 3) the most significant increase in upwelling velocity for the slowest-spreading ridge toward the triple junction. The calculated mantle temperature field also reveals distinctive characteristics: 1) sharp increases in the mantle temperature with depth and increases toward the spreading ridges and triple junction; 2) the faster-spreading ridges are associated with higher temperatures at depth and identical distances from the triple junction; and 3) the slowest-spreading ridge shows the greatest increase in the along-ridge-axis temperature toward the triple junction. Compared to many present-day triple junctions with slower spreading rates, the along-ridge-axis velocity and thermal fields of the Shatsky Rise are more altered due to the presence of the triple junction.

In this article, we investigate the influence of the Arctic mid-ocean ridge system (AMORS), including the Gakkel and Mohns ridges, and the Knipovich ridge–Lena trough (KL) segment, on seismicity of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago area (NZ) and the northernmost margin of the East-European Platform (EEP) for 1980–2019. For each individual area, the annual seismic energy was obtained by adding the energies of all earthquakes. To do this, we have converted various types of magnitude by different seismic networks into moment magnitude Mw. We compiled the updated catalog for the NZ, the northern EEP, and the northern part of the Ural fold belt (UFB). As a result, we constructed time distributions of annual seismic energy releases for each composing ridges of AMORS, NZ, and EEP combined with UFB. A model based on the Elsasser’s one describing the transfer of lithospheric stress disturbances in the horizontal direction was built, and quantitative calculations of the disturbance propagations from AMORS were performed. Results are in good agreement with the annual seismic energy time lags between rifts and NZ and EEP together with the UFB. We calculated correlation coefficients between the seismic energy releases over the time for the structures, enabling identification of the characteristic excitation cycles and estimation of the interval of disturbance transfer from AMORS. As a result, disturbances from the Gakkel ridge appear 3 yr later in NZ, from the KL segment in 4 yr, and from the Mona ridge in 8 yr. For the EEP + UBF combined area, we found the following disturbances spreading lags as 7 yr for the Mona ridge, 4 yr for the KL segment, and 5 yr for the Gakkel ridge. The obtained damping amplitudes of the disturbance spreading from the arctic ridges are sufficient to affect the intraplate seismic activity.

MatLab files used for calculation and figures

The variety of information obtained during scientific research and exploration of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits include significant data on the morphology of orebodies formed in various geological settings. On the example of hydrothermal vent fields in the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, different hydrothermal ore structures are described, from the most common mound-shaped to rarely encountered “smoking craters.” The processes that govern the morphology of orebodies are analyzed, including alterations during the evolution of hydrothermal ore-forming systems. In contrast to the study of SMS deposits outcropping on the seafloor, the internal structure and formation models are mostly hypothetical. In particular, this concerns assumptions on the presence of massive sulfides and their formation mechanism below the paleo/subseafloor surface. Obviously, the results of drilling planned in the near future will make it possible to confirm or refute existing models and change the resource assessments, which are currently based on surface sampling of SMS deposits.

Funding: These field and related experimental studies were supported through US NSF grants: 0549547, 0751771, 0813861, 0961188 and 1736679 (WES). Mid-ocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal vent fluids are enriched with dissolved barium, but due to barite (BaSO4) precipitation during mixing between Ba-bearing vent fluids and SO4-bearing seawater, the magnitude of hydrothermal Ba input to the ocean remains uncertain. Deep-ocean Ba isotopes show evidence for non-conservative behavior, which might be explained by input of isotopically heavy hydrothermal Ba. In this study we present the first Ba isotope data in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vent fluids and particles from systems on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Rainbow 36°N and TAG 26°N), the East Pacific Rise (EPR9–10°N and 13°N) and the Juan de Fuca Ridge (MEF and ASHES). The vent fluids display a wide range of dissolved Ba concentrations from 0.43 to 97.9 μmol/kg and δ138/134Ba values from −0.26 to +0.91‰, but are modified relative to initial composition due to precipitation of barite. Calculated endmember vent fluid δ138/134Ba values, prior to barite precipitation, are between −0.17 and +0.09‰, consistent with the values observed in oceanic basalts and pelagic sediments. Water-rock interaction at depth in the oceanic crust appears to occur without Ba isotope fractionation. During subsequent venting and mixing with seawater, barite precipitation preferentially removes isotopically light Ba from vent fluids with a fractionation factor of Δ138/134Bahyd-barite-fluid = −0.35 ± 0.10‰ (2SE, n = 2). Based on knowledge of barite saturation and isotope fractionation during precipitation, the effective hydrothermal Ba component that mixes with seawater after barite precipitation has completed can be calculated: δ138/134Bahyd = +1.7 ± 0.7‰ (2SD). This value is isotopically heavier than deep ocean waters and may explain the observed non-conservative of Ba isotopes in deep waters. These new constraints on hydrothermal Ba compositions enable the hydrothermal input of Ba to Atlantic deep waters to be assessed at ≈3–9% of the observed Ba. Barium isotopes might be used as a tracer to reconstruct the history of hydrothermal Ba inputs and seawater SO4 concentrations in the past. Postprint

The Mako area, located in eastern Senegal, constitutes a segment of Paleoproterozoic (Birimian) formations of the Kedougou-Kenieba Inliers (KKI) in the western part of the West African craton. The basic volcanism of the Birimian formations of the KKI has long been considered to be related to a single magmatic event associated with a Mid Oceanic Ridge Basalts (MORB) setting. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate on the basis of the architectural characteristics of the granitoids dark enclaves, the occurrence of at least two distinct phases of basic Magamtism in the Birimian of the KKI. The methodology consists of a cartography, a petrographic and architectural characterization of the dark enclaves within the Mako granitoids, in order to constrain their spatial and temporal relationships with the granitic magma. The results obtained are compared with those of the bibliography. We have pinpointed two types of enclaves depending on their shapes and the characteristics of their edge with the enclosing rocks: angular enclaves with straight edges (ante-granitoids) and the soft enclaves with uneven edges (syn-granitoids). The enclaves with straight and well-defined rectilinear edges (ante-granitoids) would be linked to a basic magma which is already consolidated before being fragmented, torn and carried away as enclaves in the granitoids. These enclaves would come from enclosing outcrops of metabasalts and metagabbros which are locally cross-cut by the granitoids. The soft enclaves with uneven edges (syn-granitoids) were co-magmatic and not solid during their incorporation into the granitoids. They come from a basic magma which is contemporaneous to the granitic one. Thus, the occurrence of two generations of dark enclaves is related to, at last, two different phases of basic magmatism in the Birimian formations of the KKI.

