Drilling confirms hot-spot origins

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1978 · Geotimes; (United States)

OSTI ID:6671593

Eleven holes were drilled at 4 sites in the Emperor Seamount chain in order to test the hot-spot hypothesis of the origin of the Hawaiian and Emperor chains and several important corollaries. Basalt was penetrated at 3 sites, and the paleontological ages of the lowest sediments above basalt are consistent with a linear geochron connecting the ages of Meiji Seamount to the north, and Koko and Yuryaku seamounts to the south. The chemical composition of the upper 4 basalt flow units cored at Ojin Seamount indicates that they are typical Hawaiites. A sample of tholeiite was recovered from the bottom of the hole. The lava flows from Ojin, Nintoku, and Suiko have natural remanent magnetization that is relatively stable to alternating field demagnetization, as expected of oceanic-island basalts. Many of the basalts at all 3 sites have highly vesicular and oxidized flow tops and bottoms. Observations indicate that the flows were erupted subaerially, and that Ojin, Nintoku, and Suiko volcanoes once stood well above sea level. In a general way, the hot-spot origin of the Emperor Seamount chain was confirmed. (JGB)

• OSTI ID: 6671593
• Journal Information: Geotimes; (United States), Vol. 23:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
58 GEOSCIENCES
HOT SPOTS
ORIGIN
PACIFIC OCEAN
VOLCANIC REGIONS
BASALT
BOREHOLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DRILLING
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
HAWAII
MOUNTAINS
CAVITIES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
NORTH AMERICA
ROCKS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WESTERN REGION
152000* - Geothermal Data & Theory
580202 - Geophysics- Volcanology- (1980-1989)