The sheeted dike complex of the Troodos Ophiolite and its role in understanding mid-ocean ridge processes

Abstract

Geologic research on the Troodos ophiolite flourished during two distinct periods following general recognition of the importance of ophiolites as fragments of ocean crust in the late 1960s. During the first period, the petrologic revolution, research focused on the petrological and geochemical aspects of the ophiolite pseudostratigraphic sequence. In part, this focus is attributed to the early recognition of the enriched, non-MORB character of Troodos lavas, which set off a controversy that continues to the present. The period that followed was a revolution, and was a direct consequence of the Cyprus Drilling Project in the early 1980s. Much research during this time period focused on the extensively exposed sheeted dike complex and was directed toward gaining an understanding into the structure of modern mid-ocean ridges. Field, paleomagnetic, and petrographic work on the dike complex have yielded insights into the interplay between magmatism and structural extension during crustal accretion, the nature of normal faulting at ridges, the depth-dependent changes in extensional style, the importance of structural extension for focused hydrothermal circulation at black smoker vents, and the importance of along-axis migration of melts above axial magma chambers. Future insights into ridge crest dynamics will be enhanced through iterative exchange between field studies of ophiolites and observations of well-exposed cross sectional windows into modern ocean crust.