This study presents experimental, geochemical modeling, and field data focusing on the partitioning of osmium (Os) between pyrite and fluid upon precipitation at conditions representative of mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal environments. Dissolved Os partitions strongly into pyrite upon precipitation at experimental conditions, 350 °C and 50 MPa, with a representative relative Os/Fe partition coefficient, D Pyrite - F l u i d Os / F e , between 10 and 15. Integrating the experimentally determined D Pyrite - F l u i d Os / F e into a geochemical model indicates that a significant amount of Os is retained within the subseafloor due to sulfide precipitation induced by mixing of conductively heated seawater with pristine high temperature hydrothermal fluids that are enriched in dissolved metals, such as Os and Fe. Comparison with existing Os concentration and isotopic data of hydrothermal fluids and sulfide minerals from a wide range of hydrothermal systems with the experimental and modeling constraints suggest that modern high temperature hydrothermal systems are a minor source of unradiogenic Os to the modern global ocean dissolved Os budget due to the majority of Os being sequestered into sulfide minerals formed within and on the seafloor.

Accurate knowledge of the composition of Earth’s major chemical reservoirs is fundamental for constraining all modern geochemical cycles. Basaltic rocks provide a direct way of sampling the composition of Earth’s inaccessible interior. Here, we present the first comprehensive neodymium (Nd) stable isotope analyses for a global compilation of mid-ocean ridge, ocean island, continental intraplate and island arc basalts using a double-spike technique. In these primitive magma compositions magmatic differentiation has no resolvable effect on δ146/144Nd. Mid-ocean ridge basalts possess an extremely homogenous δ146/144Nd with an average composition of δ146/144Nd = −0.025 ± 0.013‰ (±2 s.d.; n = 33). Ocean island and continental intraplate magmas possess more variable compositions (δ146/144Nd = 62 ppm) that are related to the variable incorporation of recycled components in their source regions. Island arc basalts from New Britain (δ146/144Nd = 61 ppm) reflect the complex interplay between source composition, degree of melting and slab-fluid inputs. Variations are uncorrelated with indicators of magmatic differentiation or slab-fluid addition, rather increasing δ146/144Nd with slab depth is attributed to a higher proportion of metasomatized sub-arc mantle in the melting region. A partial melting model for Nd stable isotopes has been constructed using Nd–O force constants calculated using the Born-Lande approximation. Melting of typical mantle peridotite will induce no resolvable fractionations of Nd stable isotopes (Δ146/144Ndmelt-mantle

Seawater interaction with the oceanic lithosphere crucially impacts on global geochemical cycles, controls ocean chemistry over geologic time, changes the petrophysical properties of the oceanic lithosphere, and regulates the global heat budget. Extensive seawater circulation is expressed near oceanic ridges by the venting of hydrothermal fluids through chimney structures. These vent fluids vary greatly in chemistry, from the metal-rich, acidic fluids that emanate from “black smokers” at temperatures up to 400 °C to the metal-poor, highly alkaline and reducing fluids that issue from the carbonate–brucite chimneys of ultramafic-hosted systems at temperatures below 110 °C. Mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems not only generate signifi-cant metal resources but also host unique life forms that may be similar to those of early Earth.

We examine the main drivers that may elevate biomass and biodiversity of nonchemosynthetic benthic megafauna of the lower bathyal (800-3500m depth) of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean (MAR). Specifically: 1. Primary production in surface waters (10°-48°N) from remote sensing data 2002-2020 over the MAR was not significantly different from abyssal regions to the east and west. We reject the hypothesis that presence of a mid ocean ridge may enhance surface primary production. 2. The quantity of particulate organic matter reaching the sea floor was estimated as a proportion of surface export production scaled by bathymetry. Flux was 1.3 to 3.0 times greater on the MAR as a function of shorter vertical transport distance from the surface than on adjacent abyssal regions. 3. Depth variation effect on species richness. Demersal fishes living between 41° and 60°N showed a maximum of species richness at 2000 m depth and linear increase in regional (Gamma) diversity of 32 species per 1,000 m elevation of the MAR above the abyss. Elevated topography provides niches for species that cannot otherwise survive. 4. Substrate heterogeneity. The MAR >95% covered with soft sediment with frequent hard rocky patches spaced at a mean nearest neighbour distance of

Eruptions on the Alarcon Rise segment of the northern East Pacific Rise (23.55°N, 108.42°W) at 2500–2200 m below sea level (mbsl) produced the most compositionally diverse volcanic suite found along the submarine mid-ocean-ridge (MOR) system, offering an opportunity to compare mafic through silicic eruption styles at the same abyssal depth. Eruption styles that formed evolved volcanic rocks on the submarine MOR have not been studied in detail. The prevalence of lava flows along the MOR indicates that most eruptions are nonexplosive, but some volcaniclastic characteristics suggest that explosive styles also occur. Higher viscosities in intermediate (103–5 Pa·s) versus mafic (101 Pa·s) lavas on Alarcon Rise correspond with larger, more brecciated pillows, while highly viscous rhyolite lavas (106–7 Pa·s) formed rugged domes mostly composed of autoclastic breccia. Although high H2O contents (1.5–2.1 wt%), abundant volcaniclasts, and vesicularities up to 53% in rhyolite might imply eruption explosivity, limited fine-grained ash production and dispersal indicate an effusive origin. Higher viscosities of MOR rhyolite (MORR) magma and small eruption volumes, compared to MOR basalt (MORB), limit bubble coalescence and rapid magma ascent, two likely prerequisites for deep-marine eruption explosivity. This idea is supported by widespread dispersal of basaltic ash, but very limited production and dispersal of silicic ash on Alarcon Rise.

[Abstract Trench basins preserved along the southern margin of the Lhasa Terrane, Tibet, are sedimentologic records of convergent margin processes preceding Cenozoic India–Asia collision. We present new sedimentologic, petrographic and geochronologic data from the Rongmawa Formation and surrounding strata near Denggar, Tibet, to determine depositional environment, provenance and age. Depositional ages range from ca. 92 to 87 Ma and lithofacies are consistent with deposition by low‐ and high‐density turbidity currents and suspension settling of pelagic detritus in a deep‐marine, trench basin setting. Sandstone modal analyses and U–Pb geochronology indicate that trench basin detritus in this region was derived from the Lhasa Terrane. We interpret that the Cretaceous subduction trench received detritus from an axial sediment dispersal system that transported sediment from headwaters in the central‐southern Lhasa terrane near Lhasa City directly to the trench and then flowed westwards parallel to the trench. The preservation of trench basin strata deposited during Late Cretaceous time compared with the lack of trench deposits prior to ca. 92 Ma and after ca. 80 Ma suggests the margin experienced a period of significant accretion during this interval. In addition, deposition of trench basin strata occurred during Late Cretaceous adakitic magmatism and high‐temperature metamorphism, which are hypothesized to be explained by subduction of an oceanic ridge or subduction zone retreat and related upper plate extension along the southern margin of the Lhasa terrane. Subduction of an oceanic ridge may provide a mechanism to potentially erode forearc basin strata and promote increased sediment delivery directly to the trench., Provenance of Upper Cretaceous trench basin strata in southern Tibet are consistent with derivation from a margin‐parallel sediment dispersal system sourced near Lhasa City. Accumulation of trench strata along the southern margin of Asia during Late Cretaceous time suggests a period of accretion and increased sediment delivery directly to the trench possibly driven by a change in plate convergence and subduction of an oceanic ridge, respectively. ]

