Overlapping spreading centers: Implications from crack growth simulation by the displacement discontinuity method

Abstract

Overlapping spreading centers (OSC’s) are a fundamental aspect of accretionary processes at intermediate and fast‐spreading centers and typically occur at deep points along the axial depth profile. They have a characteristic geometry consisting of two en echelon overlapping, curving ridges separated by an elongated depression. The length to width ratio of this overlap basin is typically 3∶1. We have been successful in reproducing the overlapping spreading center geometry by modelling the growth of two initially parallel elastic cracks of given length and offset in a tensile stress field at infinity. A boundary element displacement discontinuity method was used to solve this problem. Our calculated results are compared with seafloor observations in terms of the size and shape of the overlap region. For small OSC’s, there is a very good agreement between calculations and observations but, for large ones, the overlap basin tends to be longer than our predicted results indicate. This suggests that the assumptions made in the model (i.e., perfectly elastic, isotropic and homogeneous medium) are perhaps valid for the brittle lid above the magma chamber that underlies OSC’s with small offsets (< 2 km) but oversimplified for OSC’s with large offsets. Our modelling shows that the initial interaction of closely spaced surface ruptures along spreading centers is to deflect away from one another as they approach. The deflection will be the greatest for small misalignments of the fracture systems, thus even minor misalignments of the spreading centers may result in the development of OSC’s. Where the misalignment is less than the width of the cracking front, the fracture systems may meet head‐on creating a saddle point along the axial depth profile. Our results support the hypothesis suggested by Macdonald et al. [1984] in which overlapping spreading centers develop where two magmatic pulses migrate toward each other along the strike of the spreading center following fracture systems and magmatic conduits which are imperfectly aligned.