Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center
Mapping and sampling of 18 eruptive units in two study areas along the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC) provide insight into how magma supply affects mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) volcanic eruptions. The two study areas have similar spreading rates (53 versus 55 mm/yr), but differ by 30% in the time‐average...
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| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-08-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004163 |
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| author | Alice Colman John M. Sinton Scott M. White J. Timothy McClinton Julie A. Bowles Kenna H. Rubin Mark D. Behn Buffy Cushman Deborah E. Eason Tracy K. P. Gregg Karl Grönvold Silvana Hidalgo Julia Howell Owen Neill Chris Russo |
| author_facet | Alice Colman John M. Sinton Scott M. White J. Timothy McClinton Julie A. Bowles Kenna H. Rubin Mark D. Behn Buffy Cushman Deborah E. Eason Tracy K. P. Gregg Karl Grönvold Silvana Hidalgo Julia Howell Owen Neill Chris Russo |
| author_sort | Alice Colman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mapping and sampling of 18 eruptive units in two study areas along the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC) provide insight into how magma supply affects mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) volcanic eruptions. The two study areas have similar spreading rates (53 versus 55 mm/yr), but differ by 30% in the time‐averaged rate of magma supply (0.3 × 106 versus 0.4 × 106 m3/yr/km). Detailed geologic maps of each study area incorporate observations of flow contacts and sediment thickness, in addition to sample petrology, geomagnetic paleointensity, and inferences from high‐resolution bathymetry data. At the lower‐magma‐supply study area, eruptions typically produce irregularly shaped clusters of pillow mounds with total eruptive volumes ranging from 0.09 to 1.3 km3. At the higher‐magma‐supply study area, lava morphologies characteristic of higher effusion rates are more common, eruptions typically occur along elongated fissures, and eruptive volumes are an order of magnitude smaller (0.002–0.13 km3). At this site, glass MgO contents (2.7–8.4 wt. %) and corresponding liquidus temperatures are lower on average, and more variable, than those at the lower‐magma‐supply study area (6.2–9.1 wt. % MgO). The differences in eruptive volume, lava temperature, morphology, and inferred eruption rates observed between the two areas along the GSC are similar to those that have previously been related to variable spreading rates on the global MOR system. Importantly, the documentation of multiple sequences of eruptions at each study area, representing hundreds to thousands of years, provides constraints on the variability in eruptive style at a given magma supply and spreading rate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e3e7aef42ae540cca891d94e6f03925f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj-art-e3e7aef42ae540cca891d94e6f03925f2025-08-20T02:46:44ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272012-08-01138n/an/a10.1029/2012GC004163Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading CenterAlice Colman0John M. Sinton1Scott M. White2J. Timothy McClinton3Julie A. Bowles4Kenna H. Rubin5Mark D. Behn6Buffy Cushman7Deborah E. Eason8Tracy K. P. Gregg9Karl Grönvold10Silvana Hidalgo11Julia Howell12Owen Neill13Chris Russo14Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USADepartment of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 701 Sumter Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USADepartment of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 701 Sumter Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USAInstitute for Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota, 100 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USAWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 360 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USALa Pietra Hawaii School for Girls, 2933 Poni Moi Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USADepartment of Geology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USANordic Volcanological Center, University of Iceland, Askja, 101 Reykjavík, IcelandInstituto Geofísico, Escuela Polytécnica Nacional, Quito, EcuadorDepartment of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 701 Sumter Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USAGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USAMapping and sampling of 18 eruptive units in two study areas along the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC) provide insight into how magma supply affects mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) volcanic eruptions. The two study areas have similar spreading rates (53 versus 55 mm/yr), but differ by 30% in the time‐averaged rate of magma supply (0.3 × 106 versus 0.4 × 106 m3/yr/km). Detailed geologic maps of each study area incorporate observations of flow contacts and sediment thickness, in addition to sample petrology, geomagnetic paleointensity, and inferences from high‐resolution bathymetry data. At the lower‐magma‐supply study area, eruptions typically produce irregularly shaped clusters of pillow mounds with total eruptive volumes ranging from 0.09 to 1.3 km3. At the higher‐magma‐supply study area, lava morphologies characteristic of higher effusion rates are more common, eruptions typically occur along elongated fissures, and eruptive volumes are an order of magnitude smaller (0.002–0.13 km3). At this site, glass MgO contents (2.7–8.4 wt. %) and corresponding liquidus temperatures are lower on average, and more variable, than those at the lower‐magma‐supply study area (6.2–9.1 wt. % MgO). The differences in eruptive volume, lava temperature, morphology, and inferred eruption rates observed between the two areas along the GSC are similar to those that have previously been related to variable spreading rates on the global MOR system. Importantly, the documentation of multiple sequences of eruptions at each study area, representing hundreds to thousands of years, provides constraints on the variability in eruptive style at a given magma supply and spreading rate.https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004163Galapagos Spreading Centerlava flowmid‐ocean ridgessubmarine volcanism |
| spellingShingle | Alice Colman John M. Sinton Scott M. White J. Timothy McClinton Julie A. Bowles Kenna H. Rubin Mark D. Behn Buffy Cushman Deborah E. Eason Tracy K. P. Gregg Karl Grönvold Silvana Hidalgo Julia Howell Owen Neill Chris Russo Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems Galapagos Spreading Center lava flow mid‐ocean ridges submarine volcanism |
| title | Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center |
| title_full | Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center |
| title_fullStr | Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center |
| title_short | Effects of variable magma supply on mid‐ocean ridge eruptions: Constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center |
| title_sort | effects of variable magma supply on mid ocean ridge eruptions constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the galapagos spreading center |
| topic | Galapagos Spreading Center lava flow mid‐ocean ridges submarine volcanism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004163 |
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