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Seismic evidence for a thermochemical mantle plume underplating the lithosphere of the Ontong Java Plateau
- Source :
- Communications Earth & Environment. 2:98
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Springer Nature, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The Ontong Java Plateau in the western Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest oceanic plateau. It was formed 122 million years ago by a massive volcanic event that significantly affected Earth’s environment. The cause of the magmatic event remains controversial because the upper mantle structure beneath the plateau is poorly known. Here we use passive seismic data obtained through seafloor observations, alongside existing seismic data, to determine the three-dimensional radially anisotropic shear wave velocity to depths of up to 300 km. We find that the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary is approximately 40 km deeper beneath the centre of the Ontong Java Plateau than beneath the surrounding seafloor. Based on our results and petrological and rheological constraints, we propose that the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary has deepened as a result of underplating of dehydrated residual material beneath the pre-existing lithosphere during formation of the Ontong Java Plateau by a thermochemical mantle plume. The lithosphere beneath the Ontong Java Plateau is thickened by up to 40 km relative to the surrounding ocean floor which suggests it formed through the ascent of a mantle plume, according to analyses of seafloor seismic observations.
- Subjects :
- geography
Underplating
Plateau
geography.geographical_feature_category
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Tectonics
Oceanic plateau
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
Geodynamics
01 natural sciences
Seafloor spreading
Mantle plume
Geophysics
Volcano
Lithosphere
Passive seismic
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Petrology
Geology
Seismology
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
General Environmental Science
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 26624435
- Volume :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2c987a48f1bb9513f31750702dca249a