Propagating buoyant mantle upwelling on the Reykjanes Ridge

Abstract

Crustal features of the Reykjanes Ridge have been attributed to mantle plume flow radiating outward from the Iceland hotspot. This model requires very rapid mantle upwelling and a “rheological boundary” at the solidus to deflect plume material laterally and prevent extreme melting above the plume stem. Here we propose an alternative explanation in which shallow buoyant mantle upwelling instabilities propagate along axis to form the crustal features of the ridge and flanks. As only the locus of buoyant upwelling propagates this mechanism removes the need for rapid mantle plume flow. Based on new geophysical mapping we show that a persistent sub-axial low viscosity channel supporting buoyant mantle upwelling can explain the current oblique geometry of the ridge as a reestablishment of its original configuration following an abrupt change in opening direction. This mechanism further explains the replacement of ridge-orthogonal crustal segmentation with V-shaped crustal ridges and troughs. Our findings indicate that crustal features of the Reykjanes Ridge and flanks are formed by shallow buoyant mantle instabilities, fundamentally like at other slow spreading ridges, and need not reflect deep mantle plume flow.