Northern Galápagos Province: Hotspot-induced, near-ridge volcanism at Genovesa Island

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2002 Northern Galápagos Province: Hotspot-induced, near-ridge volcanism at Genovesa Island Karen S. Harpp; Karen S. Harpp 1Department of Geology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Karl R. Wirth; Karl R. Wirth 2Geology Department, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Daniel J. Korich Daniel J. Korich 3Department of Geology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Karen S. Harpp 1Department of Geology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346, USA Karl R. Wirth 2Geology Department, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, USA Daniel J. Korich 3Department of Geology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 08 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 20 Dec 2001 Accepted: 21 Dec 2001 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (5): 399–402. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0399:NGPPHI>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 08 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 20 Dec 2001 Accepted: 21 Dec 2001 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Karen S. Harpp, Karl R. Wirth, Daniel J. Korich; Northern Galápagos Province: Hotspot-induced, near-ridge volcanism at Genovesa Island. Geology 2002;; 30 (5): 399–402. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0399:NGPPHI>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Genovesa Island is a small volcano located between the Galápagos hotspot and the Galápagos spreading center. Several observations suggest that Genovesa may not have originated as a direct product of the Galápagos plume, but instead by anomalous activation of the upper mantle by the plume. Genovesa's lavas exhibit remarkably homogeneous, depleted compositions with no detectable plume contribution; the volcano's trace element contents indicate a deeper origin than either pristine spreading center lavas or most lavas from the Galápagos Archipelago. Genovesa is virtually indistinguishable from the Lamont Seamounts (near the East Pacific Rise) in composition, volume, height, and distance from the ridge; and Genovesa formed close to its current near-ridge location, more recently than previously assumed (age younger than 350 ka). Numerous similar volcanoes populate the northern perimeter of the Galápagos Archipelago. We propose that the northern volcanic province is the result of the serendipitous combination of excess temperatures, weak lithosphere, and regional stresses from interaction between the plume and the ridge, yielding volcanism where none would be observed otherwise. The Galápagos system may define an eruptive process at hotspots, distinct from the Hawaiian model, in which plume-related volcanism can be regionally diffuse, coeval, and compositionally variable. Such a mechanism has profound implications for our understanding of plume-ridge interactions, as well as for island ages and adaptive radiation in the Galápagos. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.