Revealing unsuspected faults of magmatic origin

Thousands of meters beneath the ocean's surface, a discovery unveils previously unknown magmatic faults. This finding could revolutionize our understanding of deep volcanic and tectonic processes.


Researchers have identified these faults near the axis of the East Pacific Rise at 9°50'N. Unlike typical faults formed by the cooling of the lithosphere, these result from intense magmatic activity emanating from the axial magmatic lens located beneath the ocean floor.

Near the ridge axis, these faults form as magma ascends through dykes. Further away, at over 6,600 feet (2000 meters), the lithosphere cools and deforms, creating other faults. Between these two zones, mysterious faults puzzle scientists due to their uncertain origin.


Using ultra-high-resolution seismic and bathymetric imaging techniques, researchers observed the precise alignment of these faults with underlying magmatic bodies, suggesting a complex interaction between tectonics and magmatism.

This discovery challenges current models of tectonic deformation, showing less intense activity than expected but heavily influenced by magma. The images reveal weaker deformation, but with marked tectono-magmatic interactions.


These new data offer an unprecedented view of oceanic crust formation and the processes at work in the depths of our oceans. Researchers are now more motivated than ever to explore these phenomena in detail.