Fast-spreading Mid-ocean Ridges Research Articles

Seafloor hydrothermal circulation at a rifted margin of the South China Sea: Insights from basement epidote veins in IODP Hole U1502B

To better understand the seafloor hydrothermal circulation at the passive rifted margins, we present a detailed geochemical investigation of epidote veins in eight altered basalts from IODP Hole U1502B, which is located in the continental-oceanic transition zone at the northern margin of South China Sea (SCS). The studied epidotes have XFe values [XFe = Fe3+/ (Fe3+ + Al3+)] of 0.21 to 0.37, suggesting Fe-rich epidote in composition and equilibration in lower greenschist facies. The occurrence of cataclastic and zoning structures in the epidotes suggests variations in mineral growth environment. Combined rare earth element and Sr-isotope signatures of these epidotes revealed the involvement of three types of circulating fluids, i.e., modified seawater (negative Ce anomaly, and 87Sr/86Sr = ∼0.708), hydrothermal fluid (positive Eu anomaly, and 87Sr/86Sr = ∼0.706), and magmatic fluid (negative Eu anomaly, and 87Sr/86Sr = ∼0.704). These observations suggest that basement epidote veins in Hole U1502B were likely formed under a tectonically active and open environment, with the growth process and compositions of epidotes varying during the evolution of circulating fluids. A new seafloor hydrothermal circulation model is envisaged at Hole U1502B, in which an intrusive dike instead of a magma chamber supplied the heat source, and the extensional faults formed during continental breakup to seafloor spreading provided the channel of upwelling circulating fluids. The low heat flux of intrusive dikes caused the shallow occurrence depth of basement epidote veins, which were formed in the discharge zone of the hydrothermal system. Our study provides new mineral chemistry constraints on the hydrothermal process and environment at the passive rifted margin of SCS, which is different from those suggested for a typical fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge.

Abundance of low-temperature axial venting at the equatorial East Pacific Rise

Since their first discovery, predictions of the incidence of high temperature submarine vents has been made from along-axis surveys for the presence or absence of particle-rich “black smoker” hydrothermal plumes in the overlying water column. Recent work along intermediate and fast spreading ridges, however, has shown that abundant lower-temperature forms of seafloor fluid flow might be overlooked by this approach. Here, we report new data that allow us to test for both high- and low-temperature venting along the fast-spreading (110–132 mm/yr) equatorial East Pacific Rise (EPR), between 1.9°N and 4.9°S. We identify at least 32 discrete sites of hydrothermal activity, of which just 11 would have been resolved by particle-plume only survey methods. Such an approach would lead to a predicted frequency of high-temperature venting (Fs) along this section of the EPR of 4.2 sites/100 km, consistent with other particle-plume only surveys conducted under the auspices of InterRidge. When we include ORP sensor data to prospect for near-seafloor evidence of low-temperature venting, however, the calculated spatial frequency (Fs) for all styles of seafloor fluid flow increases by more than 3-fold, to Fs ≥ 15.5 sites/100 km. Hence, this study provides confirmation that low-temperature venting should be widespread along all fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges. While an appreciation of the importance of low-temperature axial venting to geophysical fluxes (heat, mass) is well established, our results reveal evidence for low-temperature fluid flow that is out of geochemical (redox) equilibrium with the overlying water column. Consequently, these fluxes may also play an important but previously overlooked role in global-scale ocean biogeochemical cycles.

The Origin of Plagiogranites: Coupled SIMS O Isotope Ratios, U–Pb Dating and Trace Element Composition of Zircon from the Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus

