Geochronological and Geochemical Studies of Recently Dredged Basalt from the Ninetyeast Ridge: Testing the Hotspot Model

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The tectonic origins of the Ninetyeast Ridge (NER) will be investigated from geochrnonological/isotopic (Ar/Ar) measurements and from geochemical (Sr, Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopes) analyses of basalt samples collected from 7 DSDP and ODP drill sites, and from 23 dredged samples collected from NER in 2007. These analyses will address the origins of hotspots as the NER and if they are sourced beneath the ridge in the deep mantle or more shallow in the mid-upper mantle or sublithosphere. The data generated from this project will help advance geodynamical models of hotspots. Broader impacts: The broader impacts were viewed as limited in scope but will provide educational benefit and training for undergraduate and graduate students, and a JOI-sponsored middle school teacher.