Thermal regime of Mid-Ocean Ridges by numerical modelling

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. A widely-accepted thermal model by Phipps Morgan and Chen (1993) successfully predicts that the basaltic solidus isotherm deepens with the decrease of spreading rate for fast-intermediate spreading ridges. However, this model falls short at slow-ultraslow spreading ridges that account for 2/3 of the MOR, where the solidus has depths ranging between 2-4 km at centers of a few magmatically-robust segments and >10 km in a common situation (Sinha et al., 1998; Singh et al., 2006; Li et al., 2015). I’m using a 2-D numerical model that fuels hydrothermal circulation with repeated magmatic intrusions and mantle upwelling to simulate the MOR thermal regime at all possible spreading rates and crustal thicknesses.

Related publications:

Chen Jie, Jean-Arthur Olive, Cannat Mathilde (2023). Beyond spreading rate: Controls on the thermal regime of mid-ocean ridges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Chen Jie, Jean-Arthur Olive, Cannat Mathilde (2022). Thermal Regime of Slow and Ultraslow Spreading Ridges Controlled by Melt Supply and Modes of Emplacement. Journal of Geophysical Research:Solid Earth.