Research

Ultraslow spreading ridges, which account for ~20% of the global Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) system, are the least surveyed part of the MOR system, because they are mostly in hard-to-access oceans. The longest (~7000 km), the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), is in a remote location with the Roaring Forties, and the second longest (~2000 km), the Gakkel Ridge, is in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean.

AUV-borne high-resolution (HR) bathymetry data are revolutionizing our ability of seafloor mapping and hence our understanding of the Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) processes. HR bathymetry data provide great details in fine-scale fault systems with resolutions of 0.

The thermal regime of the global Mid-Ocean Ridges (MOR) is a key control on the dynamics of seafloor spreading. It is typically assessed through numerical thermal models that balance a steady magmatic heat input with a hydrothermal output, rather than observational approaches alone.