Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Cesca, M. Metz, P. Bueyuekakpinar, T. Dahm
Summary: A series of seismic activities occurred in the northern section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (latitude 53.3°-54.3°) from 26 September to 10 December 2022. Through the analysis of regional, teleseismic, and array data, we were able to locate 61 hypocenters and determine 77 moment tensors. The cumulative moment released during the 2022 swarm is equivalent to Mw 6.3. The majority of earthquakes were shallow with a depth of 7±3 km, and they mainly occurred along the ridge axis with normal faulting mechanisms. However, some of the larger and more recent earthquakes exhibited unusual thrust mechanisms and occurred as far as 25 km from the ridge. This swarm is believed to be caused by a shallow magmatic intrusion, starting with a vertical dike propagating approximately 60 km along the ridge axis, followed by shallow normal faulting and eventually triggering thrust earthquakes off the ridge due to the buildup of compressive stress. This unrest provides a rare example of a highly energetic, magmatic-driven swarm episode at a mid-ocean ridge.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Peirce, M. J. Funnell, T. J. Reston, C. J. MacLeod
Summary: This study models the structure of multiple OCCs on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge using seismic tomography. The results suggest that the formation of OCCs may be influenced by the presence of magma and the characteristics of the crust. The study also investigates the drivers of hydrothermal circulation in different vent fields, revealing varying mechanisms in different regions.
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yinuo Zhang, Fan Zhang, Xubo Zhang, Tao Zhang, Jian Lin, Zhiyuan Zhou, Jiangyang Zhang
Summary: The mantle plumes modify geophysical and geochemical features along mid-ocean ridges. This study focuses on the interaction between the Jan Mayen Hotspot and the Mohns Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. By analyzing geophysical observations and using modeling results, the properties of the Jan Mayen plume were estimated, and the influence of the transform fault on plume dispersion was evaluated.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingxuan Wei, Kathryn L. Gunn, Robert Reece
Summary: This study investigates the spatial distribution of diapycnal mixing in the central South Atlantic thermocline and its drivers using seismic reflection data. The results show that thermocline diffusivities have changed little in this region, but exhibit heterogeneity at mesoscales. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and near-inertial storms are identified as important drivers of mixing.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Yi Luo, W. Roger Buck
Summary: The segmentation pattern of oceanic centers is related to spreading rate and variations in crustal and lithospheric thickness. Through the derivation of an idealized model, the study investigated the impact of axial depth and across-axis relief on segment-scale variations, showing that the effective magma source radius increases with spreading rate.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Utpal Saikia, Catherine A. Rychert, Nicholas Harmon, J. Michael Kendall
Summary: The study analyzed the attenuation characteristics of the ocean lithosphere near the equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge using fundamental mode Rayleigh waves from local earthquakes. It found higher quality factor values and shear wave velocities in the lithosphere compared to the asthenosphere, with a small amount of partial melt required to explain some observations.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alessio Sanfilippo, Vincent J. M. Salters, Sergey Y. Sokolov, Alexander A. Peyve, Andreas Stracke
Summary: The upper mantle is a mixture of refractory and recycled crustal domains, with the recycled portions dominating the composition of surface basalts. Hf isotope ratios may provide hints for melting of refractory source materials in basalts, allowing the identification of depleted mantle materials. Basalts from the Arctic Atlantic show high Hf isotope ratios, suggesting a highly depleted asthenospheric mantle source beneath this region.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jozee Sarrazin, Cecile Cathalot, Agathe Laes, Julien Marticorena, Loic N. Michel, Marjolaine Matabos
Summary: This study describes the ecology of new types of assemblage dominated by gastropods found in several active sulfide edifices along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The composition, abundance, diversity, and trophic niche of these assemblages were assessed and compared, revealing different characteristics in different vent fields. These gastropods may play an important ecological role in the MAR vent communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christopher J. Spencer, Ross N. Mitchell, Michael Brown
Summary: This study demonstrates that mid-Proterozoic orogenesis occurred globally and was broadly continuous, characterized by elevated metamorphic thermobaric ratios and large volumes of high-temperature felsic magmatic rocks. Geological records suggest that the evolution of crustal thickness is attributed to orogenic style, specifically the prevalence of hot, thin, and low orogens in the mid-Proterozoic.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Sauter, Gianreto Manatschal, Nick Kusznir, Charles Masquelet, Philippe Werner, Marc Ulrich, Paul Bellingham, Dieter Franke, Julia Autin
Summary: The source of massive magma production at volcanic rifted margins remains disputed. Accurate estimation of extruded and intruded melt products within rifted continental crust is still lacking using geophysical methods. This study investigates the magma budget along the South Atlantic margins, revealing that most of the southernmost Atlantic Ocean opened without anomalously hot mantle and high magma supply. Alternative explanations should be favored to explain the thick magmatic layer.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew R. Agius, Catherine A. Rychert, Nicholas Harmon, Saikiran Tharimena, J. -Michael Kendall