Helium isotopes in the ocean are very useful tracers of hydrothermal input and deep-sea circulation. Unlike labile trace elements, noble gases are inert and do not react with other substances in the water column. Previous studies in the Indian Ocean showed that helium isotopes in the region were discharged mainly from the central Indian midocean ridge, convergent boundaries, and the Pacific Ocean via currents that flow through the Indonesian archipelago. These Indonesian waters then exit out as the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) into the Indian Ocean through shallow sills. The ITF plays a significant role in global climate, because it serves as the main pathway of thermocline waters between the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. We present new helium isotope data from International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) at the east Indian Ocean in December 2018. Helium isotopes were measured using a Noble Gas Mass Spectrometer at the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo. We compare our data with those from previous expeditions and discuss the source and distribution of helium isotopes near Java. Waters with high excess 3He from the ITF were observed at 1000 m. Application of two-components mixing model enabled us to estimate ITF fraction in the observed area and to clarify the ITF flow in the deep layer. Moreover, flow rate of the deep ITF from Savu sill to Indian Ocean was estimated to be ~ 0.8–1.6 Sv. Based on stations near the Java coast, there could be a deep current or hydrothermal source at 3000 m that advects water enriched in 3He southwards along the Java Island.

To quantify the intensity of oceanic oxygen isotope buffering through hydrothermal alteration of the oceanic crust, a 2D hydrothermal circulation model was coupled with a 2D reactive transport model of oxygen isotopes. The coupled model calculates steady-state distributions of temperature, water flow and oxygen isotopes of solid rock and porewater given the physicochemical conditions of oceanic crust alteration and seawater δ18O. Using the present-day seawater δ18O under plausible modern alteration conditions, the model yields δ18O profiles for solid rock and porewater and fluxes of heat, water and 18O that are consistent with modern observations, confirming the model's validity. The model was then run with different assumed seawater δ18O values to evaluate oxygen isotopic buffering at the midocean ridges. The buffering intensity shown by the model is significantly weaker than previously assumed, and calculated δ18O profiles of oceanic crust are consistently relatively insensitive to seawater δ18O. These results are attributed to the fact that isotope exchange at shallow depths does not reach equilibrium due to the relatively low temperatures, and 18O supply via spreading solid rocks overwhelms that through water flow at deeper depths. Further model simulations under plausible alteration conditions during the Precambrian showed essentially the same results. Therefore, δ18O records of ophiolites that are invariant at different Earth ages can be explained by the relative insensitivity of oceanic rocks to seawater δ18O and do not require constant seawater δ18O through time.

Modern oceans contain large bathymetric highs (spreading oceanic ridges, aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus and inactive arc ridges) that, in total, constitute more than 20–30% of the total area of the world’s ocean floor. These bathymetric highs may be subducted, and such processes are commonly referred to as ridge subduction. Such ridge subduction events are not only very common and important geodynamic processes in modern oceanic plate tectonics, they also play an important role in the generation of arc magmatism, material recycling, the growth and evolution of continental crust, the deformation and modification of the overlying plates, and metallogenesis at convergent plate boundaries. Therefore, these events have attracted widespread attention. The perpendicular or high-angle subduction of mid-ocean spreading ridges is commonly characterized by the occurrence of a slab window, and the formation of a distinctive adakite–high-Mg andesite–Nb-enriched basalt-oceanic island basalt (OIB) or a mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB)-type rock suite, and is closely associated with Au mineralization. Aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus are traditionally considered to be difficult to subduct, to typically collide with arcs or continents or to induce flat subduction (low angle of less than 10°) due to the thickness of their underlying normal oceanic crust (> 6–7 km) and high topography. However, the subduction of aseismic ridges and oceanic plateaus occurred on both the western and eastern sides of the Pacific Ocean during the Cenozoic. On the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus are being subducted flatly or at low angles beneath South and Central American continents, which may cause a magmatic gap. But slab melting can occur and adakites, or an adakite–high-Mg andesite–adakitic andesite–Nb-enriched basalt suite may be formed during the slab rollback or tearing. Cu-Au mineralization is commonly associated with such flat subduction events. On the western side of the Pacific Ocean, however, aseismic ridges and oceanic plateaus are subducted at relatively high angles (>30°). These subduction processes can generate large scale eruptions of basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites, which may be derived from fractional crystallization of magmas originating from the subduction zone fluid-metasomatized mantle wedge. In addition, some inactive arc ridges are subducted beneath Southwest Japan, and these subduction processes are commonly associated with the production of basalts, high-Mg andesites and adakites and Au mineralization. Besides magmatism and Cu-Au mineralization, ridge subduction may also trigger subduction erosion in subduction zones. Future frontiers of research will include characterizing the spatial and temporal patterns of ridge subduction events, clarifying the associated geodynamic mechanisms, quantifying subduction zone material recycling, establishing the associated deep crustal and mantle events that generate or influence magmatism and Cu-Au mineralization, establishing criteria to recognize pre-Cenozoic ridge subduction, the onset of modern-style plate tectonics and the growth mechanisms for Archean continental crust.

Earthquake occurrence and recurrence depend on number of factors beyond mere observations. These include seismotectonic nature of the region, spreading rate of the ridge or subduction of plates causing the trench, active or otherwise nature of the fault on crust (on land), stress-strain regime, and so on. In this work, the recurrence and expected times of next strong earthquakes (M ≥ 6) in the oceanic ridges and trenches were computed using gamma and lognormal probabilistic models. Summing the occurrence times of last strong earthquakes and these recurrence times, expected times of the next strong earthquakes were retrospectively and forwardly predicted. The expected times of the next strong earthquakes retrospectively predicted correlated with the recorded strong earthquakes in the earthquake catalog of the Advance National Seismic System (ANSS) hosted by the Northern California Earthquake Data Centre, USA, for the period of 1978–2017 in a readable format. The successful prediction of the expected times of the next strong earthquakes retrospectively is an indication that the expected times of the next strong earthquakes forwardly predicted in the regions of study will be positive. However, since the occurrence and recurrence of earthquakes depend on many factors, it is therefore important to note that it may not always be accurate to predict future earthquakes from retrospective perspective. Nonetheless, this work is a good effort, and it has thrown up some interesting results.

