Start Date
2021
Description
The study area for this investigation includes the MidAtlantic Ridge (MAR) system from the Equator to 30° north latitude. In its entirety, the MAR system runs from around 87° N to 54° S through roughly the center of the Atlantic Ocean. The width of the Ridge ranges from 1000-1300 km (Liu et al., 2021). After conducting a similar study of the MAR system from the Equator to 30° S latitude, (Detmer et al., 2021 in review), the addition of magmatic modelling in this study enables continued investigation of the MAR’s tectonic fabric and allows us to test our hypotheses for the driving factors of ridge morphology. The purpose of this study is to examine and explain the observed tectonic processes, magmatic flow and morphology of the ridge system considering lithostatic pressure induced subaxial magma flows along the ridge axis. These subaxial magma flows may be responsible for patterns identified in the fracturing and divergence of the MAR within the study area. Our research involves the use of ocean floor bathymetry data provided by the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), to enable the analysis of the regional tectonic fabric of the MAR and develop our subaxial magma flow models from bathymetry based lithostatic pressure modeling
Recommended Citation
Tjoelker, Adam R.; Kanegan, Neil Van; and Sparks, C. Renee, "Bathymetry Based Modeling of Subaxial Magma Flows Under the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 0 to 30° N" (2021). Summer Research. 57.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/summer_research/2021/Posters/57
Bathymetry Based Modeling of Subaxial Magma Flows Under the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 0 to 30° N
The study area for this investigation includes the MidAtlantic Ridge (MAR) system from the Equator to 30° north latitude. In its entirety, the MAR system runs from around 87° N to 54° S through roughly the center of the Atlantic Ocean. The width of the Ridge ranges from 1000-1300 km (Liu et al., 2021). After conducting a similar study of the MAR system from the Equator to 30° S latitude, (Detmer et al., 2021 in review), the addition of magmatic modelling in this study enables continued investigation of the MAR’s tectonic fabric and allows us to test our hypotheses for the driving factors of ridge morphology. The purpose of this study is to examine and explain the observed tectonic processes, magmatic flow and morphology of the ridge system considering lithostatic pressure induced subaxial magma flows along the ridge axis. These subaxial magma flows may be responsible for patterns identified in the fracturing and divergence of the MAR within the study area. Our research involves the use of ocean floor bathymetry data provided by the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), to enable the analysis of the regional tectonic fabric of the MAR and develop our subaxial magma flow models from bathymetry based lithostatic pressure modeling