AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Editors' Highlight

The structure of intraplate "petit-spot" volcanoes on the ocean floor

In 1997, basalts within 130-million-year-old oceanic crust were sampled on the seaward slope of the Japan Trench. These basalts were found to be unexpectedly young, only about 6 million years old. Noting that there are no known hot spots in the vicinity, Fujiwara et al. (2007) sought to understand more about the unknown intraplate volcanics, dubbed "petit-spot" volcanism, suggested by the discovery of these young basalts in cool, thick oceanic lithosphere. In 2005 they conducted a seismic reflection survey of this region and found that this young basalt pooled in between sedimentary layers and oozed to the surface through cracks and vents. The authors anticipate that these results and surveys of other areas of petit-spot volcanism will help scientists better understand the evolution and modification of old oceanic crust.

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