The Shatsky and Hess Rises, the Mid-Pacific Mountains and the Line Islands large igneous provinces (LIPs) present different challenges to conventional plume models. Resolving the genesis of these LIPs is important not only for a more complete understanding of mantle plumes and plume-generated magmatism, but also for establishing the role of subducted LIP conjugates in the evolution of the Laramide orogeny and other circum-Pacific orogenic events, which are related to the development of large porphyry systems. Given past difficulties in developing consistent geodynamic models for these LIPs, it is useful to consider whether viable alternative geodynamic scenarios may be provided by recent concepts such as melt channel networks and channel-associated lineaments, along with the “two mode” model of melt generation, where a deeply-sourced channel network is superimposed on the plume, evolving and adapting over millions of years. A plume may also interact with transform faults in close proximity to a mid ocean ridge, with the resultant bathymetric character strongly affected by the relative age difference of lithosphere across the fault. Our results suggest that the new two-mode melt models resolve key persistent issues associated with the Shatsky Rise and other LIPs and provide evidence for the existence of a conduit system within plumes that feed deeply-sourced material to the plume head, with flow maintained over considerable distances. The conduit system eventually breaks down during plume – ridge separation and may do so prior to the plume head being freed from the triple junction or spreading ridge. There is evidence for not only plume head capture by a triple junction but also for substantial deformation of the plume stem as the distance between the stem and anchored plume head increases. The evidence suggests that young transforms can serve as pathways for plume material migration, at least in certain plume head – transform configurations. A fortuitous similarity between the path of the Shatsky and Sio plumes, with respect to young spreading ridges and transforms, helps to clarify previously problematic bathymetric features that were not readily ascribed to fixed plumes alone. The Line Island Chain, which has been the subject of a vast number of models, is related mainly to several plumes that passed beneath the same region of oceanic crust, a relatively rare event that has resulted in LIP formation rather than a regular seamount track. Our findings have important implications for the timing and mechanism for the Laramide Orogeny in North America, demonstrating that the Hess Rise conjugate may be much smaller than traditionally thought. The Mid Pacific Mountains conjugate may not exist at all, given large parts of these LIPs were formed at an ‘off-ridge’ site. This needs to be taken into account while considering the effects of conjugate collision on mineralization and orogenic events.

Coexisting alkalic and tholeiitic basalt lavas has been identified in a seamount chain located near the Australian–Antarctic spreading ridge. The KR1 Seamount Trail (KR1 ST) is a series of volcanic...

Significance This paper estimates natural hydrogen production by various geological processes and its ultimate fate in young oceanic crust near the Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR). Hydrogen is an important source of energy for microbes living beneath the seafloor. Knowing how much is available to support these biological communities is therefore key to understanding the size and significance of this biome, one of the potential first environments for life on Earth and a potential environment for life on other planets.

The Meso-Tethys was a late Paleozoic to Mesozoic ocean basin between the Cimmerian continent and Gondwana. Part of its relicts is exposed in the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone, in the north-central Tibetan Plateau, that played a key role in the evolution of the Tibetan plateau before the India-Asia collision. A Penrose-type ophiolitic sequence was newly discovered in the Ren Co area in the middle of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone, which comprises serpentinized peridotites, layered and isotropic gabbros, sheeted dikes, pillow and massive basalts, and red cherts. Zircon U-Pb dating of gabbros and plagiogranites yielded 206Pb/238U ages of 169–147 Ma, constraining the timing of formation of the Ren Co ophiolite. The mafic rocks (i.e., basalt, diabase, and gabbro) in the ophiolite have uniform geochemical compositions, coupled with normal mid-ocean ridge basalt-type trace element patterns. Moreover, the samples have positive whole-rock εNd(t) [+9.2 to +8.3], zircon εHf(t) [+17 to +13], and mantle-like δ18O (5.8–4.3‰) values. These features suggest that the Ren Co ophiolite is typical of mid-ocean ridge-type ophiolite that is identified for the first time in the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone. We argue that the Ren Co ophiolite is the relic of a fast-spreading ridge that occurred in the main oceanic basin of the Bangong–Nujiang segment of Meso-Tethys. Here the Meso-Tethyan orogeny involves a continuous history of oceanic subduction, accretion, and continental assembly from the Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous.

Mantle evolution is governed by continuous depletion by partial melting and replenishment by recycling oceanic and continental crust. Several important unknowns remain, however, such as the extent of compositional variability of the residual depleted mantle, the timescale, mass flux and composition of recycled oceanic and continental crust. Here, we investigate the Ce-Nd-Hf isotope systematics in a globally representative spectrum of mid ocean ridge and ocean island basalts. Using a Monte Carlo approach for reproducing the observed Ce-Nd-Hf isotope variation shows that the type and age of depleted mantle and recycled crust have the dominant influence on the slope, scatter, and extent of the modeled Ce-Nd-Hf isotope array. The model results suggest a relatively young (

Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ) in central Tibet plays an important role in evaluating the formation and uplift mechanism of Tibetan Plateau. However, its Mesozoic tectonic evolution is ambiguous and intensely debated. In this study, Early Cretacesous adakites and sodium-rich arc rocks are identified in Western Qiangtang (WQ) and Northern Lhasa (NL) sub-terranes. Forty-four adakite samples from both WQ and NL have akin geochemical features, and are derived from partial melting of subducted oceanic crust with amphibole residual. Nineteen sodium-rich samples originated from a mixed source region between crustal sediment and enriched lithospheric mantle. These two parallel arc belts separated by the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ) represent the divergent double subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean (BNTO). Combined with the previous studies, our new data suggest three significant magmatic flare-ups at ∼240–140 Ma, 135–105 Ma and 92–60 Ma in the WQ and BNSZ, and two at 135–105 Ma and 92–60 Ma in the NL. These asymmetrical magmatic activities indicate that the southern subduction may have commenced at about 135 Ma and experienced slab breakoff at the latest Early Cretaceous, and the northern subduction could trace back to L-Triassic (228 Ma) and experienced episodic low-angle subduction, slab rollback (190-140 Ma) and oceanic ridge subduction (135-100 Ma). The 100–92 Ma magmatic gap, 92–60 Ma magmatic flare-up and L-Cretaceous angular unconformities indicate that the double-sided subduction of the BNTO resulted in soft collision with oceanic lithosphere detachment.

Statistical analysis of heat flow distribution along nine geotraverses crossing mid-oceanic ridges in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans is carried out. Significant asymmetry of heat flow distribution is established: its mean values differ on opposite sides of ridge axes. In geotraverses of the Southern Hemisphere, their western flanks have a higher average heat flow, and on geotraverses of the Northern Hemisphere, the same is true of the eastern flank. Various tectonic factors leading to such a distribution are taken into account, but it is suggested that the universal cause of this regularity is the Coriolis effect, which, as the planet rotates, redistributes the amount of magmatic material in the asthenospheric reservoir.

