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Tag: Spreading ridge

Spreading ridges are illustrated in this collection of accurate, accessible science graphics, designed to make understanding how new oceanic crust forms clear and engaging. These visuals show how tectonic plates diverge at mid-ocean ridges, creating volcanic activity, hydrothermal vents, and seafloor spreading that shapes the ocean floor. Ideal for educators, students, and geoscience enthusiasts, this spreading ridge graphic collection turns complex plate tectonic processes into visually rich, easy-to-grasp resources for teaching and learning about Earth’s dynamic seafloor.

Continental rift evolution (animation)

Continental rift evolution—from inception to breakup—accounting for surface processes and tectonic deformation.

Continental rift evolution—from inception to breakup—accounting for surface processes and tectonic deformation. Shown is the rifting evolution of a regional 3-D model covering upper crust, lower crust, and mantle lithosphere atop an asthenospheric layer. The rift fault network evolves through five major phases: (a) distributed deformation and coalescence, (b) fault system growth, (c) fault system decline and basinward localization, (d) rift migration, and (e) breakup. Sediments not only interact with tectonic deformation but they also record subsidence, block rotation, and rift migration. The visualisation is based on coupled numerical models of geodynamics (ASPECT) and landscape evolution (FastScape). The animation is based on the reference model of Neuharth et al., 2022.

  • Creator: Sascha Brune and Derek Neuharth
  • Original version: 26.05.2024
  • This version: 27.11.2024
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: These animation Sascha Brune and Derek Neuharth is based on Neuharth et al. (2022) and available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related reference: Neuharth, D., Brune, S., Wrona, T., Glerum, A., Braun, J., & Yuan, X. (2022). Evolution of Rift Systems and Their Fault Networks in Response to Surface Processes. Tectonics, 41(3), e2021TC007166. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021TC007166

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Global Cenozoic paleogeography

Global Cenozoic paleogeography, and the deep sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope curve.

Global Cenozoic paleogeography of Straume et al. (2020), and the deep sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope curve of Zachos et al. (2008). The Scientific colour map ‘oleron‘ is used to represent surface elevation accurately and to all readers.

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Oceanic Large-Igneous Provinces

Age of the oceanic lithosphere with superposed oceanic Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs).

Age of the oceanic lithosphere, from Straume et al. (2019), with superposed oceanic Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) from Torsvik & Cocks (2016) coloured in light blue. NAIP: North Atlantic Igneous Province, HALIP: High Arctic Large Igneous Province. The Scientific colour map ‘lajolla‘ is used to represent ocean-plate age accurately and to all readers.

  • Creator: Eivind O. Straume
  • This version: 03.09.2021
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Eivind O. Straume from Straume et al. (2019) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
  • Related reference: Related reference: Straume, E. O., Gaina, C., Medvedev, S., Hochmuth, K., Gohl, K., Whittaker, J. M., et al. (2019). GlobSed: Updated total sediment thickness in the world’s oceans. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 20, 1756– 1772. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GC008115
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North East Atlantic Ocean Evolution

Opening of the North East Atlantic Ocean and dynamic support from the Iceland mantle plume.

Opening of the North East Atlantic Ocean and dynamic support from the Iceland mantle plume. The Scientific colour maps ‘oleron’ and lajolla‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

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Divergent plate boundary

Illustration of a divergent plate boundary on the Earth accommodating the relative motion of the plates by plate formation.

Illustration of a divergent plate boundary on the Earth accommodating the relative motion of the plates by plate formation. It is one of three general types of plate boundaries. Divergent plate boundaries are, usually, characterised by a straight, but laterally offset, shape.

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Plate boundaries & Euler pole

Illustration of how plates move across the Earth featuring the Euler pole and plate boundary end-members.

Illustration of how plates move across the Earth. The motion of (almost) rigid surface portions on a sphere can be described by a rotation around a rotation axis, which cuts the surface at the so-called Euler pole. This relative motion of the plates is mainly accommodated by localised deformation at plate boundaries. Three general types of plate boundaries exist: transform plate boundaries allow the plates to move alongside each other, and convergent and divergent plate boundaries allow for plate destruction and creation, respectively. Transform and divergent plate boundaries are almost straight features, but spreading ridges are generally offset laterally by transform intersections. Subduction zones are usually arcuate (i.e., concave toward the upper plate) due to interaction with mantle flow. Variations of these plate boundaries exist depending on the given combination of upper and lower plate nature (i.e., continental or oceanic).

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Mantle convection

Illustrative vertical cross-section showing the oceanic plate as part of whole-mantle convection.

The oceanic plate as part of whole-mantle convection. Illustrative vertical cross-section showing the oceanic plate sinking and destructing on its way down into the deep mantle, whereas hot mantle plumes next to large-low-shear-wave-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) form and rise back to the surface forming the process of mantle convection. Resisting whole mantle overturn are only the continental lithosphere, which is light and strong and therefore resists subduction, and the large-low shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVP), which are chemically heavy features atop the core-mantle boundary. Somewhat passive features in mantle covection are the centre parts of the mantle (in some locations at around 1’000–2’200 km depth) around which the anomalously hot or cold material circles, sometimes called BEAMS, an abbreviation for “bridgmanite-enriched ancient mantle structures“. Thicknesses of individual layers and structures are not perfectly to scale.

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