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Fine scale study of a small overlapping spreading center system at 12°54′ N on the East Pacific Rise

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Abstract

Overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) are a type of ridge axis discontinuity found along intermediate and fast spreading centers. The ridges at these locations overlap and curve towards each other. and are separated by an elongate overlap basin. A high resolution Deep-Tow survey was conducted over the 12°54′ N OSC (offset ≈1.6 km) on the East Pacific Rise in order to study the structure of a small OSC on a fine scale. A detailed tectonic study and Deep-Tow 3-D magnetic inversion were performed on the data. Towards the tips of both limbs, the apparent age of lava flows increases, the density of exposed faults and fissures increases, and the axial graben loses definition and disappears. No active hydrothermal vents were detected in the area. These observations suggest that the magmatic budget steadily decreases along axis approaching and OSC, even where the offset is small. In contrast with OSCs which have a large offset (>5 km), the 3-D magnetic inversion solution for this OSC produced no evidence for highly magnetized areas near the tip of either spreading center.

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Author notes

  1. Lisa Antrim

    Present address: AMOCO Production Co., P.O. Box 3092, 77253, Houston, TX, USA

  2. Jean-Christophe Sempere

    Present address: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of California, 93106, CA, Santa Barbara, USA

    Lisa Antrim, Jean-Christophe Sempere & Ken C. Macdonald

  2. Marine Science Institute, University of California, 93106, CA, Santa Barbara, USA

    Lisa Antrim, Jean-Christophe Sempere & Ken C. Macdonald

  3. Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 92093, La Jolla, CA, USA

    E. N. Spiess

Authors
  1. Lisa Antrim
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  2. Jean-Christophe Sempere
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  3. Ken C. Macdonald
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  4. E. N. Spiess
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Antrim, L., Sempere, JC., Macdonald, K.C. et al. Fine scale study of a small overlapping spreading center system at 12°54′ N on the East Pacific Rise. Mar Geophys Res 9, 115–130 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369244

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369244

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