The size and distribution of chemical heterogeneities in the mantle source affect compositions of basalts erupted on the surface. To understand the effect of size and distribution of heterogeneous mantle source on the variations of isotope ratios and incompatible trace element abundances in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), we develop a time-dependent two-porosity ridge model that features disequilibrium melting and channelized melt migration in a truncated triangular melting region. We run numerical simulations for a two-component mantle that consists of the depleted mantle and enriched blobs spanning a range of enriched compositions and sizes. The volume fraction of enriched mantle varies under 10% of the mantle source and the size of the melt production area that contributes to the pooled melt is also treated as a variable. Results show that higher abundance of incompatible trace element in the enriched mantle, larger size of enriched blobs, and narrower melt pooling area produce larger variations of isotope ratios in the pooled melt. We develop an empirical scaling equation that quantifies the fluctuation of isotope ratios as a function of elemental abundance, size and average spacing of enriched heterogeneities in the source, and the width of melt pooling area. The two-standard deviation of 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, 87Sr/86Sr, and 206Pb/204Pb in global MORB not affected by hotspots can be produced by melting a two-component mantle with 5.2–8.2% enriched heterogeneities of 5.1–6.7 km mean size and 7.0(±1.6), 5.3(±1.2), 2.0(±0.5), and 9.8(±2.2) times higher abundances of Nd, Hf, Sr, and Pb than the depleted mantle, respectively. Incomplete mixing of melts at the base of the lithosphere is likely important for producing the variation of incompatible trace elements in MORB. The melt erupted at the ridge axis may represent an ensemble of the melt pooled from the center of the melt pooling area and melts pooled from local areas away from the ridge axis. The present study underscores the importance of the size and distribution of mantle heterogeneities to the interpretation of isotope ratios and trace element abundances in basalts.

We investigate the spatial distribution of diapycnal mixing and its drivers in the central South Atlantic thermocline between the Rio-Grande Rise to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Diapycnal mixing in the ocean interior influences the slowly evolving meridional circulation, yet there are few observations of its variability with space and time or its drivers. To overcome this gap, seismic reflection data are spectrally analyzed to produce a 1,600 km long full-thermocline vertical section of diapycnal diffusivity, that has a vertical and horizontal resolution of O(10) m and spans a period of 4 weeks. We compare seismic-derived diffusivities with CTD-derived diffusivities and direct observations from 1996, 2003, and 2011. In the mean and on decadal scales, we find that thermocline diffusivities have changed little in this region, retaining a background value of 1 × 10–5 m2 s–1. Imprinted upon the background rates, mixing is heterogeneous at mesoscales. Enhanced mixing, exceeding 10 × 10–5 m2 s–1 and spreading between 200 and 700 m depth, is found above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggesting the ridge enhances diffusivity by at least one order of magnitude across the entire water column. Rapid decay of diffusivities within 30 km of the ridge implies local dissipation of tidal energy. Above smooth topography, patches of enhanced mixing are possibly caused by a recent storm that injects near-inertial energy into the water column and elevates mixing from 3 × 10–5 m2 s–1 to 50 × 10–5 m2 s–1 down to depths of more than 600 m. The propagation speed of near-inertial energy varies substantially from 17 to 27 m/day. Faster speed, and therefore greater penetration depths of 800 m, are probably facilitated by an eddy. Together, these data extend the observational record of central South Atlantic thermocline mixing and provide insights into drivers of mesoscale variability.

Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) reveal large mantle compositional heterogeneity, whose origin remains debated. Here we present a systematic study of molybdenum isotopes on well-characterized MORB glass samples from the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and near-EPR seamounts. Our analyses show significant Mo isotope variations with δ 98 / 95 Mo (relative to NIST SRM3134) ranging from −0.23‰ to −0.06‰. We argue that these Mo isotope variations are not caused by processes of MORB melt generation and evolution but reflect mantle isotopic heterogeneity. Taking together with the literature data, we show that MORB Mo isotope compositions vary systematically with geochemical parameters indicating mantle enrichment. These observations are best explained by two-component mixing between an incompatible element depleted endmember (e.g., low La/Sm, Nb/La, Nb/Zr and Th/Yb, and high Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd) with low δ 98 / 95 Mo (∼−0.21‰) and an incompatible element enriched endmember (e.g., high La/Sm, Nb/La, Nb/Zr and Th/Yb, and low Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd) with high δ 98 / 95 Mo (∼−0.05‰). The association of heavier Mo isotope compositions with the geochemically more enriched MORB is inconsistent with recycled ocean crust with or without sediment being the enriched endmember. Instead, this is consistent with the enriched endmember being of magmatic origin, most likely lithologies of low-degree melt metasomatic origin dispersed in the more depleted peridotite matrix in the MORB mantle. Thus, with MORB Mo isotope systematics, we confirm that recycled oceanic mantle lithosphere metasomatized by low degree melt plays a key role in the formation of E-MORB source lithologies. Our study also highlights Mo isotopes as an effective tool for studying upper mantle processes.

Mid-ocean ridges are the oceanic counterparts of continental graben structures. Both are zones of extension although mid-ocean ridges have substantially higher spreading rates and also mark plate boundaries where new oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed. The presence of normal faulting and development of a central graben document that as new crust is formed, it is still under extension as it drifts and spreads.

International audience; The unique ecosystems and biodiversity associated with mid-ocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal vent systems contrast sharply with surrounding deep-sea habitats, however both may be increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activity (e.g., mining activities at massive sulphide deposits). Climate change can alter the deep-sea through increased bottom temperatures, loss of oxygen, and modifications to deep water circulation. Despite the potential of these profound impacts, the mechanisms enabling these systems and their ecosystems to persist, function and respond to oceanic, crustal, and anthropogenic forces remain poorly understood. This is due primarily to technological challenges and difficulties in accessing, observing and monitoring the deep-sea. In this context, the development of deep-sea observatories in the 2000s focused on understanding the coupling between sub-surface flow and oceanic and crustal conditions, and how they influence biological processes. Deep-sea observatories provide long-term, multidisciplinary time-series data comprising repeated observations and sampling at temporal resolutions from seconds to decades, through a combination of cabled, wireless, remotely controlled, and autonomous measurement systems. The three existing vent observatories are located on the Juan de Fuca and Mid-Atlantic Ridges (Ocean Observing Initiative, Ocean Networks Canada and the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory). These observatories promote stewardship by defining effective environmental monitoring including characterizing biological and environmental baseline states, discriminating changes from natural variations versus those from anthropogenic activities, and assessing degradation, resilience and recovery after disturbance. This highlights the potential of observatories as valuable tools for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the context of climate change and other anthropogenic activities, primarily ocean mining. This paper provides a synthesis on scientific advancements enabled by the three observatories this last decade, and recommendations to support future studies through international collaboration and coordination. The proposed recommendations include: i) establishing common global scientific questions and identification of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) specific to MORs, ii) guidance towards the effective use of observatories to support and inform policies that can impact society, iii) strategies for observatory infrastructure development that will help standardize sensors, data formats and capabilities, and iv) future technology needs and common sampling approaches to answer today’s most urgent and timely questions.

