Collaborative Research: Constraints on the Evolution of Hotspot-Ridge Interactions: The Northern Galapagos Region

加拉帕戈斯群岛和周围的海底构造独特，也是对海底地壳构造过程进行大量科学研究的中心。 这项研究补充了加拉帕戈斯群岛正在进行的工作，旨在了解海底线状结构（沃尔夫-达尔文线状结构和吉诺维萨海岭）的性质和作用及其与加拉帕戈斯群岛火山活动和太平洋板块构造的关系。 目标是：(1) 使用 40Ar/39Ar 测年法确定两条构造线沿线火山岩的年龄，以了解该地区喷发的时间；(2) 使用微量元素成分和比例来确定地幔来源和熔化状态。 这些数据以及来自文献和德国合作者最近航行的其他数据的汇编将被用来生成一组海底构造图，显示过去 1000 万年来加拉帕戈斯地区火山活动的位置和组成。 这些地图将用于对加拉帕戈斯群岛热点-山脊相互作用进行构造重建。 这项工作的更广泛影响包括与德国科学家的国际合作以及研究和教育的紧密结合，让本科生参与研究活动，包括让他们参加海洋学巡航、充分参与研究规划和实施以及最先进的地球化学技术培训。该计划指出，该项目涉及来自两个本科院校的 PI。

The Galapagos Archipelago and surrounding seafloor are unique in their construction and the center of much scientific investigation of processes of seafloor crustal construction. This research complements already on-going work in the Galapagos seeking to understand the nature and role of lineaments (Wolf-Darwin Lineament and Genovesa Ridge) on the seafloor and their ties to Galapagos volcanism and Pacific plate tectonics. Goals are to: (1) determine the age of volcanic rocks along the two lineaments using 40Ar/39Ar dating to understand the timing of eruptions in the area and (2) use trace elements compositions and ratios to determine mantle sources and melting regimes. These data, along with a compilation of other data from the literature and from recent cruises by German collaborators will be used to generate a set of seafloor tectonic maps showing the location and composition of volcanism in the Galapagos region over the past 10 million years. These maps will be used to produce a tectonic reconstruction of Galapagos hotspot-ridge interactions. Broader impacts of the work include international collaboration with German scientists and strong integration of research and education in terms of involving undergraduates in research activities which include having them participate in an oceanographic cruise, participate fully in research planning and implementation, and training in state of the art geochemical techniques. The Program notes that the project involves PIs from two undergraduate institutions.