The Southeast Indian Ridge between 88°E and 118°E: Variations in crustal accretion at constant spreading rate ...

• Main Authors: Sempere, Jean-Christophe, Cochran, James R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Columbia University 1997
• Subjects: Geophysics; FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences; Marine geophysics; Geomorphology; Mantle of the Earth; Lithosphere; Mid-ocean ridges; Antarctic; Pacific; Indian; Mid-Atlantic Ridge; Southeast Indian Ridge; Australian-Antarctic Discordance; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-ww6r-a670; https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-ww6r-a670

The temperature of the mantle and the rate of melt production are parameters which play important roles in controlling the style of crustal accretion along mid-ocean ridges. To investigate the variability in crustal accretion that develops in response to variations in mantle temperature, we have conducted a geophysical investigation of the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) between the Amsterdam hotspot and the Australian-Antarctic Discordance (88°E- 118°E). The spreading center deepens by 2100 m from west to east within the study area. Despite a uniform, intermediate spreading rate (69-75 mm yr- 1), the SEIR exhibits the range in axial morphology displayed by the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and usually associated with variations in spreading rate. The spreading center is characterized by an axial high west of 102°45'E, whereas an axial valley is prevalent east of this longitude. Both the deepening of the ridge axis and the general evolution of axial morphology from an axial high to a rift ...