Isostasy is a key concept in geoscience in interpreting the state of mass balance between the Earth’s lithosphere and viscous asthenosphere. A more satisfactory test of isostasy is to determine the depth to and density contrast between crust and mantle at the Moho discontinuity (Moho). Generally, the Moho can be mapped by seismic information, but the limited coverage of such data over large portions of the world (in particular at seas) and economic considerations make a combined gravimetric-seismic method a more realistic approach. The determination of a high-resolution of the Moho constituents for marine areas requires the combination of gravimetric and seismic data to diminish substantially the seismic data gaps. In this study, we estimate the Moho constituents globally for ocean regions to a resolution of 1° × 1° by applying the Vening Meinesz-Moritz method from gravimetric data and combine it with estimates derived from seismic data in a new model named COMHV19. The data files of GMG14 satellite altimetry-derived marine gravity field, the Earth2014 Earth topographic/bathymetric model, CRUST1.0 and CRUST19 crustal seismic models are used in a least-squares procedure. The numerical computations show that the Moho depths range from 7.3 km (in Kolbeinsey Ridge) to 52.6 km (in the Gulf of Bothnia) with a global average of 16.4 km and standard deviation of the order of 7.5 km. Estimated Moho density contrasts vary between 20 kg m-3 (north of Iceland) to 570 kg m-3 (in Baltic Sea), with a global average of 313.7 kg m-3 and standard deviation of the order of 77.4 kg m-3. When comparing the computed Moho depths with current knowledge of crustal structure, they are generally found to be in good agreement with other crustal models. However, in certain regions, such as oceanic spreading ridges and hot spots, we generally obtain thinner crust than proposed by other models, which is likely the result of improvements in the new model. We also see evidence for thickening of oceanic crust with increasing age. Hence, the new combined Moho model is able to image rather reliable information in most of the oceanic areas, in particular in ocean ridges, which are important features in ocean basins.

The final stage of continental breakup is often accompanied by abundant magmatism. Erta 'Ale volcano lies on the Nubia‐Arabia extensional boundary in Afar, Ethiopia, an incipient mid‐ocean ridge. A fissure on the south flank of Erta 'Ale began erupting on 21 January 2017 and has remained active until at least July 2019. We use Sentinel‐1 synthetic aperture radar acquisitions to create a time series of ground displacement measurements at Erta 'Ale from October 2014 to June 2019, covering the eruption and its buildup. In the preeruption period, we observe gradual extension centered on the lava lake, consistent with the opening of an axis‐aligned dike. Using synthetic aperture radar intensity shadows, we show that the long‐lived Erta 'Ale lava lake was stable in this period, indicative of a steady pressure state in the shallow plumbing system. During the initial eruption, we observe surface displacements consistent with a shallow dike intrusion below the eruption site and conduit contraction below the lava lake. The pressure change associated with the cointrusive drop in the lava lake level is sufficient to reproduce the deformation pattern suggesting that the lava lake is well connected to the shallow plumbing system. Subsidence and contraction during the long‐lived eruption indicates the presence of an off‐rift vertically extensive source. We suggest that this may represent a system of stacked sources throughout the upper crust, with melt being more distributed. We also propose that high magma flux on the slow‐spreading Erta 'Ale segment may be facilitating the presence of shallow axial magma bodies.

Major processes affecting high field strength (HFSE) and rare earth (REE) element ratios in planetary basalts are degree of melting, separation of metal-sulfide melt fractions, addition and loss of silicate melt, ilmenite fractionation, and subduction. Fractional crystallization of planetary magma oceans has left a surviving imprint on only three bodies for which we have data: the Moon, Vesta, and the angrite parent body. Thorium mobilization in aqueous fluids may account for decoupling of Th and Nb in planetary systems, and this is especially notable on Earth but also possible on Mars, the Moon and some asteroids. On Earth, HFSE and REE ratios in young basalts characterize hydrated (HM), enriched (EM) and depleted (DM) mantle sources, associated with, respectively, subduction, mantle plumes and ocean ridges. Terrestrial hydrated and depleted mantle were in existence by at least 4 Ga and possibly they may have been produced in a stagnant lid tectonic regime before 3 Ga. Also, removal of Nb in metal-sulfide melts can force the composition of silicate restitic material into the hydrated mantle field on HFSE-REE graphs, thus not requiring hydration. Such an origin is probable for “hydrated” mantle in primitive achondrites and plutonic angrites. The record of all three types of mantle in basalts from other bodies in the Solar System indicates the three mantle reservoirs are not diagnostic of plate tectonics, but can be produced in stagnant lid settings. Enriched mantle is thus far recognized only in Earth and possibly Mars. There are at least two enriched mantle reservoirs in Earth: a primordial (>4 Ga) reservoir, perhaps hidden in the D” layer above the core and rarely sampled by basalts, and a recycled plate reservoir ( Although there are several processes by which Nb can be fractionated from Ta in planetary bodies, the low Nb/Ta (

Whether the Earth’s mantle has a chondritic δ56Fe (deviation in 56Fe/54Fe from the IRMM-014 standard in parts per thousand) value or not remains under debate. The current view is that the observed average δ56Fe of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) cannot be explained by partial melting of mantle source with chondritic value alone. Here, we report Fe isotope compositions on 29 MORB glasses sampled along a flowline traverse across the East Pacific Rise (EPR) axis at 10°30′N. These glasses show large MgO variation (1.8–7.4 wt.%) that forms a compositional continuum resulting from varying extent of fractional crystallization, which is accompanied by systematic Fe isotopic variation. Fractional crystallization modeling suggests that early crystallization of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase gives rise to an iron enrichment trend and an increase in δ56Fe. Once Fe-Ti oxides appear on the liquidus and begin to crystallize, the FeOt and TiO2 contents of the residual melt decrease rapidly, which lead to a slight decrease in δ56Fe. These observations indicate that significant Fe isotope fractionation can indeed take place during MORB melt evolution. Hence, δ56Fe values of variably evolved MORB melts do not represent those of primary MORB melts and thus cannot be used to infer mantle source Fe isotope compositions. Importantly, δ56Fe values of primary MORB melts after correction for the effect of fractional crystallization can be well reproduced by mantle melting. Therefore, our study supports the idea that the Fe isotope composition of the accessible Earth is close to be chondritic. We note that conclusion would assume that the core, which takes up ∼90% of the Earth’s Fe, must have a chondritic Fe isotope composition.

