Abstract
THE formation of new ocean crust at mid-ocean ridges is known to be a discontinuous process in both space and time, but little is known about the frequency and duration of eruptions along an active ridge segment. Here we present evidence, from Sea Beam surveys and underwater photography, for the eruption of lavas along a segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge between 1981 and 1987. Although previous studies have inferred volcanic activity on ridges in areas where recent seismicity or young lava flows have been observed1–4, none has yet had direct evidence to date such a recent submarine eruption. The temporal coincidence between this eruptive episode and the megaplumes (huge, sudden emissions of hot mineral-laden water) observed over this part of the ridge5,6 in 1986 and 1987 supports previous suggestions5–10 that megaplumes are caused by sea-floor spreading events.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Macdonald, K. C., Haymon, R. & Shor, A. Geology 17, 212–216 (1989).
Nishimura, C. E., Vogt, P. R., Smith, L. & Boyd, J. D. EOS Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 70, 1301 (1989).
Bergman, E. A. & Solomon, S. C. J. geophys. Res. 95, 4943–4965 (1990).
Shor, A. N., Nishimura, C. E., Czarnecki, M. & Vogt, P. R. EOS Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 71, 1602 (1990).
Baker, E. T., Massoth, G. J. & Feely, R. A. Nature 329, 149–151 (1987).
Baker, E. T. et al. J. geophys. Res. 94, 9237–9250 (1989).
Embley, R. W., Chadwick, W. W. Jr, Perfit, M. R. & Baker, E. T. Geology (in the press).
Cann, J. R. & Strens, M. R. J. geophys. Res. 94, 12227–12237 (1989).
Embley, R. W. & Chadwick, W. W. Jr EOS Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 71, 259 (1990).
Baker, E. T. & Lupton, J. E. Nature 346, 556–558 (1990).
Moore, R. B. et al. J. Volcan. geotherm. Res. 7, 189–210 (1980).
Björnsson, A. J. geophys. Res. 90, 10151–10162 (1985).
Sigurdsson, H. Geol. Assoc. Canada Spec. Pap. 34, (eds Hall, H. C. & Fahrig, W. F.) 55–64 (Geological Assocation of Canada, St John's, Newfoundland, 1987).
Björnsson, A., Johnsen, G., Sigurdsson, S., Thorbergsson, G. & Tryggvason, E. J. geophys. Res. 84, 3029–3038 (1979).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chadwick, W., Embley, R. & Fox, C. Evidence for volcanic eruption on the southern Juan de Fuca ridge between 1981 and 1987. Nature 350, 416–418 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/350416a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/350416a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Submarine lava deltas of the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano
Bulletin of Volcanology (2021)
-
Repeat bathymetric surveys at 1-metre resolution of lava flows erupted at Axial Seamount in April 2011
Nature Geoscience (2012)
-
Geochemical anomalies of hydrothermal plume at EPR 13°N
Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences (2007)
-
Evidence of recent volcanic activity on the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel ridge
Nature (2001)
-
EMRIDGE: The electromagnetic investigation of the Juan de Fuca Ridge
Marine Geophysical Researches (1993)