Unexpectedly High Magma Productivity Inferred From Crustal Roughness and Residual Bathymetry on the Eastern Part of the Ultra‐Slow Spreading Gakkel Ridge Since ∼45 Ma, Eurasian Basin, Arctic Ocean

Abstract

AbstractThe Gakkel Ridge in the Eurasian Basin has the slowest seafloor spreading worldwide. The western Gakkel Ridge (3°W–85°E; 14–11 mm/a) alternate between magmatic and sparsely magmatic zones, while the eastern Gakkel Ridge (85–126°E; 11–6 mm/a) appears to be dominated by magmatic zones despite ultraslow spreading. Little is known about the seafloor spreading conditions in the past along the entire ridge. Here, we exploit the residual bathymetry and basement roughness to assess the crustal accretion process of the Gakkel Ridge over time using 23 published regional multichannel seismic reflection profiles. Full seafloor spreading rates were faster (20–24 mm/a) up to ∼45 Ma, and residual bathymetry for the older crust is deeper than the world average in the entire Eurasian Basin. There is a sharp transition to 300–400 m shallower residual bathymetry for seafloor <45 Ma in the eastern Eurasian Basin. The crustal roughness versus spreading rate of the western Eurasian Basin is on the global trend, while that of the eastern is significantly below. Both low roughness and shallow residual bathymetry of the eastern Eurasian Basin is close to that of oceanic crust for spreading rates above 30 mm/a, demonstrating increased magmatic production of the eastern Gakkel Ridge since ∼45 Ma. A recent mantle tomography model predicts partial melting in the upper mantle based on the low Vs anomaly underneath. The sedimentary pattern toward the Lomonosov Ridge indicates that this hot mantle anomaly started to cause dynamic uplift of the area at ∼45 Ma.