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Oceanic Spreading Center

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Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences

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Synonyms

Back-arc spreading center, Mid-ocean ridge, Oceanic ridge

Definition

Seafloor spreading is a process on the earth’s surface where oceanic lithosphere is created.

Full spreading rate is the rate (mm/year) at which two plates diverge from each other.

Ridge axis and plane define the position of the spreading center.

Neovolcanic zone lies on the ridge axis where melt is delivered to the surface and lavas erupt.

Hydrothermal circulation is a process where seawater is circulated and heated in the crust.

Hydrothermal vent field (also known as black smokers) is the site on the seafloor where mineral-laden hot water exits the seafloor.

Axial melt lens (AML) is a thin body of magma seismically imaged beneath oceanic spreading centers.

Magma chamber is a domain beneath ridge crests between melt lens and Moho comprised mixtures of melt and crystals.

Layer 2A is the seismically defined top layer of oceanic basaltic crust made of lava flows.

Layer 2Bis the seismically defined layer...

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank F. Boudier and M. Cannat for fruitful discussions and M.R. Perfit for a very comprehensive and thoughtful review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Géoscience Marines, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Bureau 364 – 1, rue Jussieu, 75238 cedex 05, Paris, France

    Satish C. Singh

  2. GM (CNRS-UM2), Université Montpellier II, CC. 60, place E. Bataillon, 34095 cedex 5, Montpellier, France

    Adolphe Nicolas

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  1. Satish C. Singh
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  2. Adolphe Nicolas
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Correspondence to Satish C. Singh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland

    Jan Harff

  2. Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Martin Meschede

  3. Leibiniz Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Sven Petersen

  4. Academy of Sciences, Humanities, and Lit c/o Helmholtz-Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany

    Jörn Thiede

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Singh, S.C., Nicolas, A. (2014). Oceanic Spreading Center. In: Harff, J., Meschede, M., Petersen, S., Thiede, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6644-0_124-1

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