FAMOUS MORB olivines as diaries of igneous mush processes in ocean ridge plumbing systems
Abstract
Magma storage and differentiation commonly involve extensive interactions between melts and crystal-rich domains. However, the mechanisms controlling these interactions remain difficult to constrain because erupted lavas and deep plutonic rocks provide complementary but rarely directly connected records of crustal magmatic processes. Here, we integrate petrological and geochemical data from the FAMOUS segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with thermodynamic modelling. Together, these data provide a simple criterion for identifying mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) phenocrysts that were inherited from underlying mush zones and subsequently cannibalised by ascending magmas. This process of crystal scavenging documents repeated recycling of mush-derived crystals by ascending melts prior to eruption. It also provides unique snapshots of processes occurring within active mushy reservoirs. Reactive porous flow and diffusive re-equilibration modify both melt and crystal compositions, producing hybrid magmas whose geochemical signatures differ from those of primary mantle melts. These hybrid magmas highlight the key role of melt-mush interactions in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) genesis.
Related
- Unravelling the magma source and plumbing systems beneath the submarine volcanoes of Bransfield Strait (Antarctica) with stable and noble gas isotopes
- Enigmatic HCl detections as a potential signature of igneous activity on Mars
- Mantle, lithospheric and crustal controls on large igneous province magmatism: petrogenesis of the Antrim Lava Group, North Atlantic Igneous Province
- Critical zone processes limit alkalinity export from natural basaltic systems
- Effects of typical emerging pollutants on biological treatment systems: processes, mechanisms, and recovery strategies
BibTeX
@article{falchun2026famous,
title = {{FAMOUS MORB olivines as diaries of igneous mush processes in ocean ridge plumbing systems}},
author = {Cloé Falc’hun and Lydéric France and Muriel Laubier and Pierre Bouilhol and Laurent Tissandier},
journal = {Communications Earth \& Environment},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-03908-y},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05772592v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - FAMOUS MORB olivines as diaries of igneous mush processes in ocean ridge plumbing systems
AU - Cloé Falc’hun
AU - Lydéric France
AU - Muriel Laubier
AU - Pierre Bouilhol
AU - Laurent Tissandier
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/18
JO - Communications Earth & Environment
DO - 10.1038/s43247-026-03908-y
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05772592v1
AB - Magma storage and differentiation commonly involve extensive interactions between melts and crystal-rich domains. However, the mechanisms controlling these interactions remain difficult to constrain because erupted lavas and deep plutonic rocks provide complementary but rarely directly connected records of crustal magmatic processes. Here, we integrate petrological and geochemical data from the FAMOUS segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with thermodynamic modelling. Together, these data provide a simple criterion for identifying mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) phenocrysts that were inherited from underlying mush zones and subsequently cannibalised by ascending magmas. This process of crystal scavenging documents repeated recycling of mush-derived crystals by ascending melts prior to eruption. It also provides unique snapshots of processes occurring within active mushy reservoirs. Reactive porous flow and diffusive re-equilibration modify both melt and crystal compositions, producing hybrid magmas whose geochemical signatures differ from those of primary mantle melts. These hybrid magmas highlight the key role of melt-mush interactions in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) genesis.
SN - 2662-4435
ER -