AbstractU–Pb ages, trace element content and oxygen isotope ratios of single zircons from five plagiogranite intrusions of the Troodos ophiolite were measured to determine their crystallization age and assess the importance of fractional crystallization versus crustal anatexis in their petrogenesis. The results indicate that oceanic magmatism in Troodos took place at 94·3 ± 0·5 Ma, about 3 Myr earlier than previously recognized. Later hydrothermal alteration has affected most of the Troodos plagiogranitic rocks, resulting in growth of new zircon and/or partial alteration of zircon domains, causing slightly younger apparent crystallization ages. The new age inferred for seafloor spreading and ocean crust accretion in Troodos nearly overlaps that of the Semail ophiolite in Oman (95–96 Ma), strengthening previous indications for simultaneous evolution of both ophiolites in similar tectonic settings. Average δ18O(Zrn) values in the Troodos plagiogranites range between 4·2 and 4·8 ‰. The lower values in this range are lower than those expected in equilibrium with mantle-derived melt (5·3 ± 0·6 ‰), indicating variable contribution from hydrothermally altered, deep-seated oceanic crust in most of the Troodos plagiogranite intrusions. The inferred substantial involvement of crustal component is consistent with the existence of a shallow axial magma chamber, typical of fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge settings, within the Troodos slow-spreading ridge environment. This apparent contradiction may be reconciled by episodically intense magmatism within an otherwise slow, magmatically deprived spreading axis.

Abiotic methane synthesis and serpentinization in olivine-hosted fluid inclusions

The conditions of methane (CH4) formation in olivine-hosted secondary fluid inclusions and their prevalence in peridotite and gabbroic rocks from a wide range of geological settings were assessed using confocal Raman spectroscopy, optical and scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and thermodynamic modeling. Detailed examination of 160 samples from ultraslow- to fast-spreading midocean ridges, subduction zones, and ophiolites revealed that hydrogen (H2) and CH4 formation linked to serpentinization within olivine-hosted secondary fluid inclusions is a widespread process. Fluid inclusion contents are dominated by serpentine, brucite, and magnetite, as well as CH4(g) and H2(g) in varying proportions, consistent with serpentinization under strongly reducing, closed-system conditions. Thermodynamic constraints indicate that aqueous fluids entering the upper mantle or lower oceanic crust are trapped in olivine as secondary fluid inclusions at temperatures higher than ∼400 °C. When temperatures decrease below ∼340 °C, serpentinization of olivine lining the walls of the fluid inclusions leads to a near-quantitative consumption of trapped liquid H2O. The generation of molecular H2 through precipitation of Fe(III)-rich daughter minerals results in conditions that are conducive to the reduction of inorganic carbon and the formation of CH4 Once formed, CH4(g) and H2(g) can be stored over geological timescales until extracted by dissolution or fracturing of the olivine host. Fluid inclusions represent a widespread and significant source of abiotic CH4 and H2 in submarine and subaerial vent systems on Earth, and possibly elsewhere in the solar system.

Geological and geophysical signatures of the East Pacific Rise 8°–10°N

The East Pacific Rise (EPR) 8°–10°N is an archetype for fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge (MOR), and has been one of the most comprehensively studied MOR sections for over four decades. It covers all orders of ridge discontinuities: first-order transform faults, second-order overlapping spreading centers, third-order small offset tectonic discontinuities, and fourth-order discontinuities of eruptive fissure zones. This section has been selected as a multi-disciplinary integrated study site because of its abundance of hydrothermal vents where scientists are investigating the linkages between mantle flow, crustal accretion, volcanic, hydrothermal, and biological processes that result in chemical and physical exchanges of energy and matter between the Earth's mantle and oceans. In particular, the segment near 9°50′N is one of the only two sites where repeated seafloor volcanic eruptions were onsite observed along the MOR. In this paper, we investigate the geological and geophysical signatures of the EPR 8°–10°N on behalf of the fast-spreading MOR, present the seismic signatures of the hydrothermal pathways through full waveform inversion, and put forward some thoughts on the remaining questions to be addressed. The skewness of mantle upwelling, on- and off-axis magmatism, are playing a critical role in shaping the crustal architecture. The spatial distribution and physical property of the crustal melt lens are mutually related to the hydrothermal system. The mechanism of hydrosphere-lithosphere interaction beneath the MOR is worth further studying. This compilation should be useful to investigators new to the MOR topic but we also target advanced researchers in presentation and synthesis of findings to date.

Textural Character of Gabbroic Rocks from Pito Deep: a Record of Magmatic Processes and the Genesis of the Upper Plutonic Crust at Fast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridges

Abstract The tectonic window at Pito Deep, in the southern Pacific Ocean, permits study of the formative processes of uppermost East Pacific Rise (EPR) gabbroic ocean crust. Here we present a detailed microstructural and crystallographic study of 17 gabbroic samples from the uppermost ∼800 m of plutonic crust exposed in the Pito Deep Rift. We integrate two- and three-dimensional measurements of crystal size, shape, spatial distribution and orientation, with petrographic observations and geochemical data to constrain the formation of fast spread gabbroic ocean crust. The shallowest samples, collected < 55 metres below the sheeted dikes (mbsd), have evolved bulk-rock compositions, elongate plagioclase crystals, a clear plagioclase shape- and crystallographic-preferred orientation, and preserve only minor amounts of intracrystalline strain. The characteristics of these rocks and their proximity to the sheeted dike complex, suggests they formed by crystallization at the lateral tip of an axial melt lens that solidified as it moved off axis. Underlying samples from 96–724 mbsd, record more primitive bulk-rock compositions, less elongate plagioclase crystals and exhibit increasing strength of both plagioclase shape- and crystallographic-preferred orientation with depth below the sheeted dikes. These samples host plagioclase crystals that show increasing intracrystalline strain with depth, suggesting magmatic to hypersolidus submagmatic flow within the mush zone beneath the axial melt lens. These observations, together with inclined-to-steeply dipping mineral layering preserved below ∼180 mbsd, are interpreted to record the downward transport of crystal-rich magma originating at the bottom of the melt lens through the uppermost kilometre of the mush zone at the EPR. The location of initial crystallization along the floor of the axial melt lens determines the magmatic processes that affect the crystal-rich magma en route to solidification as lower ocean crust.

Formation of fast-spreading lower oceanic crust as revealed by a new Mg–REE coupled geospeedometer

A new geospeedometer is developed based on the differential closures of Mg and rare earth element (REE) bulk-diffusion between coexisting plagioclase and clinopyroxene. By coupling the two elements with distinct bulk closure temperatures, this speedometer can numerically solve the initial temperatures and cooling rates for individual rock samples. As the existing Mg-exchange thermometer was calibrated for a narrow temperature range and strongly relies on model-dependent silica activities, a new thermometer is developed using literature experimental data. When the bulk closure temperatures of Mg and REE are determined, respectively, using this new Mg-exchange thermometer and the existing REE-exchange thermometer, this speedometer can be implemented for a wide range of compositions, mineral modes, and grain sizes.Applications of this new geospeedometer to oceanic gabbros from the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise at Hess Deep reveal that the lower oceanic crust crystallized at temperatures of 998–1353 °C with cooling rates of 0.003–10.2 °C/yr. Stratigraphic variations of the cooling rates and crystallization temperatures support deep hydrothermal circulations and in situ solidification of various replenished magma bodies. Together with existing petrological, geochemical and geophysical evidence, results from this new speedometry suggest that the lower crust formation at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges involves emplacement of primary mantle melts in the deep section of the crystal mush zone coupled with efficient heat removal by crustal-scale hydrothermal circulations. The replenished melts become chemically and thermally evolved, accumulate as small magma bodies at various depths, feed the shallow axial magma chamber, and may also escape from the mush zone to generate off-axial magma lenses.

Felsic Plutonic Rocks from IODP Hole 1256D, Eastern Pacific: Implications for the Nature of the Axial Melt Lens at Fast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridges

