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Asynchronous bends in Pacific seamount trails: a case for extensional volcanism?
Anthony A P Koppers1, Hubert Staudigel
1Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225, USA. akoppers@ucsd.edu
The Gilbert Ridge and Tokelau seamounts exhibit unique bends, challenging the stationary hot spot theory. Their ages suggest asynchronous formation, possibly indicating hot spot movement or localized geological events.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Plate Tectonics
Background:
- The Pacific Ocean contains unique seamount trails: Gilbert Ridge and Tokelau Seamounts, notable for a 60-degree bend.
- This bend resembles the Hawaii-Emperor bend (HEB), a key feature in understanding Pacific plate motion.
- The stationary hot spot model predicts coeval bends if plate motion is the sole factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation age of the Gilbert Ridge and Tokelau seamount bends.
- To test the validity of the stationary hot spot model for seamount trail formation in the Pacific.
- To explore alternative explanations for asynchronous bend formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 40Ar/39Ar dating techniques to determine the ages of seamount formations.
- Analyzed geological data to compare bend formation timing with the Hawaii-Emperor bend.
- Applied plate tectonic models to interpret the spatial and temporal relationships of seamounts.
Main Results:
- New 40Ar/39Ar dating revealed distinct ages for the Gilbert Ridge (67 million years ago) and Tokelau seamount (57 million years ago) bends.
- These ages predate the Hawaii-Emperor bend (47 million years ago), indicating asynchronous formation.
- The asynchronous nature of these bends challenges the conventional stationary hot spot paradigm.
Conclusions:
- The formation of the Gilbert Ridge and Tokelau seamount bends is not synchronous with the HEB.
- The stationary hot spot model is insufficient to explain the observed timing of these seamount bends.
- Findings suggest potential hot spot motion or localized lithospheric extension as alternative causes for seamount magmatism and bending.
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