| Publications | | » | 41. R2K Advances in Seismic Imaging
Oceanography, 2012
 | | » | 40. R2K Seismic Studies
Oceanography, 2012
| | » | 39. Melt bodies off the EPR
Nature Geoscience, 2012
| | » | 38. JdF Plate: Gravity structure
G-cubed, 2011
| | » | 37. JdF Plate: Layer 2B structure
G-cubed, 2011
| | » | 36. Kane waveform tomography
GRL, 2010
| | » | 35. Kane Oceanic Core Complex
G-cubed, 2009
| | » | 34. Geophysical signatures of oceanic core complexes
GJI, 2009
| | » | 33. Accretion of the lower crust
Nature, 2009
| | » | 32. Faulting of the Juan de Fuca plate
EPSL, 2009
| | » | 31. Axial topography os the Galapagos Spreading Center
G-cubed, 2008
| | » | 30. Juan de Fuca Ridge flanks
G-cubed, 2008
| | » | 29. Seismic structure of oceanic core complexes
G-cubed, 2008
| | » | 28. Juan de Fuca Ridge: structure and hotspots
G-cubed, 2008
| | » | 27. Structure of the TAG segment, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
G-cubed, 2007
| | » | 26. Detachment faulting at TAG, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Geology, 2007
| | » | 25. Structure of the Endeavour segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge
JGR, 2007
| | » | 24. Magma beneath Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Field
Nature, 2006
| | » | 23. Magma chamber of the Cleft segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge
EPSL, 2006
| | » | 22. Topography and magmatism at the Juan de Fuca Ridge
Geology, 2006
| | » | 21. Structure of the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge
JGR, 2005
| | » | 20. Sub-crustal magma lenses
Nature, 2005
| | » | 19. Constructing the crust at the Galapagos Spreading Center
JGR, 2004
| | » | 18. Atlantis core complex
EPSL, 2004
| | » | 17. Morphology of the Galapagos Spreading Center
G-cubed, 2003
| | » | 16. Crustal structure of the East Pacific Rise
GJI, 2003
| | » | 15. Plume-ridge interaction along the Galapagos Spreading Center
G-cubed, 2002
| | » | 14. Compensation of the Galapagos swellEPSL, 2002
| | » | 13. Structure of Tenerife, Canary Islands
JVGR, 2000
| | » | 12. Underplating in the Canary Islands
JVGR, 2000
| | » | 11. Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MARK, 23?20'N)
JGR, 2000
| | » | 10. Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (35?N)
JGR, 2000
| | » | 9. Structure of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
J. Geodyn., 1999
| | » | 8. Structure of overlapping spreading centers in the MELT area
GRL, 1998
| | » | 7. Crustal thickness in the MELT area
Science, 1998
| | » | 6. The MELT experiment
Science, 1998
| | » | 5. The Canary Islands swell
GJI, 1998
| | » | 4. Morphology of the Galapagos Spreading Center
JGR, 1997
| | » | 3. Faulting of slow-spreading oceanic crust
Geology, 1997
| | » | 2. Flexure beneath Tenerife, Canary Islands
EPSL, 1997
| | » | 1. Elastic thickness in the Canary Islands
GRL, 1994
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Canales, J.P., M.R. Nedimovic, G.M. Kent, S.M. Carbotte, and R.S. Detrick, Seismic reflection images of a near-axis melt sill within the lower crust at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Nature, 460, 7251, 89-93, 2009
Abstract
The oceanic crust extends over two thirds of the Earth’s solid surface and is generated along mid-ocean ridges from melts derived from the upwelling mantle1. The upper and mid crust are constructed by dyking and seafloor eruptions originating from magma accumulated in mid-crustal lenses at the spreading axis2-6, but the style of accretion of the lower oceanic crust is actively debated7. Models based on geological and petrological data from ophiolites propose that the lower oceanic crust is accreted from melt sills intruded at multiple levels between the Moho transition zone (MTZ) and the mid-crustal lens8-11, consistent with geophysical studies that suggest the presence of melt within the lower crust12-16. However, seismic images of molten sills within the lower crust have been elusive. To date only seismic reflections from mid-crustal melt lenses2,17,18 and sills within the MTZ have been described19, suggesting that melt is efficiently transported through the lower crust. Here we report deep crustal seismic reflections off the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge that we interpret as originating from a molten sill presently accreting the lower oceanic crust. The sill sits 5-6 km beneath the seafloor and 850-900 m above the MTZ, and it islocated 1.4-3.2 km off the spreading axis. Our results provide evidence for the existence of low permeability barriers to melt migration within the lower section of modern oceanic crust forming at intermediate-to-fast spreading rates, as inferred from ophiolite studies9,10.
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