Ridge Jumps Associated with Hotspot-Ridge Interaction

abstract: In many hot spot-ridge systems, changes in the ridge axis geometry occur between the hot spot centers and nearby mid-ocean ridges in the form of ridge jumps. Such ridge jumps likely occur as a result of anomalous lithospheric stresses associated with mantle plume-lithosphere interaction, as well as weakening of the hotspot lithosphere due to physical and thermal thinning caused by rising buoyant asthenosphere and magma transport through the lithosphere. In this talk, I will focus primarily on the effect of lithospheric weakening due to magma penetration as well as disscussing preliminary results from models incorporating an upwelling plume. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atelier de Dynamique des Systèmes Géologiques -----------------------------------------------------------------------------