Although the axial melt lens (AML) beneath fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges has been detected by seismic reflection for decades, its nature and role in the accretion of lower oceanic crust and the evolution and eruption of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) are still poorly constrained. Plutonic rocks consisting of quartz-bearing gabbros, diorites and tonalites, which might represent the upper part of a fossilized AML, have for the first time been recovered from an intact fast-spreading oceanic crust section by Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Hole 1256D. Whole-rock major elements show a wide and continuous compositional range (e.g. Mg# 24–70) and apparent enrichments in Ti and Fe at intermediate MgO contents (4–6 wt %). Trace element characteristics are coherent for the different lithology groups defined by petrography and mineral modes; that is, gabbro, clinopyroxene-rich diorite, amphibole-rich or oxide-rich diorite and tonalite. The gabbros and diorites are consistent with modeled products of MORB fractional crystallization, composed of mixed melt and cumulate in varying ratios. Modeled trace elements (especially with respect to Eu) support a model in which the tonalites originated from low-degree partial melting of the sheeted dikes overlying the AML, rather than extreme fractional crystallization. Enrichments in rare earth elements (REE) in clinopyroxenes from the gabbroic and dioritic intrusive rocks suggest strong assimilation of REE-rich tonalitic components by evolved MORB magmas. Hydrothermal alteration was pervasive during cooling of the plutonic system, which can be traced by petrography, mineral compositions and bulk-rock geochemistry. The upper part of AML, largely composed of low-density and high-viscosity felsic magmas, may serve as a barrier to eruptible MORB melts in the lower part of AML.

Volatiles (CO2, S, F, Cl, Br) in the dike-gabbro transition zone at IODP Hole 1256D: Magmatic imprint versus hydrothermal influence at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge

The dike-gabbro transition zone of mid-ocean ridges (MORs) is a critical site for the accretion of oceanic crusts as it is the main zone of interactions between the hydrothermal and magmatic systems. In this study, volatiles contents of CO2, S, F, Cl and Br for a variety of lithologies from the dike-gabbro transition zone of an intact oceanic crust were investigated in order to examine the magmatic imprint versus hydrothermal influence. The studied samples include plutonic rocks (gabbros, diorites and tonalites), hornfelses (i.e. granoblastic dikes), an amphibole-rich vein and albitites. These rocks were recently sampled by the IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) at Site 1256, representing parts of an oceanic crust that formed at the fast-spreading ridge of the East Pacific Rise.The bulk CO2 contents (500–10,000ppm) show no lithological dependence and are similar to those of fresh lavas. Highly variable bulk S concentrations (3–900ppm) show significant depletions compared to undegassed MORB melts, which might be caused by exsolution of magmatic fluids during crystallization. The plutonic samples have Cl concentrations of 500–1000ppm, remarkably higher than the hornfelses (200–600ppm Cl) and erupted lavas (average ~200ppm Cl). Except for the albitites that contain very low F (20–30ppm) and the hydrothermal amphibole-rich vein that contains extremely high F (~1000ppm), the other lithologies have similar F concentrations within 100–350ppm. The Br concentrations of different lithologies are largely overlapping within 0.5–3.5ppm.Petrological and mineralogical evidence indicates that bulk F concentrations are dominated by the presence of amphibole and apatite, whereas Cl and Br are mainly hosted in fluid inclusions rather than in hydrous minerals. The variation of F/Cl and Br/Cl ratios may trace the mixing between MORB magmas and seawater-derived fluids, crystallization of apatite and amphibole, and/or extraction of magmatic fluids. Our data support the current S budget of oceanic crust, but indicate that the budgets of C and Cl may have been underestimated.

Trace elements in anatectic products at the roof of mid-ocean ridge magma chambers: An experimental study

At fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges (MORs), the horizon between the axial melt lens (AML) and the overlying sheeted dikes is characterized by extensive anatectic processes. The heat flux of the AML in combination with hydrothermal fluids from above causes high-grade contact metamorphism, which may result in anatexis of the roof rocks above the AML. The products of this process are silica-rich anatectic melts that have the potential to contaminate MOR basalts and residual hornfels. Here, we simulate the complex igneous and metamorphic processes occurring at the AML roof by hydrous partial melting experiments and provide corresponding trace element partition coefficients between melt and residues, which are useful to quantify those processes. We present trace element patterns from experimental anatectic felsic melts and the related residue produced by hydrous partial melting of various types of AML roof rocks. The starting materials used are sheeted dikes and hornfelses from Hole 1256D drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Results are compared with directly-related natural lithologies (i.e., felsic veins and granoblastic hornfels) from the same site. The trace element contents generally overlap with natural examples and experimental melts produced at low water activity (aH2O<0.5) can be highly enriched in trace elements despite relatively low SiO2 contents (58.9 to 65.7wt%). A low aH2O is required to reproduce the low Al2O3 contents observed in natural silica-rich rocks. However, low aH2O implies that the presence of residual amphibole is not required for anatectic processes Even though residual amphibole is often used as an important phase for explaining trace element characteristics in relevant felsic rocks formed at MORs when modeling anatexis. Because amphibole is lacking in any experimental residue, which is in agreement with natural hornfelses from the dike/gabbro transition at Site 1256, we assume that partial melting within the AML roof rocks proceeds without the participation of amphibole as residual phase. We present a comprehensive set of trace element compositions as well as bulk and mineral/melt trace element partition coefficients obtained from our amphibole-free experimental results for different potential protoliths over a large range of temperature and at different aH2Os.

