Intraplate versus ridge volcanism on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge near 37°S -111°W

Abstract

Exploration of the Foundation Volcanic Chain (33°S-131°W; 37°S-111°W) revealed the existence of different magmatic provinces with relation to their geological settings. (1) The Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (PAR) is made up of several en echelon segments where both glassy mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) with low incompatible elements (K2O<200 ppm, Zr <120 ppm and Ce <20 ppm) as well as andesites and dacites have erupted, (2) Oblique Ridges located up to 300 km from the PAR axis are topped with seamounts made up essentially of transitional (T) and enriched (E) MORBs with intermediate incompatible elements (K2O=0.11-0.40%, Zr=70-140 ppm and Ce =15-30 ppm), (3) the Foundation Seamounts (FS) consisting essentially of isolated volcanoes which have erupted alkalic lavas (alkali basalt, trachybasalt and trachyandesite) with high incompatible elements (K2O (0.50-1.1 %, Zr (>150 ppm) and Ce (>48 ppm)) at about 306-1300 km from the PAR axis, (4) The Old Pacific Seamounts built on a crust older than 23 m. y. located west of longitude 124°W (> 1300 km from the PAR axis) consist of T and EMORB. On the PAR axis, extensive crystal fractionation (>65%) produced the silicic lavas. On the basis of Pacific plate reconstruction using a half spreading rate of about 50 mm/yr and integrating the observed compositional changes with respect to the structural settings, it is inferred that the last volcanic events giving rise to the FS took place at about 110 km from the PAR axis about 5 m. y. ago. The Oblique Ridges built between 5 m. y. and <1 m. y. are believed to represent ancient leaky transforms and/or large discontinuities between accreting ridge segments filled by volcanic cones during the interaction (mixing) of the enriched plume components of the FS with PAR depleted (MORB type) magmatism. The Old Pacific Seamounts built on ancient crust (>23 m. y.) with MORB volcanics comparable to those of the the Oblique Ridge-PAR provinces, could also have been formed by an interaction between the Foundation Seamount (dredge site 28) hotspot magmatism and that of an ancient accreting ridge magmatism precursor of the PAR.