Summary: Studies have shown that seismic discontinuities in the mantle transition zone appear to thin, consistent with slow shear-wave velocities in the mantle. Beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, seismic velocities in the mantle transition zone are on average slower than those beneath older Atlantic Ocean seafloor. These observations suggest that material transfer from the lower to the upper mantle is linked to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yangming Wu, Jie Liao, Jiarong Qing, Yongqiang Shen
Summary: The study investigates the development of subduction in the tectonic setting where mid-ocean ridges and passive continental margins are juxtaposed using a 2-D numerical model. The results reveal three types of oceanic plate subduction: continental margin subduction, ridge-inversed subduction, and a transitional type with double subduction along ridges and margins. The physical parameters that influence the formation of these subduction types are systematically analyzed. The study emphasizes the significance of preexisting weakness along passive margins in promoting subduction development.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Walter D. Mooney, Carol Barrera-Lopez, Maria Gabriela Suarez, Miguel A. Castelblanco
Summary: The Earth Crustal Model 1 (ECM1) is a global crustal model that provides information on the crust's thickness, seismic velocities, and density. It incorporates new sediment thickness compilations, an expanded seismic measurement database, field measurements for S-wave velocity, and a digital map of crustal types. The model calculates the Vp, Vs, Vp/Vs, and density at regular intervals for continents and oceans, allowing for the calculation of surface area, volume, and mass for each crustal type and the entire Earth's crust.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
K. Leptokaropoulos, N. Harmon, S. P. Hicks, C. A. Rychert, D. Schlaphorst, J. M. Kendall
Summary: Research suggests that tidal forces can trigger seismic activity, particularly during low tides. Data from ocean bottom seismometers show that low ocean levels and decreasing water levels can lead to higher magnitude seismic activity rates. Seismic bursts may also be associated with extensional stresses induced by high tides.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tran Danh Hung, Ting Yang, Ba Manh Le, Youqiang Yu, Mei Xue, Baohua Liu, Chenguang Liu, Jian Wang, Mohan Pan, Phan Thien Huong, Fang Liu, Jason P. Morgan
Summary: The study of crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratios near an extinct mid-ocean ridge in the South China Sea reveals that as spreading ceased, the oceanic crust abruptly thinned and shifted to an ultraslow accretion style. Abnormally high Vp/Vs ratios indicate the presence of serpentine, suggesting the formation of normal faults and the enhancement of serpentinization along the ridge axis.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
G. Bayrakci, T. A. Minshull, D. S. Sawyer, T. J. Reston, D. Klaeschen, C. Papenberg, C. Ranero, J. M. Bull, R. G. Davy, D. J. Shillington, M. Perez-Gussinye, J. K. Morgan
Article
Geology
R. Parnell-Turner, R. A. Sohn, C. Peirce, T. J. Reston, C. J. MacLeod, R. C. Searle, N. M. Simao
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
R. G. Davy, J. V. Morgan, T. A. Minshull, G. Bayrakci, J. M. Bull, D. Klaeschen, T. J. Reston, D. S. Sawyer, G. Lymer, D. Cresswell
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2018)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Nur Schuba, Gary G. Gray, Julia K. Morgan, Dale S. Sawyer, Donna J. Shillington, Tim J. Reston, Jonathan M. Bull, Brian E. Jordan
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2018)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Chen, L. Watremez, M. Prada, T. A. Minshull, R. A. Edwards, B. M. O'Reilly, T. J. Reston, G. Wagner, V. Gaw, D. Klaeschen, P. M. Shannon
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2018)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tim Reston
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2018)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
R. C. Searle, C. J. MacLeod, C. Peirce, T. J. Reston
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2019)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Peirce, G. Reveley, A. H. Robinson, M. J. Funnell, R. C. Searle, N. M. Simao, C. J. MacLeod, T. J. Reston
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2019)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Gael Lymer, Derren J. F. Cresswell, Tim J. Reston, Jonathan M. Bull, Dale S. Sawyer, Julia K. Morgan, Carl Stevenson, Annabel Causer, Tim A. Minshull, Donna J. Shillington
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2019)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gwenn Peron-Pinvidic, Gianreto Manatschal, Tiago Alves, Torgeir Andersen, Miguel Andres-Martinez, Julia Autin, Philip Ball, Sascha Brune, Susanne Buiter, Patricia Cadenas, Derren Cresswell, Marie Eva Epin, Julia Gomez-Romeu, Mohamed Gouiza, Caroline Harkin, Christian Heine, John Hopper, Christopher Jackson, Laurent Jolivet, Richard Katz, Rodolphe Lescoutre, Gael Lymer, Craig Magee, Manu Masini, Jordi Miro, Nicolas Molnar, Frederic Mouthereau, Othmar Muntener, John Naliboff, James Norcliffe, Per Terje Osmundsen, Lucia Perez Diaz, Thomas Philips Phillips, Adria Ramos, Cesar Ranero, Tim Reston, Charlotte Ribes, Tyrone Rooney, Mark Rowan, Marco Snidero, Julie Tugend, Lijie Wang, Frank Zwaan
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Peirce, A. H. Robinson, M. J. Funnell, R. C. Searle, C. J. MacLeod, T. J. Reston
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2020)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
N. M. Simao, C. Peirce, M. J. Funnell, A. H. Robinson, R. C. Searle, C. J. MacLeod, T. J. Reston
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2020)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tim Reston
Article
Geology
R. Parnell-Turner, R. A. Sohn, C. Peirce, T. J. Reston, C. J. MacLeod, R. C. Searle, N. M. Simao
Summary: At slow-spreading ridges, plate separation is partly accommodated by long-lived detachment faults, with two adjacent faults mechanically decoupled and showing high seismicity levels. Linear seismic activity bands indicate magmatism and suggest previously unobserved stress accumulation and release cycles in oceanic detachments.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Manel Prada, Louise Watremez, Chen Chen, Brian M. O'Reilly, Timothy A. Minshull, Tim J. Reston, Patrick M. Shannon, Dirk Klaeschen, Gerlind Wagner, Viola Gaw
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2017)