This project involves the systematic collection and analysis of rock samples form near-ridge seamounts on the pacific plate within 150 KM of the East Pacific Rise axis between 16 and 19 S. Rock, natural glass, and constituent minerals will be analyzed using electron probe, wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, and mass spectrometer techniques. These data, in conjunction with existing geochemical data on the nearby East Pacific Rise axis, will form the basis of a 3-D analysis of the upwelling zone associated with this fast-spreading extreme of ocean ridge accretion.
