Tectonic, Magmatic, Hydrothermal and Biological Segmentation at Mid-Ocean Ridges

We now recognize that mid-ocean ridges are not simple, two-dimensional features, but are instead partitioned into morphologically distinct segments on a variety of scales. Variations in axial morphology reflect differences in the structure of the magma reservoirs and in the nature of mantle upwelling beneath the ridge. Segment ends may be starved of magma, and spreading accommodated by tectonic stretching as well as by magmatic accretion. The location of the magmatic heat source and the dis...