The role of lithospheric processes on the development of linear volcanic ridges in the Azores

Abstract

Linear volcanic ridges (LVRs) are widespread along the Azores plateau and are often used as a tectonic marker of the surface stress field. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that drive the emplacement and development of these structures are not well established and they have been attributed to the plateau diffuse deformation, off-rift extension or the result of the interaction between a hotspot and the brittle lithosphere. This study hypothesizes that linear volcanic ridges are the result of magma emplacement into pre-existing damaged lithosphere, using a 3D finite-element representation of the brittle lithosphere and underlying ductile mantle, and assuming that the deformation is driven by plate boundary forces applied at the edges, as describe by global plate kinematic models. The brittle layer is described by an elastoplastic rheology with progressive damage, where fractures are assumed to be analogous to localized shear bands. The ductile mantle underneath is modeled as a viscoelastic layer that exerts a shear drag at the base of the brittle layer. The modeling shows that lithospheric processes alone can justify the spatial distribution of linear volcanic ridges, and even the development of the Faial Ridge. The factors controlling the fracturing pattern are the plate geometry and velocity boundary conditions, the shearing introduced at the East Azores Fracture Zone/Gloria fault limit and the interaction between the viscous mantle and the spatially varying brittle plate thickness. Along the Terceira Rift the predicted fractures match the orientation of the LVRs in the second (~ N135°–N140°) and third (N150° to N–S) sectors and provide an explanation for the arcuate shape of the rift itself. The brittle plate thickness variations are crucial for the development of the more recent LVRs, which are predicted to occur along the Faial Ridge. In the best fit model the top mantle viscosity is 1 × 1022 Pa s at 5–15 km depth, and the present-day fracture network takes ~ 3 Ma to develop.