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Mantle melting factors and amagmatic crustal accretion of the Gakkel ridge, Arctic Ocean

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Abstract

Spreading rate is a primary factor of mantle melting and tectonic behavior of the global mid-ocean ridges. The spreading rate of the Gakkel ridge decreases gradually from west to east. However, the Gakkel ridge can be divided into four thick-and-thin zones with varying crustal thicknesses along ridge axis. This phenomenon indicates that mantle melting of the Gakkel ridge is not a simple function of spreading rate. Mantle temperature, water content, mantle composition, and other factors are important in crustal accretion processes. Based on gravity-derived crustal thickness and wet melting model, we estimate that the mantle potential temperatures of the four zones are 1 270, 1 220, 1 280, and 1 280°C (assuming that mantle water content equals to global average value), with corresponding mantle water contents of 210, 0, 340, and 280 mg/kg (assuming that mantle potential temperature is 1 260°C), respectivly. The western thinned crust zone is best modeled with low mantle temperature, whereas the other zones are mainly controlled by the enhanced conduction caused by the slower spreading rate. Along the Gakkel ridge, the crustal thickness is consistent with rock samples types. Predominated serpentinized peridotite and basalt are found in the area with crustal thickness 〈1.5 km and 〉2.5 km, respectively. The rock samples are including from basalt to peridotite in the area with crustal thickness between 1.5 and 2.5 km. Based on this consistency, the traditional magmatic accretion zone accounted for only 44% and amagmatic accretion accounted for 29% of the Gakkel ridge. The amagmatic accretion is a significant characteristic of the ultra-slow spreading ridge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Tao Zhang, Jinyao Gao, Chunguo Yang, Zhongyan Shen, Zhaocai Wu & Yunfan Sun

  2. Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Tao Zhang, Jinyao Gao, Chunguo Yang, Zhongyan Shen, Zhaocai Wu & Yunfan Sun

  3. East China Construction Engineering Corporation of Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310030, China

    Mei Chen

  4. School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Zhiyuan Zhou

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  1. Tao Zhang
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  2. Jinyao Gao
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  3. Mei Chen
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  4. Chunguo Yang
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  5. Zhongyan Shen
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  6. Zhiyuan Zhou
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  7. Zhaocai Wu
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Correspondence to Tao Zhang.

Additional information

Foundation item: Chinese Polar Environment Comprehensive Investigation and Assessment Programmes under contract Nos CHINARE 2013-03-03 and 2013-04-03; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 41106049.

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Zhang, T., Gao, J., Chen, M. et al. Mantle melting factors and amagmatic crustal accretion of the Gakkel ridge, Arctic Ocean. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 34, 42–48 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-015-0686-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-015-0686-8

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