Aberrant youth:: Chemical and isotopic constraints on the origin of off-axis lavas from the East Pacific Rise, 9°-10°N -: art. no. 8621

[1] We report measurements of U-series disequilibria, Sr, Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopic compositions and major and trace element abundances in a suite of well-located, off-axis MORBs that span the East Pacific Rise (EPR) ridge crest from 9degrees48'-52'N and across it for similar to4 km on either side. The geological context of the samples are well constrained as they were collected by submersible in an area that has been extensively imaged by remote sensing techniques. Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb-208/Pb-206 isotopic compositions of the off-axis N-MORB are identical to the axial lavas from this same region, suggesting that their sources are similar and that melting processes are the dominant influence in establishing the U-Th-Ra disequilibria and trace element fractionations. A majority of off-axis samples have U-Th and Th-Ra disequilibria that are larger, and model ages that are younger, than would be predicted from their off-axis distance and the time-integrated spreading rate. There are, however, a few off-axis samples with U-Th ages that are consistent with their spreading rate ages. It is likely that these samples erupted within or close to the axial summit trough (AST) and aged at a rate proportional to the spreading rate. The anomalously young ages determined for most of the off-axis lavas suggest that volcanic construction along this region is occurring over a zone that is wider (at least 4 km) than the AST (10s to 100s of meters). The combined observational, chemical and isotopic data support a model for the 9degrees0'N area that includes a significant component of crustal accumulation resulting from lavas that breach the AST and flow down the flanks of the EPR ridge crest. However, these data also require a minor component of off-axis eruptions that occur on distinct pillow mounds and ridges. This suggests that MOR construction involves several volcanic and tectonic processes acting in concert to form a complex patchwork of lava ages and compositions along, and across, this fast spreading ridge crest.