Apatite in the dike-gabbro transition zone of mid-ocean ridge: Evidence for brine assimilation by axial melt lens

We present textures and halogen and trace-element compositions of apatites in intrusive rocks from the dike-gabbro transition zone of a fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge, which was formed at the East Pacific Rise and recently drilled by IODP Hole 1256D. These data are used to discuss the properties of parental magmas and seawater-derived hydrothermal fluids at the roof of the axial melt lens during the formation of oceanic crust. In general, zoning of apatites from three different lithologies, tonalites, diorites, and gabbros, is common and shows a consistent evolution trend with depletion in Cl and REEs from core to rim. The cores are usually homogenous in composition and interpreted as magmatic origin, whereas zones with lower Cl and REEs are disseminated with heterogeneous concentrations, indicating exchanges with hydrothermal fluids. The apatite cores in tonalites are rich in both F and Cl, with X Ap F (proportion of fluorapatite end-member) up to 0.5 and X Ap Cl (proportion of chlorapatite end-member) up to 0.4. In contrast, the apatite cores in gabbros have high X Ap Cl (up to 0.85) and very low X Ap F ( S in some parts of the apatite crystals (mainly rim) can be explained by removal of these components via hydrothermal fluids. Based on available F-Cl-OH exchange coefficients for apatite-melt, the very high Cl/OH and Cl/F ratios and high Cl contents calculated for tonalitic melts cannot be reconciled with a formation of these felsic melts by partial melting of amphibole-bearing metabasalts, but indicate that an assimilation of high-Cl brines must have occurred. Similarly, the low-F chlorapatites in gabbros also imply an assimilation of high-Cl brines. The source of high-Cl fluids in the axial magmatic system may result from seawater-derived fluids, which may form immiscible vapor and brine at high temperatures as a result of hydrothermal boiling.

Anatomy of a frozen axial melt lens from a fast-spreading paleo-ridge (Wadi Gideah, Oman ophiolite)

At fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges, axial melt lenses (AMLs) sandwiched between the sheeted dyke section and the uppermost gabbros are assumed to be the major magma source of crust formation. Here, we present our results from a field study based on a single outcrop of a frozen AML in the Samail ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman which presents a whole suite of different lithologies and complex cutting relationships: varitextured gabbro with relics of primitive poikilitic clinopyroxene is intruded by massive quartz diorites and tonalites bearing relics of assimilated sheeted dykes, which in turn are cut by trondhjemite dykes. The whole is cut by basaltic dykes with chilled margins. The geochemical evolutionary trend of the varitextured gabbros, including some of the quartz diorites and tonalites, can be best modelled by fractional crystallisation of an experimental MORB parental melt composition containing 0.4 to 0.8wt.% H2O. Patchy varitextured gabbros containing domains of primitive poikilitic clinopyroxene and evolved granular networks represent the record of in situ crystallisation. Some quartz diorites, often with xenoliths of sheeted dykes and exceptionally high Al2O3 contents, show a bulk trace element pattern more in accord with melts generated by experimental partial melting of dyke material. Highly evolved, crosscutting trondhjemite dykes show characteristic trace element patterns implying a formation by partial melting of sheeted dykes under lower water activity which is indicated by relatively low Al2O3 contents. The late basaltic dykes with chilled margins crosscutting all other lithologies show a relatively depleted geochemical character with pronounced negative Nb-Ta anomalies implying a genetic relationship to the second phase of magmatic Oman paleo-ridge activity (V2). The field relationships in combination with the petrological/geochemical trends reveal multiple sequences of MORB-type magma cooling (resulting in fractional crystallisation) and re-heating (producing partial melting) during the formation of this special horizon; these are best explained by alternating cycles of vertical AML migration. Since the investigated outcrop shows many characteristic lithological and petrographic features that are well-known from the uppermost gabbros drilled at Site 1256 by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) in the equatorial Eastern Pacific, our results based on 3-D observation in the field help to elucidate the geological observations obtained from the 1-D drill core.

