Earth’s biggest volcanic event transformed an entire oceanic plate
Scientists have discovered that the formation of the Ontong Java Plateau 110-120 million years ago fundamentally altered the chemistry and structure of the underlying oceanic plate. Using seismic wave analysis, researchers identified complex networks of vertical magma pathways that transformed the plate's interior.
Why it matters
This discovery challenges existing models of oceanic plate formation and provides new insights into Earth's largest volcanic events.
Scientists have discovered that one of the most extreme volcanic events in Earth's history did more than build a massive underwater plateau. It also altered the structure and chemistry of the oceanic plate beneath it.
A research team led by Lecturer Azusa Shito of Okayama University of Science, working with Associate Professor Akira Ishikawa of the Institute of Science Tokyo and Professor Masako Yoshikawa of Hiroshima University, used seismic waves to investigate the deep structure beneath the Ontong Java Plateau. Their results suggest that enormous volumes of magma pushed through the existing plate, creating networks of vertical intrusions and chemically transforming the surrounding rock.
The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters .
A Hidden Structure Beneath the Ontong Java Plateau
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