Chapter 13: Mid-Ocean Rifts The Mid-Ocean Ridge System Figure After Minster et al. (1974) Geophys. J. Roy. Astr. Soc., 36,

Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle Structure l 4 layers distinguished via seismic velocities l Deep Sea Drilling Program l Dredging of fracture zone scarps l Ophiolites

Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle Structure Typical Ophiolite Figure Lithology and thickness of a typical ophiolite sequence, based on the Samial Ophiolite in Oman. After Boudier and Nicolas (1985) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 76,

Layer 1 A thin layer of pelagic sediment Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle Structure Figure Modified after Brown and Mussett (1993) The Inaccessible Earth: An Integrated View of Its Structure and Composition. Chapman & Hall. London.

Layer 2 is basaltic Subdivided into two sub-layers Subdivided into two sub-layers Layer 2A & B = pillow basalts Layer 2C = vertical sheeted dikes Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle Structure Figure Modified after Brown and Mussett (1993) The Inaccessible Earth: An Integrated View of Its Structure and Composition. Chapman & Hall. London.

Layer 3 more complex and controversial Believed to be mostly gabbros, crystallized from a shallow axial magma chamber (feeds the dikes and basalts) Layer 3A = upper isotropic and lower, somewhat foliated (“transitional”) gabbros Layer 3B is more layered, & may exhibit cumulate textures

Discontinuous diorite and tonalite (“plagiogranite”) bodies = late differentiated liquids Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle Structure Figure Lithology and thickness of a typical ophiolite sequence, based on the Samial Ophiolite in Oman. After Boudier and Nicolas (1985) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 76,

Layer 4 = ultramafic rocks Ophiolites: base of 3B grades into layered cumulate wehrlite & gabbro Wehrlite intruded into layered gabbros Below  cumulate dunite with harzburgite xenoliths Below this is a tectonite harzburgite and dunite (unmelted residuum of the original mantle)

l MgO and FeO l Al 2 O 3 and CaO l SiO2 l Na 2 O, K 2 O, TiO 2, P 2 O 5 Figure “Fenner-type” variation diagrams for basaltic glasses from the Afar region of the MAR. Note different ordinate scales. From Stakes et al. (1984) J. Geophys. Res., 89,

Ternary Variation Diagrams Example: AFM diagram (alkalis-FeO*-MgO) (alkalis-FeO*-MgO) Figure 8-2. AFM diagram for Crater Lake volcanics, Oregon Cascades. Data compiled by Rick Conrey (personal communication).

Conclusions about MORBs, and the processes beneath mid-ocean ridges F MORBs are not the completely uniform magmas that they were once considered to be s They show chemical trends consistent with fractional crystallization of olivine, plagioclase, and perhaps clinopyroxene F MORBs cannot be primary magmas, but are derivative magmas resulting from fractional crystallization (~ 60%)

Fast ridge segments (EPR)  a broader range of compositions and a larger proportion of evolved liquids Fast ridge segments (EPR)  a broader range of compositions and a larger proportion of evolved liquids l (magmas erupted slightly off the axis of ridges are more evolved than those at the axis itself) Figure Histograms of over 1600 glass compositions from slow and fast mid- ocean ridges. After Sinton and Detrick (1992) J. Geophys. Res., 97,

l For constant Mg# considerable variation is still apparent. Figure Data from Schilling et al. (1983) Amer. J. Sci., 283,

Incompatible-rich and incompatible-poor mantle source regions for MORB magmas F N-MORB (normal MORB) taps the depleted upper mantle source s Mg# > 65: K 2 O 65: K 2 O < 0.10 TiO 2 < 1.0 F E-MORB (enriched MORB, also called P-MORB for plume) taps the (deeper) fertile mantle s Mg# > 65: K 2 O > 0.10 TiO 2 > 1.0

Trace Element and Isotope Chemistry l REE diagram for MORBs Figure Data from Schilling et al. (1983) Amer. J. Sci., 283,

E-MORBs (squares) enriched over N-MORBs (red triangles): regardless of Mg# l Lack of distinct break suggests three MORB types F E-MORBs La/Sm > 1.8 F N-MORBs La/Sm < 0.7 F T-MORBs (transitional) intermediate values Figure Data from Schilling et al. (1983) Amer. J. Sci., 283,

N-MORBs: 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ,  depleted mantle source N-MORBs: 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ,  depleted mantle source E-MORBs extend to more enriched values  stronger support distinct mantle reservoirs for N- type and E-type MORBs E-MORBs extend to more enriched values  stronger support distinct mantle reservoirs for N- type and E-type MORBs Figure Data from Ito et al. (1987) Chemical Geology, 62, ; and LeRoex et al. (1983) J. Petrol., 24,

Conclusions: l MORBs have > 1 source region l The mantle beneath the ocean basins is not homogeneous F N-MORBs tap an upper, depleted mantle F E-MORBs tap a deeper enriched source F T-MORBs = mixing of N- and E- magmas during ascent and/or in shallow chambers

Experimental data: parent was multiply saturated with olivine, cpx, and opx  P range = GPa (25-35 km) Figure Data from Schilling et al. (1983) Amer. J. Sci., 283,

MORB Petrogenesis l Separation of the plates l Upward motion of mantle material into extended zone l Decompression partial melting associated with near-adiabatic rise l N-MORB melting initiated ~ km depth in upper depleted mantle where it inherits depleted trace element and isotopic char. Generation Figure After Zindler et al. (1984) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 70, and Wilson (1989) Igneous Petrogenesis, Kluwer.

l Lower enriched mantle reservoir may also be drawn upward and an E-MORB plume initiated Figure After Zindler et al. (1984) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 70, and Wilson (1989) Igneous Petrogenesis, Kluwer.