Sulfur and lead isotopic compositions of massive sulfides from deep-sea hydrothermal systems: Implications for ore genesis and fluid circulation

Studies of sulfur and lead isotopic compositions in hydrothermal deposits are an important tool to determine the source and processes of both sulfur and lead, and to understand the origin of hydrothermal ore deposits. Here, the sulfur and lead isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals have been studied for different hydrothermal fields in the East Pacific Rise (EPR), Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), Central Indian Ridge (CIR), Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), and North Fiji Basin (NFB). The sulfur isotopic compositions of the studied sulfide samples are variable (δ34S 0.0 to 9.6‰, avg. δ34S 4.7‰; n=60), being close to the associated igneous rocks (~0‰ for, e.g., basalt, serpentinized peridotite), which may reflect the S in the sulfide samples is derived mainly from the associated igneous rocks, and a relatively small proportion (<36%) of seawater sulfur incorporated into these sulfides during mixing between seawater (δ34S 21‰) and hydrothermal fluid. In contrast for a mixed origin for the source of S, the majority of the lead isotopic compositions (206Pb/204Pb 17.541±0.004 to 19.268±0.001, 207Pb/204Pb 15.451±0.001 to 15.684±0.001, 208Pb/204Pb 37.557±0.008 to 38.988±0.002, n=21) of the sulfides possess a basaltic Pb isotopic composition, suggesting that the lead in the massive sulfide is mainly leached from local basaltic rocks that host the sub-seafloor hydrothermal systems in sediment-free mid-ocean ridges and mature back-arc basins. Furthermore, sulfide minerals in the super-fast and fast spreading mid-ocean ridges (MORs) exhibit less spread in their the δ34S values compared to sulfides from super-slow, and slow spreading MORs, which is most easily explained as a lesser degree of fluid-rock interaction and hydrothermal fluid-seawater mixing during hydrothermal ore-forming process. Additionally, the S and Pb isotope compositions of sulfides are controlled by the fluid processes for forming seafloor massive sulfide deposits. We demonstrate that the variable sulfur and lead isotopic compositions exhibit a relationship with the sulfur and lead sources, fluid–rock interaction, and fluid–seawater mixing.

Sulfide geochronology along the Northern Equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Hydrothermal processes and seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits have different characteristics at fast and slow spreading mid-ocean ridges. One such parameter is the age of a SMS deposit, which differs by 1–2 orders of magnitude between the fast spreading East Pacific Rise (EPR) and the slow spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The large collection of SMS samples dated from the 18 hydrothermal fields of the northern equatorial part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (194 samples) demonstrates a relatively old average age of hydrothermal fields here (~66ka) with the oldest one estimated as ca. 223ka (Peterburgskoye field). Based on geochronological data it was confirmed that hydrothermal discharge has an episodic character: active and inactive periods of the SMS formation alternate. The distribution of events at all hydrothermal fields demonstrates that maximum activity occurred at 38–35, 30–20, and 8–2ka and increased with time. Based on statistical analyses, dating variations can be explained as a superposition of several periods of activity with the duration of ~15, 10 and 5ka.Relationship between the age and distance from the axial rift zone as well as between the age and aerial distribution is different for SMS deposits hosted by basalts and by gabbro-peridotites depending on their geological setting on the particular MAR segment. This difference can be explained by a variety of hydrothermal processes determined by “tectonic” or “magmatic” segment evolution and symmetrical or asymmetrical mode of accretion (Escartin et al., 2008).

