Synchronous motion of the Easter mantle plume and the East Pacific Rise.

ABSTRACT: The Easter mantle plume has produced one of the longest hotspot tracks in the Pacific Ocean. While previous studies have focused on the eastern side extending across the Nazca Plate, we use ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar isotopic and geochemical data to investigate the less explored western side around the Easter Microplate. We propose a dynamic model in which a deeper (600 km-depth), less buoyant mantle exerts a westward force on the East Pacific Rise (EPR), while a more buoyant plume region drives Easter hotspot volcanism and a localised acceleration in seafloor spreading. Our findings suggest that the Easter hotspot is the more focused surface expression of the most buoyant region of a vast, deep-seated mantle plume extending from the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP).

SUBMITTER: O'Connor JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11570642 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature