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Geophysical constraints on the dynamics of spreading centres from rifting episodes on land

Geophysical constraints on the dynamics of spreading centres from rifting episodes on land
Geophysical constraints on the dynamics of spreading centres from rifting episodes on land
Most of the Earth's crust is created along 60,000 km of mid-ocean ridge system. Here, tectonic plates spread apart and, in doing so, gradually build up stress. This stress is released during rifting episodes, when bursts of magmatic activity lead to the injection of vertical sheets of magma — termed dykes — into the crust. Only 2% of the global mid-ocean ridge system is above sea level, so making direct observations of the rifting process is difficult. However, geodetic and seismic observations exist from spreading centres in Afar (East Africa) and Iceland that are exposed at the land surface. Rifting episodes are rare, but the few that have been well observed at these sites have operated with remarkably similar mechanisms. Specifically, magma is supplied to the crust in an intermittent manner, and is stored at multiple positions and depths. It then laterally intrudes in dykes within the brittle upper crust. Depending on the availability of magma, multiple magma centres can interact during one rifting episode. If we are to forecast large eruptions at spreading centres, rifting-cycle models will need to fully incorporate realistic crust and mantle properties, as well as the dynamic transport of magma.
Structural geology, tectonics and geodynamics, Volcanology, mineralogy and petrology, Seismology
1752-0894
242-250
Wright, Tim J.
0da9a602-fcc6-4c0c-9f85-741dc645380d
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn
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Pagli, Carolina
290edb22-712b-4563-a868-af4c21fdb6b0
Belachew, Manahloh
7ee40db0-a3cc-40d0-805b-97ce19d6e4df
Hamling, Ian J.
61a30e86-d1ca-406c-ba95-9bc5d5871d76
Brandsdóttir, Bryndís
930cb505-ab9d-41e7-aaa1-1ebec6172010
Keir, Derek
5616f81f-bf1b-4678-a167-3160b5647c65
Pedersen, Rikke
4b7da7ad-b776-49df-baac-28801a5a337a
Ayele, Atalay
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Ebinger, Cindy
cf261414-c6ef-41b1-90f0-ac7371d44e72
Einarsson, Páll
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Lewi, Elias
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Calais, Eric
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Wright, Tim J.
0da9a602-fcc6-4c0c-9f85-741dc645380d
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn
c4909556-6d7f-4628-aa24-3bda56a63cc2
Pagli, Carolina
290edb22-712b-4563-a868-af4c21fdb6b0
Belachew, Manahloh
7ee40db0-a3cc-40d0-805b-97ce19d6e4df
Hamling, Ian J.
61a30e86-d1ca-406c-ba95-9bc5d5871d76
Brandsdóttir, Bryndís
930cb505-ab9d-41e7-aaa1-1ebec6172010
Keir, Derek
5616f81f-bf1b-4678-a167-3160b5647c65
Pedersen, Rikke
4b7da7ad-b776-49df-baac-28801a5a337a
Ayele, Atalay
730f62fb-c461-4a4e-b52d-b143a7936df6
Ebinger, Cindy
cf261414-c6ef-41b1-90f0-ac7371d44e72
Einarsson, Páll
33235925-9a35-4dda-b150-59f3838d1af6
Lewi, Elias
1a95bed1-69e0-4e67-9da9-8a106be05281
Calais, Eric
d62221de-f4a1-45c5-981d-5784dba704a4

Wright, Tim J., Sigmundsson, Freysteinn, Pagli, Carolina, Belachew, Manahloh, Hamling, Ian J., Brandsdóttir, Bryndís, Keir, Derek, Pedersen, Rikke, Ayele, Atalay, Ebinger, Cindy, Einarsson, Páll, Lewi, Elias and Calais, Eric (2012) Geophysical constraints on the dynamics of spreading centres from rifting episodes on land. Nature Geoscience, 5 (4), 242-250. (doi:10.1038/ngeo1428).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Most of the Earth's crust is created along 60,000 km of mid-ocean ridge system. Here, tectonic plates spread apart and, in doing so, gradually build up stress. This stress is released during rifting episodes, when bursts of magmatic activity lead to the injection of vertical sheets of magma — termed dykes — into the crust. Only 2% of the global mid-ocean ridge system is above sea level, so making direct observations of the rifting process is difficult. However, geodetic and seismic observations exist from spreading centres in Afar (East Africa) and Iceland that are exposed at the land surface. Rifting episodes are rare, but the few that have been well observed at these sites have operated with remarkably similar mechanisms. Specifically, magma is supplied to the crust in an intermittent manner, and is stored at multiple positions and depths. It then laterally intrudes in dykes within the brittle upper crust. Depending on the availability of magma, multiple magma centres can interact during one rifting episode. If we are to forecast large eruptions at spreading centres, rifting-cycle models will need to fully incorporate realistic crust and mantle properties, as well as the dynamic transport of magma.

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More information

Published date: 2012
Keywords: Structural geology, tectonics and geodynamics, Volcanology, mineralogy and petrology, Seismology
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 338075
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/338075
ISSN: 1752-0894
PURE UUID: ffe4da9c-148a-4ad9-8e7e-b15d5a5c94a5
ORCID for Derek Keir: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8787-8446

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Date deposited: 08 May 2012 15:41
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:38

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Contributors

Author: Tim J. Wright
Author: Freysteinn Sigmundsson
Author: Carolina Pagli
Author: Manahloh Belachew
Author: Ian J. Hamling
Author: Bryndís Brandsdóttir
Author: Derek Keir ORCID iD
Author: Rikke Pedersen
Author: Atalay Ayele
Author: Cindy Ebinger
Author: Páll Einarsson
Author: Elias Lewi
Author: Eric Calais

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