Trace element evidence for anatexis at oceanic magma chamber roofs and the role of partial melts for contamination of fresh MORB

At oceanic spreading centers, interactions between magma and hydrothermal convecting systems trigger major physical, thermal, and chemical exchanges. The two-pyroxene hornfels recovered from the base of the sheeted dike sequence at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site 1256 (equatorial Eastern Pacific) are interpreted as a conducting boundary layer between the underlying axial melt lens and the hydrothermally cooled sheeted dikes. They are cut by numerous small, felsic veins, which were recently interpreted as a product of hydrous partial melting of sheeted dikes. Here, we present trace element compositions of products (melts and residues) of hydrous partial melting experiments using basalts and hornfels from IODP Site 1256 as starting material. The experimental products generated between 910°C and 970°C match the natural lithologies from Site 1256 in terms of major and trace element compositions. The compositions of the anatectic melts correspond to the compositions of the felsic veins, while the residual minerals match the compositions of the two-pyroxene hornfels, evidencing that hydrous partial melting is an important magmatic process in the gabbro/dike transition of fast-spreading mid-oceanic ridges. Our results complement previous experimental studies on anatectic processes occurring at the roof of the magma chambers from fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Moreover, calculations of mixing and assimilation fractional crystallization using the experimental partial melts as contaminant/assimilant showed that anatectic melts can only be a minor contributor to the contamination process.

Estimates of olivine–basaltic melt electrical conductivity using a digital rock physics approach

Estimates of melt content beneath fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges inferred from magnetotelluric tomography (MT) vary between 0.01 and 0.10. Much of this variation may stem from a lack of understanding of how the grain-scale melt geometry influences the bulk electrical conductivity of a partially molten rock, especially at low melt fraction. We compute bulk electrical conductivity of olivine–basalt aggregates over 0.02 to 0.20 melt fraction by simulating electric current in experimentally obtained partially molten geometries. Olivine–basalt aggregates were synthesized by hot-pressing San Carlos olivine and high-alumina basalt in a solid–medium piston-cylinder apparatus. Run conditions for experimental charges were 1.5 GPa and 1350 °C. Upon completion, charges were quenched and cored. Samples were imaged using synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT). The resulting high-resolution, 3-dimensional (3-D) image of the melt distribution constitutes a digital rock sample, on which numerical simulations were conducted to estimate material properties. To compute bulk electrical conductivity, we simulated a direct current measurement by solving the current continuity equation, assuming electrical conductivities for olivine and melt. An application of Ohm's Law yields the bulk electrical conductivity of the partially molten region. The bulk electrical conductivity values for nominally dry materials follow a power-law relationship σbulk=Cσmeltϕm with fit parameters m=1.3±0.3 and C=0.66±0.06. Laminar fluid flow simulations were conducted on the same partially molten geometries to obtain permeability, and the respective pathways for electrical current and fluid flow over the same melt geometry were compared. Our results indicate that the pathways for flow fluid are different from those for electric current. Electrical tortuosity is lower than fluid flow tortuosity. The simulation results are compared to existing experimental data, and the potential influence of volatiles and melt films on electrical conductivity of partially molten rocks is discussed.

Near conductive cooling rates in the upper-plutonic section of crust formed at the East Pacific Rise

A new geospeedometer, based on diffusion modeling of Mg in plagioclase, is used to determine cooling rates of the upper section of the lower oceanic crust formed at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges. The investigated natural sample suites include gabbroic rocks formed at three different locations along the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise. These samples cover a depth interval of 0–840 m below the sheeted dike/gabbro boundary and therefore allow the variation of cooling rate as a function of depth within the upper plutonic sequence to be determined. We demonstrate that the cooling rates we obtained are robust (reproducible and consistent across different vertical sections at fast spreading ridges) and decrease significantly with increasing sample depth (covering almost 4 orders of magnitude, ranging from ∼1 °C y−1 for the shallowest samples to 0.0003 °C y−1 for the deepest samples). Both the absolute cooling rates, and the rate of decrease of cooling rate with depth, are consistent with conductive thermal models. In contrast, the absolute cooling rates determined from the deeper samples (>300 m below DGB), and the large decrease in cooling rate with depth are inconsistent with thermal models that include substantial cooling by off-axis hydrothermal circulation within the upper plutonic section of the crust.

