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A subduction influence on ocean ridge basalts outside the Pacific subduction shield

Author

Listed:
  • A. Y. Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science)

  • C. H. Langmuir

    (Harvard University)

  • Y. Cai

    (Columbia University)

  • P. Michael

    (University of Tulsa)

  • S. L. Goldstein

    (Columbia University)

  • Z. Chen

    (Harvard University)

Abstract

The plate tectonic cycle produces chemically distinct mid-ocean ridge basalts and arc volcanics, with the latter enriched in elements such as Ba, Rb, Th, Sr and Pb and depleted in Nb owing to the water-rich flux from the subducted slab. Basalts from back-arc basins, with intermediate compositions, show that such a slab flux can be transported behind the volcanic front of the arc and incorporated into mantle flow. Hence it is puzzling why melts of subduction-modified mantle have rarely been recognized in mid-ocean ridge basalts. Here we report the first mid-ocean ridge basalt samples with distinct arc signatures, akin to back-arc basin basalts, from the Arctic Gakkel Ridge. A new high precision dataset for 576 Gakkel samples suggests a pervasive subduction influence in this region. This influence can also be identified in Atlantic and Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts but is nearly absent in Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalts. Such a hemispheric-scale upper mantle heterogeneity reflects subduction modification of the asthenospheric mantle which is incorporated into mantle flow, and whose geographical distribution is controlled dominantly by a “subduction shield” that has surrounded the Pacific Ocean for 180 Myr. Simple modeling suggests that a slab flux equivalent to ~13% of the output at arcs is incorporated into the convecting upper mantle.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Y. Yang & C. H. Langmuir & Y. Cai & P. Michael & S. L. Goldstein & Z. Chen, 2021. "A subduction influence on ocean ridge basalts outside the Pacific subduction shield," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25027-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25027-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Guido M. Gianni & Jeremías Likerman & César R. Navarrete & Conrado R. Gianni & Sergio Zlotnik, 2023. "Ghost-arc geochemical anomaly at a spreading ridge caused by supersized flat subduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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