40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise
Abstract The Rio Grande Rise (RGR) oceanic plateau exhibits distinctly broad morphology compared to the linear, age-progressive Walvis Ridge (WR), despite both originating from the Tristan-Gough (T-G) plume. New 40Ar/39Ar ages (84–41 Ma) from RGR demonstrate prolonged coeval formation with WR at the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02572-y |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849761147770634240 |
|---|---|
| author | Peter C. Davidson Anthony A. P. Koppers Cornelia Class William W. Sager Daniel Heaton |
| author_facet | Peter C. Davidson Anthony A. P. Koppers Cornelia Class William W. Sager Daniel Heaton |
| author_sort | Peter C. Davidson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Rio Grande Rise (RGR) oceanic plateau exhibits distinctly broad morphology compared to the linear, age-progressive Walvis Ridge (WR), despite both originating from the Tristan-Gough (T-G) plume. New 40Ar/39Ar ages (84–41 Ma) from RGR demonstrate prolonged coeval formation with WR at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) during a ridge-centered plume configuration. These plume-ridge interactions coincided with a temporary microplate eventually incorporated into the South American Plate, explaining RGR’s broader spatial distribution. Backtracking reveals that absolute plate motion and southward plume drift shut off excess magma supply when the T-G plume moved south of large lateral MAR offsets, ending volcanism on the South American plate around 52 Ma—later than previously estimated. Although RGR’s erupted volume matches large igneous provinces, magmatic production rates were moderate, resembling modern-day Iceland rather than high-flux terrestrial large igneous provinces. This supports a ridge-centered plume origin over a high-flux magma pulse, demonstrating how plume-ridge configuration and microplate tectonics controlled the evolutionary divergence of these related South Atlantic volcanic features. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ea745d899d9048f69ca4ec674b3c1e52 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-ea745d899d9048f69ca4ec674b3c1e522025-08-20T03:06:08ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-07-016111410.1038/s43247-025-02572-y40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande RisePeter C. Davidson0Anthony A. P. Koppers1Cornelia Class2William W. Sager3Daniel Heaton4College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State UniversityCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State UniversityLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia UniversityDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of HoustonCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State UniversityAbstract The Rio Grande Rise (RGR) oceanic plateau exhibits distinctly broad morphology compared to the linear, age-progressive Walvis Ridge (WR), despite both originating from the Tristan-Gough (T-G) plume. New 40Ar/39Ar ages (84–41 Ma) from RGR demonstrate prolonged coeval formation with WR at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) during a ridge-centered plume configuration. These plume-ridge interactions coincided with a temporary microplate eventually incorporated into the South American Plate, explaining RGR’s broader spatial distribution. Backtracking reveals that absolute plate motion and southward plume drift shut off excess magma supply when the T-G plume moved south of large lateral MAR offsets, ending volcanism on the South American plate around 52 Ma—later than previously estimated. Although RGR’s erupted volume matches large igneous provinces, magmatic production rates were moderate, resembling modern-day Iceland rather than high-flux terrestrial large igneous provinces. This supports a ridge-centered plume origin over a high-flux magma pulse, demonstrating how plume-ridge configuration and microplate tectonics controlled the evolutionary divergence of these related South Atlantic volcanic features.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02572-y |
| spellingShingle | Peter C. Davidson Anthony A. P. Koppers Cornelia Class William W. Sager Daniel Heaton 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise |
| title_full | 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise |
| title_fullStr | 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise |
| title_full_unstemmed | 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise |
| title_short | 40Ar/39Ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume-ridge interaction formed the Rio Grande Rise |
| title_sort | 40ar 39ar dating reveals over 30 million years of plume ridge interaction formed the rio grande rise |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02572-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petercdavidson 40ar39ardatingrevealsover30millionyearsofplumeridgeinteractionformedtheriogranderise AT anthonyapkoppers 40ar39ardatingrevealsover30millionyearsofplumeridgeinteractionformedtheriogranderise AT corneliaclass 40ar39ardatingrevealsover30millionyearsofplumeridgeinteractionformedtheriogranderise AT williamwsager 40ar39ardatingrevealsover30millionyearsofplumeridgeinteractionformedtheriogranderise AT danielheaton 40ar39ardatingrevealsover30millionyearsofplumeridgeinteractionformedtheriogranderise |