Rapid hydrothermal cooling above the axial melt lens at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge.

Axial melt lenses sandwiched between the lower oceanic crust and the sheeted dike sequences at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges are assumed to be the major magma source of oceanic crust accretion. According to the widely discussed “gabbro glacier” model, the formation of the lower oceanic crust requires efficient cooling of the axial melt lens, leading to partial crystallization and crystal-melt mush subsiding down to lower crust. These processes are believed to be controlled by periodical magma replenishment and hydrothermal circulation above the melt lens. Here we quantify the cooling rate above melt lens using chemical zoning of plagioclase from hornfelsic recrystallized sheeted dikes drilled from the East Pacific at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1256D. We estimate the cooling rate using a forward modelling approach based on CaAl-NaSi interdiffusion in plagioclase. The results show that cooling from the peak thermal overprint at 1000–1050°C to 600°C are yielded within about 10–30 years as a result of hydrothermal circulation above melt lens during magma starvation. The estimated rapid hydrothermal cooling explains how the effective heat extraction from melt lens is achieved at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges.

Records of Ocean Growth and Destruction in the Oman-UAE Ophiolite

The Oman–UAE ophiolite is the largest piece of oceanic crust exposed on land, yet debate continues about its origin. It has been variously considered as an ideal analogue for a fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge and as a typical suprasubduction zone ophiolite. A resolution to this conundrum comes from the recognition of at least two different phases of magmatism, with the second phase being most voluminous in the northern blocks of the ophiolite. The first phase was formed at an oceanic spreading centre; petrological and geochemical evidence clearly shows that the second phase was formed above a subduction zone.

Architecture of on- and off-axis magma bodies at EPR 9°37–40′N and implications for oceanic crustal accretion

Crustal accretion at fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges is believed to be concentrated in a narrow zone up to a few kilometers wide centered beneath the ridge axis. However, there is increasing evidence for off-axis magmatism occurring beyond this narrow zone. Here, we present 3D multichannel seismic (MCS) images from the East Pacific Rise 9°37–40′N extending to 11 km on the ridge flanks. In the axial region, two offset axial magma bodies underlie a small ridge-axis discontinuity at ∼9°37′N, displaying an overlapping geometry similar to that of the seafloor structures above. On the ridge flanks, a series of off-axis magma lenses (OAML) are imaged: they are located 2–10 km from the ridge axis, at 700 to 1520 ms two-way travel time below seafloor (bsf) (∼1.6 to 4.5 km bsf), with variable areas ranging from 0.5 km2 to 5.2 km2. The largest body is centered 4 km east of the ridge axis and is composed of a large, continuous, flat-topped lens and a series of small, discontinuous, westward-dipping bodies along its western edge. The flat crest of the OAML lies at approximately the same depth beneath layer 2A as the axial magma lens and we infer that this OAML has formed by aggregation of ascending melts that accumulate at the base of the sheeted dike section. A cluster of reflections underlying the OAML at 1260–1510 ms bsf are observed that may be deeper lenses feeding melts to the upper lens. This largest OAML is associated with Moho travel time anomalies of 120–260 ms within a zone that extends up to 2 km from the edge of the OAML, suggesting a lower crust that is partially molten with lower crustal velocities reduced by 8–18% and/or thicker than normal by up to 1 km. Local volcanic edifices are found above two of the three OAMLs imaged in our study area and are inferred to be the eruptive products of the OAMLs. From the volume of these edifices and the Moho travel time anomalies we estimate the potential contribution of off-axis magmatism to the total volume of the crust to be ∼0.01–3%. The OAMLs imaged in our study area are present over roughly the same distance range as the zone of formation of near-axis seamounts. We speculate that OAMLs and the volcanic edifices found above them are small-scale manifestations of the off-axis magmatism that gives rise to near-axis seamounts.