Along ultraslow spreading ridges melt is distributed unequally, but melt focusing guides melt away from amagmatic segments toward volcanic centers. An interplay of tectonism and magmatism is thought to control melt ascent, but the detailed process of melt extraction is not yet understood. We present a detailed image of the seismic velocity structure of the Logachev volcanic center and adjacent region along the Knipovich Ridge. With travel times of P‐ and S‐waves of 3,959 earthquakes we performed a local earthquake tomography. We simultaneously inverted for source locations, velocity structure and the Vp/Vs‐ratio. An extensive low velocity anomaly coincident with high Vp/Vs‐ratios >1.9 lies underneath the volcanic center at depths of 10 km below sea level in an aseismic area. More shallow, tightly clustered earthquake swarms connect the anomaly to a shallow anomaly with high Vp/Vs‐ratio beneath the basaltic seafloor. We consider the deep low‐velocity anomaly to represent an area of partial melt from which melts ascent vertically to the surface and northwards into the adjacent segment. By comparing tomographic studies of the Logachev and Southwest Indian Ridge Segment‐8 volcano we conclude that volcanic centers of ultraslow spreading ridges host spatially confined, circular partial melt areas below 10 km depth, in contrast to the shallow extended melt lenses along fast spreading ridges. Lateral feeding over distances of 35 km is possible at orthogonal spreading segments, but limited at the obliquely spreading Knipovich Ridge., Plain Language Summary: Mid‐ocean ridges mark the tectonic plate boundaries, where the plates drift apart. Fresh magma rises into the gap and builds new seafloor. The slower the plates drift apart, the less magma is present underneath the ridge. At very slow spreading ridges there is not enough magma to build new seafloor along the entire length of the ridge. Rather, melt is guided toward individual volcanic centers spaced at about 100 km, where melt accumulates and ascents. In our study we try to find melt storage areas and ascent paths of such a volcanic center. With velocities of different seismic wave types from earthquakes we map the velocity structure of the area underneath the major Logachev volcanic center. Lower velocities indicate an area partly including melt at depths of more than 10 km, far deeper than at mid‐ocean ridges with sufficient melt supply. From the deep magma reservoir, many earthquake swarms map the long ascent path of melt to the surface. The interplay of magmatic and tectonic activity is important here. In a comparison with results from another volcanic center, we find that lateral magma feeding is possible in orthogonal spreading, but limited in oblique spreading, as at the Knipovich Ridge., Key Points: Active volcanic centers at ultraslow spreading ridges host deeper and more confined partial melt areas than faster spreading ridges. Earthquake swarms delineate melt ascent paths from the partial melt area to the surface. Lateral feeding at shallow depths into subordinate segments is prevented by ridge obliquity., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

The compositional difference between subducting slabs and their surrounding lower-mantle can yield the difference in incorporation mechanism of Fe and Al into bridgmanite between both regions, which should cause heterogeneity in physical properties and rheology of the lower mantle. However, the precise cation-distribution has not been examined in bridgmanites with Fe- and Al-contents expected in a mid-ocean ridge basalt component of subducting slabs. Here we report on Mg0.662Fe0.338Si0.662Al0.338O3 bridgmanite single-crystal characterized by a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, synchrotron 57Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis. We find that the charge-coupled substitution AMg2+ + BSi4+ ↔ AFe3+(high-spin) + BAl3+ is predominant in the incorporation of Fe and Al into the practically eightfold-coordinated A-site and the sixfold-coordinated B-site in bridgmanite structure. The incorporation of both cations via this substitution enhances the structural distortion due to the tilting of BO6 octahedra, yielding the unusual expansion of mean bond-length due to flexibility of A–O bonds for the structural distortion, in contrast to mean bond-length depending reasonably on the ionic radius effect. Moreover, we imply the phase-transition behavior and the elasticity of bridgmanite in slabs subducting into deeper parts of the lower mantle, in terms of the relative compressibility of AO12 (practically AO8) and BO6 polyhedra.

The 4.5km deep IDDP-2 drill hole was drilled at Reykjanes, Iceland, in an active seawater-recharged hydrothermal system on the landward extension the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Drilling targeted a well-defined hydrothermal up-flow zone feeding the Reykjanes geothermal reservoir, which produces fluids compositionally equivalent to basalt-hosted deep sea hydrothermal vents. Spot cores recovered from depths between 3,648 to 4,659m depths consist of pervasively altered sheeted diabase dikes. The shallowest core has an alteration mineral assemblage similar to the producing geothermal reservoir but is being overprinted by the underlying Hornblende Zone assemblage dominated by labradorite and hornblende. The deepest cored section (4,634–4,659m) retains a diabasic texture, but all primary minerals are replaced or have changed composition. Plagioclase ranges from An30 to An99 and igneous augite is replaced by intergrown hornblende, clinopyroxene, and orthopyroxene. Hydrothermal biotite and potassium feldspar formed locally due to reaction with a phase-separated brine, indicated by co-existing vapor-rich and salt+vapor-rich fluid inclusions. Seawater-derived supercritical hydrothermal fluid entering the bottom of the bore hole actively phase separates due pressure drop controlled by the fluid levels in the drill hole. Felsic veins, present in trace amounts, record a continuous transition from magmatic to hydrothermal conditions, including incipient hydrous melting. The vertical changes observed in mineralogy and mineral chemistry indicate that fluids from the deep high temperature reaction zone can undergo significant cooling and reaction with host rocks along their path to the seafloor.

Trench-parallel subduction of mid-ocean ridges occurs frequently in plate motion history, such as along the western boundary of the Pacific plate in the early Cenozoic and along the eastern boundary of the Pacific plate at present. Such subduction may strongly alter the surface topography, volcanic activity and slab morphology in the mantle, whereas few studies have been conducted to investigate its evolutionary process. Here, we construct a 2-D viscoelastoplastic numerical model to study the modes and key parameters controlling trench-parallel subduction of mid-ocean ridges. Our model results show that the subduction modes of mid-ocean ridges can be primarily categorized into three types: the fast spreading mode, the slow spreading mode, and the extinction mode. The key factor controlling these subduction modes is the relative motion between the foregoing and the following oceanic plates, which are separated by the mid-ocean ridge. Different subduction modes exert different surface geological expressions, which may explain specific evolutionary processes related to mid-ocean ridge subduction, such as topographic deformation and the eruption gap of volcanic rocks in East Asia within 55–45 Ma and in the western North American plate during the late Cenozoic.

