JC24

The cycling of matter and heat from the mantle into the lithosphere is a first-order problem in global geodynamics. Although the oceanic lithosphere constitutes over 50% of the Earth’s surface, many details of its formation at Mid-ocean Ridges (MORs) are still poorly constrained. Axial Volcanic Ridges (AVRs) are common features of slow-spreading MORs, and provide an accessible record of MOR volcanism and its variation over time and space, although the time-scale is poorly constrained. A hypothetical development cycle for AVRs has been proposed, but has yet to be tested. We will use state-of-the-art instruments and techniques in an international collaboration to address these questions via a detailed case study of the architecture and chronology of an AVR near 45°30’N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). We will thus help to quantify the flow of matter and heat from the mantle to the crust. With 75% of the Earth’s magmatic activity occurring at MORs, such studies are fundamental to understanding the controls on, and fluxes of, mass and energy from the Earth’s interior. Article in 2008 InterRidge News