Synchronous motion of the Easter mantle plume and the East Pacific Rise

The Easter mantle plume has produced one of the longest hotspot tracks in the Pacific Ocean. While previous studies have focused on the eastern side extending across the Nazca Plate, we use 40 Ar/ 39 Ar isotopic and geochemical data to investigate the less explored western side around the Easter Mic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2024-11, Vol.15 (1), p.9953-16, Article 9953
Main Authors: O’Connor, John M., Regelous, Marcel, Haase, Karsten M., Hemond, Christophe, Koppers, Anthony A. P., Miggins, Daniel P., Heaton, Daniel E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
140/58
704/2151/209
704/2151/210
704/2151/2809
704/2151/562
704/2151/598
Acceleration
Buoyancy
Dynamic models
Hot spots (geology)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Islands
Lithosphere
multidisciplinary
Ocean floor
Plumes
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sea floor spreading
Seafloor spreading
Spreading
Trends
Volcanic activity
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Summary:The Easter mantle plume has produced one of the longest hotspot tracks in the Pacific Ocean. While previous studies have focused on the eastern side extending across the Nazca Plate, we use 40 Ar/ 39 Ar isotopic and geochemical data to investigate the less explored western side around the Easter Microplate. We propose a dynamic model in which a deeper (600 km-depth), less buoyant mantle exerts a westward force on the East Pacific Rise (EPR), while a more buoyant plume region drives Easter hotspot volcanism and a localised acceleration in seafloor spreading. Our findings suggest that the Easter hotspot is the more focused surface expression of the most buoyant region of a vast, deep-seated mantle plume extending from the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP). This challenges the traditional view of hotspots as isolated phenomena and suggests they are part of broader LLSVP-related mantle structures. Our results imply a more intricate, large-scale relationship between hotspots, mantle plumes, spreading ridges, and mantle dynamics. Examination of the Easter hotspot reveals it as part of a vast, deep-seated mantle system, influencing seafloor spreading and shaping the Pacific Ocean, which challenges the view of hotspots as isolated volcanic centres.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-54115-2