A high-resolution sampling profile constituted of 52 basalt samples from across the East Pacific Rise (EPR) was investigated. These samples provide a unique opportunity to study the coeval recording of isotopic signals derived from sub-marine eruptions at a fast spreading ridge over a time interval of ∼320 kyrs. Additionally, the study area is marked by the presence of a neighboring seamount chain that has recently caused the ridge to jump twice towards it. Combining previous geochemical studies and bathymetry, we established a first-order chronology between analyzed samples, and have reconstructed the evolution of basalt compositions as the ridge and seamounts advance and finally merge. Our data reveal the existence of two distinct types of isotopic variability within the samples. One that has a low amplitude and frequency and is accounted for by the continuous melting of the ambient mantle, indicating a process with a ∼125 kyr periodicity. The other, of higher amplitude, is discontinuous in time, and likely reflects the seamounts source influence on the ridge. Our results support a two-step hotspot-ridge interaction including a first stage (≥ 600 ka) of regional enrichment of the depleted ridge mantle by hotspot material; and a second, more recent (at least 300 ka) even wherein ambient mantle melts mixed with proximal melts from heterogeneous seamounts sourced nearby. We also propose that the ancient gabbroic component previously identified in this region appeared very recently (< hundreds ya) as erupted lavas are exclusively recorded in a cluster proximal to the axial zone of the ridge. Plain Language Summary The Earth’s mantle makes up 80% of the planet’s volume; however, mantle rocks are rare at the surface. At Mid-ocean ridges, the mantle experiences melting and derived melts may reach the Earth's surface as volcanic basalts. These rocks continuously record the geochemical signature of their mantle source region. Very little is known about the evolution of lava composition over time due to the difficulty of sampling off-ridge axis igneous rocks. This study focuses on a specific portion of the East Pacific Rise at ∼16°N, where it interacts with a nearby hotspot. Basaltic rocks were collected with the French submersible Nautile (Ifremer) across the ridge axis during the cruise Parisub (2010, R/V L’Atalante). The sampling profile obtained covers a period of time that allows long term monitoring and assessment of mantle sourced signals and fluctuations in erupted basalts for > 300 kyrs. We have established a relative chronology between these samples, and propose a paleo-reconstruction of the area accounting for both the isotopic variations observed and previously reported geophysical results. Our new results also suggest rapid magma transfers within the crust independent of melting of seamounts and/or ridge sources, including periodic injections of enriched mantle material into the ridge-melting region.

The depth of melting beneath mid-ocean ridges (MORs) controls the melt composition as well as its rheology. Since mantle melting below MORs is the main mechanism of mantle degassing and CO2 emission into the atmosphere and oceans, there is an increasing interest in understanding the sub-ridge mantle conditions leading to its melting. Here we study the effect of oxygen fugacity on melting of carbonate-bearing peridotite at 3 GPa. Two metal—metal-oxide buffers (RRO and IW) were used to influence the fO2 of the experimental charge. Using Ir–Fe alloy sliding redox sensors, the fO2 of the two sets of experiments was measured. The solidus at IW + 4.5 was found to be at 950 °C, while at IW + 2.5 melting initiated at 1150 °C. In both sets of experiments, near-solidus carbonatitic melts evolved to carbon-bearing silicate melts with increasing temperature. This study together with previous studies suggest that increasing fO2 of a carbonate-bearing peridotite results in lowering of its melting temperature. Extrapolating these solidi to higher pressures results in initiation of melting of a relatively oxidizing mantle at ~ 430 km while melting of a more reduced mantle will initiate at depth of ~ 320 km. Very low velocity anomalies in the sub-ridge mantle at depth may reflect the initiation of melting, triggered by the presence of carbonate in the mantle at 1–2 log units below QFM.

Seismic anisotropy produced by aligned olivine in oceanic lithosphere offers a window into mid-ocean ridge dynamics and the state of Earth's upper mantle. Yet, interpreting anisotropy in the contex...

A statistical analysis of heat flow distribution along nine geotravers crossing the mid-oceanic ridges in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans is carried out. A significant asymmetry of heat flow distribution is established-its mean values differ on opposite sides of the ridges axis. In geotraverses of the southern Earths hemisphere, their western flank has a higher heat flow mean, and in the geotraverses of the northern hemisphere there is the eastern flank. Various tectonic factors that lead to such a distribution are taken into account, but the universal cause of this regularity is suggested to be the effect of the Coriolis force, which, when the planet rotates, redistributes the magmatic material amount in the asthenospheric reservoir.

Observations of heat flow along nine geotraverses across mid-oceanic ridges in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans are analyzed statistically. It is found that there is significant heat flow distribution asymmetry: opposite sides of the axis of the ridges differ in the average heat flow. Geotraverses in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth exhibit higher average heat flow on the western flanks of the mid-oceanic ridges, while geotraverses in the Northern Hemisphere are characterized by higher average heat flow along the eastern flanks. Various tectonic factors are taken into account when explaining this phenomenon; however, it is suggested that the Coriolis force must be considered the main factor responsible for this asymmetry, causing redistribution of magmatic material in the asthenospheric reservoir.

The Paleo-Tethyan orogenic record is well preserved in the Sanjiang area of SW China. However, ophiolites are commonly dismembered in orogenic belt, and complete ophiolite sequences are rare in the Sanjiang area. In this manuscript, we present a newly discovered ophiolite in the Yakou-Banpo area of the southern Lancangjiang belt in the Sanjiang area, SW China. The ophiolite displays a complete Penrose-type ophiolite sequence, composed of serpentinized peridotite, isotropic and cumulate gabbros, massive and pillow basalts, and plagiogranite. Whole-rock geochemical data indicate that these rocks were formed in an oceanic ridge setting, and they show depletions in Nb, Ta and Ti, and enrichment in Pb, suggesting a supra-subduction zone affinity. Furthermore, positive Ɛ Nd (t) (+4.5 to +6.7) and zircon Ɛ Hf (t) values (+12.4 to +14.3), as well as mantle-like δ 18 O values (~5.5‰), suggest that these rocks were derived from a long-term depleted mantle source. SHRIMP zircon U Pb dating yield weighted mean ages of 305 ± 3 Ma, 310 ± 2 Ma, and 313 ± 6 Ma. Hence, the Yakou-Banpo ophiolite belt formed during the Late Carboniferous (313–305 Ma) and records the existence of a mature ocean basin. We propose that an arc – back-arc system developed in the Sanjiang Paleo-Tethyan orogenic belt of SW China during the Late Carboniferous.

Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) are characterized by large variations in trace element compositions and isotopic ratios, which are difficult to be interpreted solely by using magmatic process such as partial melting of a peridotitic mantle and subsequently fractional crystallization. Geochemical diversity of MORBs have been attributed to large-scale heterogeneity within the underlying mantle, and the heterogeneity might have been caused by addition of recycled crustal component, subcontinental lithosphere, metasomatized lithosphere and outer core contribution. In this study, we investigated the MORBs along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) by estimating the temperature and pressure of partial melting, and comprehensively comparing trace element and isotope ratios. The data for MORBs from areas close to mantle plumes show large variations. Mantle plumes can affect mid-oceanic ridges 1 400 km away, but plume effects did not cover all of the ridge segments, and those segments without plume effects did not have any abnormalities in temperature, trace element or isotope ratios. We ascribed the above phenomena to result from the shapes of the plume flow, which we categorized as “pipelike channels” and “pancake-like channels”. The “pancake-like channels” plumes affected the ambient mantle nondirectionally, but the range of the mantle affected by the “pipe-like channels” plumes were selective. Element ratios of MORBs reveal that the mantle source of the MORBs along the MAR is highly heterogeneous. We suggest that most of source heterogeneities of the MORBs may be due to the presence of subducted slab and delaminated lower crust in the source. In addition, the plume that carried materials from the core-mantle boundary may affect some of the segments.